User reviews

For his final film on his Warner Brothers contract Claude Rains got a starring role instead of being in support of one or two of Warner's name contract leads. Rains plays Victor Grandison the host of a radio mystery show where he narrates crime stories. He's a most popular host with good Hooper ratings I'm sure. Hooper by the way was the equivalent of the Nielsen ratings for television.

Rains lives well courtesy of his niece Joan Caulfield who has some large inherited wealth. There's another niece Audrey Totter who lives with them and her husband Hurd Hatfield, but not happily.

One of Rains's aides at the radio station is murdered. Then Caulfield is reported missing at sea. Before she's found Ted North arrives at the estate claiming to be her husband, but she can't remember getting married.

A couple of more deaths occur and always Rains is The Unsuspected one. What he is is a master manipulator of people and events.

The key to it all is North who is definitely not what he seems. Also Constance Bennett is around who works at the radio station. I liked her, but she's got a most ill defined role. And we never do learn why the first aide is killed.

Nevertheless Claude Rains is really giving a performance that they ought to show in acting classes. So many emotions, so subtly conveyed.

For Claude Rains fans everywhere.

To answer the question, "Who is the unsuspected?" the viewer must wait until the very end of the film. In reality, the unsuspected is revealed toward the beginning of the movie. So though there aren't any real surprises--this is not a mystery--there is a big helping of suspense and thrills along the way. The viewer also gets a glimpse of old time radio just before television took over. Victor "Grandi" Grandison (Claude Rains) is a big time radio personality whose main claim to fame is telling creepy, murder stories, read from a script he helped write, to a large radio audience. Several scenes take place during the broadcast inside the radio studio. The viewer gets to see all the hand signals and day to day activities involved in a live broadcast in those days. Many radio shows were transcribed (recorded on huge record discs) both for posterity and for possible re-broadcasts. Grandi makes these for nefarious purposes also. How they are made is shown in great detail.

With lines such as "We missed you while you were dead," this is one of the best film noir screenplays of the 1940's. One of the great femme fatales of the era, Audrey Totter as Althea Keane, gets some of the wittiest lines, which she delivers with élan. So listen carefully when she speaks. She dominates every scene she's in. The only one in the cast who comes close to her acting talents is Claude Rains. In some ways his part closely resembles the character he played the year before in the Hitchcock classic "Notorious," the master spy Alexander Sebastian. While Althea's husband, the tipsy Oliver (Hurd Hatfield), also shines, his role is fairly cut and dried with only brief appearances. The others in the cast are more than adequate, in particular Jack Lambert as Mr. Press, a violent, shady character who is blackmailed into doing dirty work for Grandi.

Michael Curtiz knowingly directs in noir fashion with crisp black and white photography surrounded by rainy, spooky nights making the audience believe that danger lurks in the shadows. Curtiz makes sure the film is fast-paced. There is even an exciting chase at the end involving Jack Lambert recklessly driving through traffic in a pickup truck, attempting to destroy evidence at the city dump before the motorcycle cops catch up with him.

The music blends in with the story. For example, when Grandi comes home unsuspected, his birthday party is in full swing. The piano man fills the room with "Someone To Watch Over Me." Grandi is unnerved by the tune and makes a snide remark to Matilda Frazier (Joan Caulfield) to the effect that he would like to fire the piano player. Neglected for years, critics and noir fans are just now discovering this intriguing movie.

Bravo, TCM, for showing this. I haven't seen it since I was in my teens thirty years ago. It is similar but in many ways superior to Laura. The major flaw of Laura is that it is impossible to believe that Clifton Webb has a great, overriding physical passion for Gene Tierney. There is no such nonsense in The Unsuspected. This is a highly atmospheric, evocative and literate noir set in the sophisticated world of radio and literary circles. We have a powerful, understated performance from Rains alternating between the likeable and sinister. He was one of the very few actors who could pull this kind of thing off (i.e. Notorious, Deception).I take great exception to a previous comment here about a "throwaway cast." Throwaway? Audrey Totter? Constance Bennett? Hurd Hatfield? The too little seen Fred Clark? Hardly throwaway! Totter's performance is etched in acid and this, with her job in Tension, is the best of this fabulous lady's career! She and Bennett here play both sides of the bitch coin. Totter is the nasty side, Bennett the amusing and brittle side. Both of theses dames bring life to dialogue that even on paper would be smart. If you love Warner Brothers, Rains, Totter, Bennett, or noir in general, this is a tasty treat.

