''Manhandled'' is a 1949 American

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combi ...

directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring

Dorothy Lamour Dorothy Lamour (born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton; December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American actress and singer. She is best remembered for having appeared in the '' Road to...'' movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing ...

Sterling Hayden Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor and decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II. A leading man for mo ...

and

Dan Duryea Dan Duryea ( , January 23, 1907 – June 7, 1968) was an American actor in film, stage, and television. Known for portraying a vast range of character roles as a villain, he nonetheless had a long career in a wide variety of leading and secon ...

. It is based on the 1945 novel ''The Man Who Stole a Dream'' by L. S. Goldsmith.

Plot

Struggling writer Alton Bennet explains to psychiatrist Dr. Redman how he has nightmares about murdering his wealthy wife, Ruth, who owns very valuable jewels. Redman's private secretary, Merl Kramer, casually mentions Bennet's problems to her boyfriend, a private eye, Karl Benson. Merl also mentions that Ruth Bennet is scheduled to drop into Dr. Redman's office that evening for a special session concerning her husband. Benson gets ideas about the jewels, steals Merl's keys and gets duplicates made. Later, he waits outside Redman's office until Ruth arrives, then writes down the Bennets' address from information posted in the car. Benson is next seen showing his pawnbroker acquaintance, Charlie, jewels and asking him to value them. Charlie mentions there is a "murder rap hanging over this junk" and pays out only for a couple of small pieces, advising Benson to get rid of the rest. Benson runs into Merl and asks her to deposit the money into her bank account, suggesting he has earned it from a recent job and does not want to be tempted to spend it all. He hides the jewels in the water cooler in his office/apartment. Ruth Bennet is found murdered, precisely in the manner her husband has been dreaming. Along with Detective Dawson, Insurance Investigator Joe Cooper is on the case. While interviewing Redman, it is revealed that the transcripts concerning Bennet's conversations about his nightmare are missing. Redman is seen to have a bandaged bump on his head, which he claims happened when he slipped the previous evening while walking in the park. It comes to light that Merl's references for her job with Redman were forged, which raises Dawson's suspicions about whether the woman is an upstanding person. He and Cooper question her and she tells them that she got the references and the job with Redman through a friend, Karl Benson. Benson plays down his relationship with Merl and suggests he can help Dawson and Cooper with the Bennet case, for a share of the eventual insurance payout. He then goes to talk with Merl, and secretly plants one of the dead woman's rings under her sofa cushion. When Merl finds it, she pawns it for the few dollars she needs to finish paying for a new coat. She tells Cooper, when he asks her about it – the pawnbroker had immediately recognized the ring and had phoned police – that she had no idea that it could be Ruth Bennet's property. Benson works to frame Merl for the murder and the theft; he shows Dawson and Cooper her bankbook and insinuates the recent large deposit has to do with the stolen loot. In his office/apartment, Benson is then confronted by Redman who has realized it is Benson who has the jewels. Benson had stolen the transcript describing the murder scenario nightmare, and had gone to take the gems; when he arrived, he saw Redman leaving the Bennet apartment after killing Ruth. Benson knocked the man out, thereby giving him the bump on his head, and took the pieces from him. Benson and Redman make an uneasy deal wherein Benson will ensure he "finds" the jewels in Merl's apartment, turn them in to Dawson and Cooper, and he and Redman can share the insurance payout. Benson then goes to the station where Merl is being interrogated. He denies any knowledge of the money in her bank account, then tells Dawson he would be glad to go check her apartment for him again, to see where she may have hidden things. While there, attempting to hide the stash to make it look like Merl did it, Redman shows up, demanding the items. Benson hands them over but, after the man leaves by the fire escape, Benson runs down to the street and, using Redman's own car, kills him. After stowing the jewels inside Merl's chair, he phones Dawson to tell him he has found them. When Merl returns to her apartment, he tells her she is going down for the crime. They struggle and he knocks her out; he takes her to the roof, intending to throw her off and make it appear like suicide. The police, having arrived as per Benson's call, hear her screams; Cooper and Dawson rescue her. Back in her apartment, Benson learns that Charlie has been taken in for possession of the stolen property; the private eye is further caught in his web of lies and is arrested.

Cast

as Merl Kramer *

as Joe Cooper *

as Karl Benson *

Irene Hervey Irene Hervey (born Beulah Irene Herwick; July 11, 1909December 20, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress who appeared in over fifty films and numerous television series spanning her five-decade career. A native of Los Angeles ...

as Ruth, Mrs. Alton Bennet *

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the '' Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Era ...

as Guy Bayard *

Harold Vermilyea Harold Vermilyea (October 10, 1889 – January 7, 1958) was an American actor who had a long and prolific career on Broadway, performing in 32 plays over the course of his career. He made notable appearances in several films of the post-war era, p ...

as Dr. Redman *

Alan Napier Alan William Napier-Clavering (7 January 1903 – 8 August 1988), better known as Alan Napier, was an English actor. After a decade in West End theatre, he had a long film career in Britain and later, in Hollywood. Napier is best remembered for ...

as Alton Bennet * Art Smith as Detective Lt. Bill Dawson *

Irving Bacon Irving Bacon (born Irving Von Peters; September 6, 1893 – February 5, 1965) was an American character actor who appeared in almost 500 films. Early years Bacon was the son of entertainers Millar Bacon and Myrtle Vane. He was born in St. Jo ...

as Sgt. Fayle *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as a ...

as Charlie, a Fence * Maidie Norman as Christine, