The Second Woman (1950)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- In flashback from a 'Rebecca'-style beginning: Ellen Foster (Betsy Drake), visiting her aunt on the California coast, meets neighbor Jeff Cohalan (Robert Young) and his ultramodern clifftop house. Ellen is strongly attracted to Jeff, who's being plagued by unexplainable accidents, major and minor. Bad luck, persecution...or paranoia? Warned that Jeff could be dangerous, Ellen fears that he's in danger, as the menacing atmosphere darkens.
- Actors:
- Robert Young, Betsy Drake, John Sutton, Florence Bates, Morris Carnovsky, Henry O'Neill, Jean Rogers, Raymond Largay, Shirley Ballard, Vicki Raaf, Jason Robards Sr., Steven Geray, Jimmie Dodd, Smoki Whitfield, Cliff Clark, Walter Bacon, Vince Barnett, Paul Bradley, Steve Carruthers, Jack Chefe
- Directors:
- James V. Kern
- Producers:
- Mort Briskin, Robert Smith
- Writers:
- Mort Briskin, Robert Smith
- Aka:
- Ellen
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Romance, Thrillers
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Reviews (1) of The Second Woman
Fifties Noir - The Second Woman review by Steve
Dreamlike romance which updates the classic themes of gothic melodrama to contemporary California. So the old dark house is now a Frank Lloyd Wright built into the rocky coastline. The mysterious portrait of the deceased bride-to-be becomes abstract modernism. And the second woman isn't a frightened naïf, but an actuary in a firm of accountants.
Betsy Drake's wan, willowy ethereality may not have been in vogue in '50s Hollywood, but she is perfect casting. She falls in love with the rich, sensitive architect (Robert Young) who is either a dangerous paranoiac... or being driven out of his mind. The biggest change to the rules of gaslight melodrama is it's she who has agency, rather than being the victim.
And the architect is the man in peril. He is superstitious, and she is rational. There is a lot of psychological hokum typical of studio productions after WWII, but it's all to service the unsettling narrative. The dreamy orchestral score, the desolate locations and b&w expressionism create an atmosphere of uncertainty. These are routine genre motifs, but still effective.
The story loses momentum on the hour, perhaps due to the many flashbacks, but recovers for an interesting climax. James Vern was a minor director who mainly did tv, but he creates a handsome production from his moderate budget. Though presumably there was no money left for a thunderstorm! It all feels very ominous and is surprisingly memorable.