robert-temple-1 This was Nicholas Ray's third film, but he was already a master of his craft, as he had shown clearly in his very first film the year before, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1948). This film is based upon the novel MORTGAGE ON LIFE by Vicki Baum, and the screenplay by Herman Mankiewicz (brother of Joe, uncle of Tom, whom I knew slightly) sparkles with witty lines and lively dialogue. Herman died less than four years later at the age of only 55; he had written the original screenplay for CITIZEN KANE in 1941. This film has spectacular performances from Maureen O'Hara, Melvyn Douglas, and Gloria Grahame. Both gals play singers. There was a singing double, Kaye Lorraine (uncredited), who dubbed Gloria Grahame's voice. But watching Grahame sing the hit song 'Paradise', whoever's voice it was, is such a great moment that it is worth seeing the film just for that. 'Paradise' originally came out in 1931 and was one of the best songs of the period, and has been recorded by many famous singers, but nobody ever 'delivered' it like Grahame. The story is a good mystery. Grahame is shot early in the film and Maureen O'Hara insists that she did it, but many people suspect that she is only pretending to be guilty, especially as she even refuses a lawyer. Don't worry, Grahame comes back in numerous flashbacks, so we see plenty of her while she is meanwhile lying unconscious in hospital on the verge of death. Ray certainly knew how to get the best performances out of Gloria Grahame, and it was the next year that their joint triumph appeared, aided by Humphrey Bogart of course, IN A LONELY PLACE (1950, see my review), one of the greatest noirs ever made and one of the finest films of its time. Also in that year, Ray added to his list of excellent films noir with BORN TO BE BAD (1950, see my review). These early films of Nicholas Ray are genuine classics, and A WOMAN'S SECRET is not to be missed.

wes-connors After preforming for a New York City radio station, popular singer Gloria Grahame (as Susan "Estrellita" Caldwell) goes back to the apartment she shares with roommate-manager Maureen O'Hara (as Marian Washburn) and threatens to give up her lucrative singing career. As we watch a maid perform her duties, a gunshot rings out – then, Ms. Grahame is found on the floor with Ms. O'Hara kneeling over her body. Through flashbacks, we learn what led up to the unfortunate opening. "A Woman's Secret" begins with intrigue, but falters as the flashbacks are confusing and the main characters become increasingly awkward. We are left to wonder why O'Hara "suddenly lost" her singing voice, due to a rare laryngitis, and how the voice is transferred to Grahame; moreover, O'Hara, both intelligent and uncommonly beautiful, decides to devote her life to the dim-witted perfume clerk from Azusa...The top-billed men involved with O'Hara and Grahame are pianist Melvyn Douglas (as Luke Jordan) and angry Bill Williams (Lee Crenshaw). They don't seem to know how to make sense of what is going on, which is understandable. Putting some life into the on-screen proceedings are police inspector Jay C. Flippen (as Fowler) and his wife Mary Philips (an amateur detective). Off-screen, director Nicholas Ray took Grahame over the threshold. While interesting in spots, Mr. Ray starts off the climactic O'Hara-Grahame confrontation with a fail – apparently, as evident in the scene where O'Hara walks in on Grahame burning a "Western Union" telegram, O'Hara lost her sense of smell along with her singing voice. She should have asked, "What did you burn, Susan?" Adding to the confusion, the beginning flashbacks don't match later events – maybe this was intended to make it all more interesting.**** A Woman's Secret (3/5/49) Nicholas Ray ~ Maureen O'Hara, Gloria Grahame, Melvyn Douglas, Bill Williams

Leofwine_draca An engaging little noir-style mystery, although it has to be said that this is very gentle even by the standards of the era and it's more of a cosy drama than anything else. The movie begins with an unexpected murder, and the rest of the tale is a mix of flashbacks leading up to the event interspersed with police procedural investigation into the crime.In essence this is a chance to explore a love triangle between three famous actors of the day. The ubiquitous Maureen O'Hara bags the most dramatic role of the suspected murderess and headlines it as you'd expect, but Melvyn Douglas holds it all together as the man caught between two feisty women. Gloria Grahame is an intriguing actress who gives a rather sultry turn as the star singer and it's increasingly apparent as the story progresses that the director is in love with her.Otherwise, despite the lack of action and incident, A WOMAN'S SECRET works rather well. Nicholas Ray handles the directorial duties with relish, and the characters are both interesting and larger than life. It's hardly the kind of movie to set the world on fire, but one which film fans should appreciate.

mark.waltz In the end, this lousy film noir is all about nothing. Why the writers thought that their denouncement of how/why a temperamental singer (Gloria Grahame) was shot, and why her mentor (Maureen O'Hara) would claim guilt is about as engrossing as a Progressive Car Insurance Commercial. No surprises, no plot twists, basically no plot. It starts off promising with the usually feisty but essentially lovable O'Hara playing an embittered character laying claim to Grahame's career, then the sound of a gunshot coming from Graham's room while arguing with O'Hara. From there, it bogs into a bunch of melodramatic nonsense with O'Hara flashing back to how she lost her own singing voice, how she and her fiancé (Melvyn Douglas) met Grahame (playing a poor man's Eve Harrington), how Grahame's romantic nonsense (involving Douglas, sleazy looking Victor Jory and handsome Bill Williams) almost ruined their relationship and finally the revelation of the so-called secret. When a film with this cast ends up being a dud, you know that the fault lies with the screenplay. It seems obvious that it looked much better on paper, but when transfered onto celluloid, it sinks like a rock through slushy ice on a winter pond.