'The Unsuspected's' main attraction was the cast, especially the rarely, if ever, less than great Claude Rains who is reason enough to watch any film on his own. Also the director Michael Curtiz, responsible for directing two of my favourite films 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' and particularly 'Casablanca'.

Loved 'The Unsuspected's' concept, the sort of film that has always been right up my alley, and it looked like it would be a little gem. Although it was not quite a gem, 'The Unsuspected' has a lot going for it and is a very good film sadly undervalued today, it deserves much more than relatively unknown status. It could have been better, but it is far from a waste of potential and the things that made me watch it in the first place don't disappoint.

It's not perfect. It does try to do too much in the plot, meaning that some parts are over-stuffed and convoluted. This sometimes hurts the plausibility.

Joan Caulfield also seemed a little bland to me in a slightly colourless role, but that is partly down to that the rest of the cast are stronger and their characters more interesting.

Especially true to this are Rains, who is as commanding and urbane as ever, and Audrey Totter on deliciously acidic form. Constance Bennett has the right touch of brittle and it was interesting to see Hurd Hatfield.

Curtiz directs with ease and control, never letting the pace let up, so the film is never dull and always absorbing despite some story flaws, and with great direction of the actors. It is a lavish-looking film and is rich in atmosphere and evocative mood. The action sequences are deft, especially the climax, the noir-ish suspense is nail-biting and the workings of radio aspects are very insightful. The script is always clever and literate, which is a big plus.

All in all, very good but could have been great. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Michael Curtiz plays a sly game in The Unsuspected – a marvelous mystery that manages to preserve the venerable trappings of the English weekend-at-the-country-house murder (with some of the gimmickry that implies) while setting it amid a nest of Manhattan smart-mouths. He shows us who the murderer is in the first few minutes of the movie (and echoes his revelation several times) but does it so glancingly that it fails to register. And even if it did, The Unsuspected proves such a banquet of writing, acting and visual detail – such as the neon sign on a hotel in Peekskill flashing only its four last letters to a room inside – that it wouldn't be spoiled at all.

Looming shadows stalk through the baronial upstate manse of Victor Grandison (the ineffable Claude Rains), host of a wildly popular true-crime radio show. Next thing, his loyal secretary is hanging from a chandelier (an apparent suicide, but we know better). This ghastly occurrence doesn't faze the house's other occupants – his gold-digging niece (Audrey Totter) and her boozehound husband (Hurd Hatfield), possibly because Totter was on the phone with the victim as she uttered her last scream but never bothered to report it. Or it could be that everybody's still in shock over the loss of another niece (Joan Caulfield), who has perished in a ship's fire while crossing the Atlantic.

Into their lives strides a Mysterious Stranger (Ted North), claiming to be Caulfield's widower. He's received variously: Rains treats him with cordial suspicion, Hatfield with glum distaste (he had a thing for Caulfield, too) while Totter throws herself at him, `vibrating.' And then who should turn up, safe and reasonably sound, but Caulfield herself. The plot is admittedly a little complicated (made more so by the resemblance between North and Hatfield, with their bland, unhappy faces, and between Totter and Constance Bennett, who could pass as her older sister (playing the Eve Arden role of the wise-cracking spinster helpmate). But it's nothing that a few more homicides can't clear up....

With Casablanca and Mildred Pierce behind him, Curtiz was at the height of his powers for The Unsuspected, and Warners plainly gave him full rein for this lavish production. He's matched every step of the way by the wondrous Woody Bredell, who supplies richly detailed, always evocative cinematography (it's a smashing-looking movie). Nor does the script falter: Every line gleams with witty malice. Though Caulfield unfathomably gets top billing, she pales next to Rains and Totter in top form, with Bennett a close runner-up. The movie boasts just about everything.

Why, then, isn't it better known? Usually labeled film noir, it's really more of a high-style ‘40s sophisticated mystery, as was Otto Preminger's Laura (and, like Laura, it hinges on a beautiful young woman, presumed dead, who unexpectedly re-emerges). But while Laura receives reverent homage as an evergreen classic (`They don't make ‘em like that anymore'), The Unsuspected remains relatively unknown except to fans of the noir cycle. Yet it's every bit at good a movie – certainly no less plausible – and honed to an even finer level of elegance. Go figure.

Years ago I actually saw a paperback version of the novel by Charlotte Armstrong that this movie is based on...and foolishly I did not buy it. That was before I saw it on television (about 1979). It rarely is shown, possibly because it's excellent title is overshadowed by two other excellent films THE UNINVITED and THE UNFORGIVEN (not to mention the television series and Kevin Costner film THE UNTOUCHABLES).

Victor Grandison (known to his admirers, friends, and loving family as "Grandy") hosts a radio program which retells classic true murder cases from America's and Britain's past. He is based (like Waldo Lydecker, Sheridan Whiteside, and - to an extent - Addison DeWitt) on Alexander Woolcott, the critic and member of the Algonquin Set and radio host ("The Town Cryer") who loved to discuss old murder cases too (in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER Woolcott/Whiteside meets Lizzy Borden/Elizabeth Sedley). Grandy is the guardian for two nieces, Audrey Totter (married to the frequently drunken Hurd Hatfield), and Joan Caulfield. Caulfield is presently abroad, but word has come back that she was killed in a fire. On top of this, Grandy's secretary has apparently committed suicide - although Totter is not quite sure it was a suicide. Shortly afterward, a man shows up (Ted North) claiming to be Caulfield's husband (and, if she is dead, heir to her estate being handled by guardian Rains). Then Caulfield shows up - back from the dead as it were - and she can't recall marrying North!

The film's villain is not difficult to fathom - Rains has no real rival figures to play against here for that honor. Jack Lambert gives good support as Rains' criminal assistant.

Several comments are made about the very witty screenplay, particularly Constant Bennett's lines. But there are other moments of humor for some of the other characters, including one for Rains which caused me to momentarily feel some compassion for him. In one of his schemes, he has to isolate a potential victim in his country mansion. His butler Kent (Harry Lewis) will probably be upstairs in his apartment that night. With his kindest looking face, Rains goes over to hard working Lewis and says that he needs to relax and gives him two tickets to his radio program on the night the mansion has to be empty. Lewis is speechless for a moment, but then says something "unexpected". "Thank you Mr. Grandison," says Lewis/Kent, "but I have to admit that I don't think I'll take them." Rains is amazed. "Why not?", he asks. "Well, you see Mr. Grandison, I know it sounds odd but I have never listened to your program at all." Rains face is beginning to redden up a bit. "The fact is Mr. Grandison," says Lewis/Kent, "Your murder stories scare me too much!" Rains has heard enough by this time. This is more than just clearing his house for his own private murder plot - it's his reputation at stake here. "Let's put it this way Kent." Rains says with white pursed lips, "Do you like your job here?" Kent took the tickets, and Rains looked satisfied if a bit less than amused.

Good film this.

I liked this bit of film noir. The story is a bit confusing and it lacks a solid foundation for introducing and developing characters. Unlike most films, this film might have been over edited. Another 10-15 minutes of character development might have helped.

Now having said all that, what I truly liked about this film is that it is set during the golden age of radio. Its nice to have a contemporary view of this now lost and long forgotten world. We get to see a production of an "old time radio" program. We see how sound was recorded before taping became practical. Claude Rains' character is a narrator of a spooky, murder mystery radio show very much along the lines of popular radio programs such as "The Whistler" or "Suspense" or "Lights Out." Rains was perfectly cast in this role. His "radio voice" hearkens back to the day when "the Man in Black" or "the Whistler" kept millions of Americans entranced by the glowing dial in their darkened den or bedroom.

The Unsuspected (1947)

Another Michael Curtiz gem (think of "Casablanca" and "Mildred Pierce") but with a story that is less compelling and, oddly, more complicated. The film is gorgeous, filmed with lush intelligence. And Claude Raines is terrific as the leading man throughout. Perhaps the rest of the cast is too routine to lift the film out of the ordinary in other ways. But I still found it striking and interesting all through, even the second time.

Many reviewers here call this a "hidden gem," but to me it's hidden for a good reason. Yes, the lighting is interesting, sort of noir Victoriana - the backgrounds are busy but dramatic and distinctive. But the plot is slow and convoluted, and it lacks the crisp narrative style of "Laura," to which some compare it. Poor Claude Rains, who is good in anything, is paired with so many actors who tower over him that his small stature is rather jarringly accentuated in many scenes. Not a total washout, but not a masterpiece either.

Some acidic one-liners here and there and Rains' effectively oily performance add an undeserved touch of class to the protracted proceedings.

Curtiz tries to build up a web of intrigue, but gets tangled up from the beginning. Murder and melodrama are paired in an unholy alliance while more and more corpses litter the screen and logic slowly dissolves.

