The Unsuspected

'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

Nice atmospheric thriller with excellent black and white photography and with chilling use of shadows! The film is inspired by both "Rebecca" and "Laura", and maybe "Suspicion" i suspect... The murderer is obvious but it is still entertaining with a good script!

Loveley performances by Hollywood pros like Claude Rains, Constance Bennet and the underrated Audrey Totter always worth seeing!

This was my first Joan Caulfield movie, apparently a starlet at the end of the 40s, a good actress but a bit forgettable. I love these film noirs from the golden age of Hollywood. Golden age of filmmaking, actually...

One of the fine mystery thrillers from 40's and near the top of the film noir lists. The Unsuspected is a showcase for one of Hollywood's real accomplished actors of that era, Claude Rains. Though more widely remembered for "Casablanca", "Notorius", and "Mr. Skeffington," Rains gets to show off his versatility in a starring role. As the charming but malevolent lead, Rains comes up with a very professional turn as the respected radio announcer and suspect. Pairing with him is a "femme fatale" from that time, Joan Caulfield. The bosomy, sexy blonde is more convincing here than in the light comedies she played during her career. This film dates well and will keep your interest. It's one I would like to see once more. Any readers know where a VCR copy can be purchased?

... with elements of "Mystery of Edwin Drood", "Sudden Fear" and "Laura" all mixed together.

Claude Rains is wonderful as the villain, but at first, you have no idea what he is up to. An apparently wealthy successful radio host (Raines) who kills his own secretary in his own house and makes it look like suicide just to have material for his crime mystery radio show? Is he nuts? Well, it is more complex than that, and I like how what Claude is really up to is gradually introduced to the audience, along with all of the characters and their various motivations. This is NOT a mystery. You know who the villain is up front. The question is are there other villains at work here besides Rains' character.

Audrey Totter plays Rains' niece who married her husband (Hurd Hatfield) just to spite Rains' ward (Joan Caufield) who was his fiancee - because she is so angry that she is penniless. OK, great shades of "Born to Kill" here too, except Audrey now has a drunken husband whom she doesn't love AND she is still the poor relation. As usual, Totter is terrific as the taut reptilian temptress. If Totter had starred in Leave Her to Heaven, she would have been filing her nails while Darryl Hickman drowned, and then grabbed an oar and whacked him when he doesn't go down fast enough because the lake air is frizzing her hair and she simply has other things to do.

Constance Bennett is not given that much to do here but seem ambiguous and look terrific, and she is great at it. She plays Rains' replacement secretary after the original one is offed in the first part of the film.

It's wonderfully shot with shadows and blind slits and fabulous Warner Bros. sets with sweeping staircases and pocket doors. So why is this film just an 8 and not a 9 or 10/10? I'd say that it is the key romantic couple in the film played by Joan Caufield and Michael North. Caufield comes across like a sexually deflated and somewhat drugged Lana Turner, and Michael North greatly resembles Brad Pitt without the charisma. And together their relationship just bores me, and that is probably because the interpretation of their characters bores me. They are entirely competent and nothing more. How interesting that this film's credits say "Introducing Michael North" and yet this is the last film he ever made before transitioning to being an agent.

I'd highly recommend it for the great plot, gloomy brooding atmosphere, and fabulous acting minus Caufield and North.

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.