In the end, you don't care much about the outcome of this unexciting crime flick.

4 out of 10 screaming secretaries

The Unsuspected is directed by Michael Curtiz and adapted to screenplay by Bess Meredyth and Ranald MacDougall from the novel written by Charlotte Armstrong. It stars Joan Caulfield, Claude Rains, Audrey Totter, Constance Bennett, Hurd Hatfield and Ted North. Music is by Franz Waxman and cinematography by Elwood Bredell.

A girl has been murdered but the police think it's suicide. A woman presumed killed at sea returns to the family home and finds she has a husband she can't remember. Her uncle hosts a radio murder mystery show where the stories seem spine chillingly real. And of course there's finances to be lost or gained. Just what is going on at the Grandison Mansion?

If you don't get a hold of yourself your mind will crack!

Not as obscure as it once was, The Unsuspected has emerged as a film noir favourite in spite of its self-conscious style over substance being. With similarities to Otto Preminger's Laura, amongst others, and weakness of plot machinations, you sense that the great Michael Curtiz realised he had to up the ante in the art of expressionistic chiaroscuro to off-set the short fall elsewhere in the production. But boy does he!

Aided by Bredell (Phantom Lady/The Killers), Curtiz (Casablanca/Mildred Pierce) produces a masterclass in imaginative direction. Lighting and shadows are used to full effect in portraying the psychological discord that beats constantly in the lavish mansion where majority of the tale is set, a place where paranoia, confusion and claustrophobia finds a home. Silhouettes of crimes committed strike atmospheric chords, as do the uses of bar shadows.

As the script merrily trundles out sexually suggestive and witty barbs, the array of characters portrayed with relish by a Curtiz inspired cast, the director also inserts some stunning scenes. A neon sign deftly shot, billowing curtains suggesting turmoil, a bubbling glass of tainted champagne a foreboding presence, and many off-kilter reflections used throughout to represent duplicity or a fractured mind. Visually this is noir nirvana for sure.

If only the screenplay was as intricate as it thinks it is, where quite often the story gets saddled with giant implausibilities. As the bodies pile up the motives and means start to come off as daft, which is a shame as the radio inspired backdrop is interesting for the time. There's also a couple of well constructed action scenes, though the editing for the cars is suspect, while Hatfield raises a laugh (intentional?) when in one scene he reminds us he was Dorian Gray two years earlier.

A must see on a visual basis for the film noir enthusiast, but the core basic melodramatics of the tale may have you hankering for Laura after all. 7.5/10

Viewed this film when it was first shown in New York City and always enjoyed the great acting of Claude Rains, Constance Bennett, Joan Caulfield, Audrey Totter and Hurd Hatfield. This was a very well produced picture with great photography of Long Island parkway scenes and the old water front sections of Manhattan. Claude Rains,(Victor Grandison)," Phantom of the Opera",'43, was a mystery writer and had his own radio show with all kinds of old time recording equipment and secret compartments to hide his mysterious goings on at home and in the studio. Joan Caulfied,(Matilda Frazier),"Dear Wife",'49 gave a great supporting role and was very beautiful in the close up shots of her face in black and white. Audrey Totter (Althea Keane)," Jet Attack",'58 was very sexy and attractive. Althea and Victor both knew each other very well and kept a watchful eye on each other through out the entire picture. It was nice to see Hurd Hatfield(Oliver Keane),"The Picture of Dorian Gray",'45 make an appearance in this film and played his role to perfection. There was even a car chase in the end of the picture and lots of drama in an old time JUNK YARD! Don't miss this great film, it is really worth watching.

I like a good mystery and overall The Unsuspected is a decent time waster. The cast is decent which includes Claude Rains who plays a radio personality named Victor Grandison and his radio show tells mystery and murder stories which seem to be coming true. There are two men who are both infatuated the films female lead a woman named Matilda Frazier played by the very attractive Joan Caulfield. Now one of these men whom she was engaged to be married is a man named Oliver Keane (played by Hurd Hatfield) who prefers drinking over working for a living. The second gentleman admirer is a mysterious man named Steven Howard played by Ted North.

Our female lead Matilda has been away for a spell recovering from a nervous breakdown only to find out that her second gentleman admirer, Steven Howard has just told Matilda that they were recently married. Matilda has no memory of their marriage so Steven brings her back to the justice of the peace who married them to confirm their marriage was witnessed and as a gentlemen should do, he advises Matilda that he would be willing to have their marriage annulled in a few days if that is what Matilda would prefer since she has absolutely no memory of their so called wedding day.

Murders are occurring in the radio personality Victor Grandison's home to which he has alibis for when he is interrogated by lead detective Richard Donovan played by Fred Clark. So we the audience gradually clue in to who is the actual killer and what the motive is as well. Unfortunately the next batter up to be murdered is the naive Matilda and this is where the plot becomes very weak as even the dimmest light in the barn should be able to figure out whose after her and why, but not our lovely and naive Matilda.

Lucky for Matilda one of her gentleman admirers has a good head on his shoulders and as luck would have it (luck which requires a happy ending) she is saved before she becomes the next "unsuspecting" victim, thus the film title The Unsuspected. I enjoy film-noir and this is not the best, nor is it the worst, so I rated it a decent 6 out of 10.

Claude Rains is suave and sinister in this film noir drama from 1947, which is worth watching, but guard your expectations. Rains plays the mellifluous announcer of a murder mystery radio show, and his performance is one of the high points of the movie. The others are in the great shots that Director Michael Curtiz creates with shadows and reflections. In one fantastic scene early on, the camera takes us through the streets to a flashing neon sign for the "Hotel Peekskill", and while we hear Rains narrating his show, we see his hired heavy (Jack Lambert) lying in bed smoking. The last four letters are not really the ones showing through the window, but the psychological effect is such that that's what viewers 'see' and remember. In some other great moments, Rains's shadow stretches abnormally long across the floor as he walks away, and his reflection seen in a record warps slightly while it spins. I also loved the use of the 'high tech' audio equipment in his home.

Unfortunately, the plot is second rate. There are several points that seem artificial and mostly unexplained, starting with the niece (Joan Caulfield) having apparently died and then coming back. There are also moments which don't make sense, particularly towards the end, but I won't spoil anything. The plot just seems too heavily constructed. It also suffers a bit from a lack of real suspense, though when Rains has Caulfield help him with a recording, we get an eerie feeling as to his intentions. As for the rest of the cast, Audrey Totter delivers some spice as his other niece and Constance Bennett some acerbic lines as his producer, but overall, it's pretty average. Entertaining, with its dramatic music and noir feel, but imperfect.

I have yet to understand the mindset of the major studios putting out clunkers on DVD, yet not paying much attention to the classic movie scene, except for the major hitters. I'm sure it takes more time since many of these need some restoration work and subtitles. However, superb classics such as The Unsuspected (directed by a MAJOR studio director no less)should have some attention paid to them. It's a shame that The Uninvited, the finest ghost story every to appear on film, has yet to be studio released either.

I just noticed that Amazon is touting DVD's that are copied from the TV and put onto DVR's for nearly $30.00! I can get them for $10.00 from Brad Lang.

All that being said, The Unsuspected is lush viewing and has a great script with a couple of sassy broads (Totter & Bennett)tossing off one-liners like hand grenades. There are a couple of glaring plot holes (hence my rating of 9 instead of 10), but I'll forgive that since the film is so wonderful in every other way.

Michael Curtiz was a great director; and he made other great films besides Casablanca. This was one of them. The use of shadows and blocking was absolutely perfect. The music is moody, and the story line is mesmerizing. His character is positively diabolical. Rains excelled in these kinds of roles and was only rivaled by the great George Sanders for his debonair screen presence. The clever twists and turns of this film will have you wiggling in your seat with suspense. Be sure to view it at night.

Michael Curtiz knew how to make interesting movies. But just as Casablanca's ad hoc filming was salvaged in the editing room, The Unsuspected - I suspect - was butchered in the same room.

Following the death of Claude Rains' secretary, characters start popping up all over the place. Too many characters. Looking too much alike. We don't know where they came from or why. And then it takes half the movie to explain their connections. It's as if the screenwriter took the source novel but started on Chapter 7.

As for the plot, it hinges on a bad guy always being in the right place at the right time to pull off his schemes. A female lead who has the guile of a goldfish. And a good guy who has the charisma of a stick of wood.

Everybody's made out of cardboard and makes incredibly poor decisions. Frankiy, I still don't know the murderer's motivations.

Rains puts in an excellent performance as always. And it was pretty cool to see Fred Clark in his first credited role, and to learn from TCM's Freddy Mueller that Clark was in Patton's Third Army.

Ultimately, other than effective use of light and shadows, there is nothing that would motivate me to watch this a second time.

If I learned anything watching this movie it's that people in the 1940s smoked too much.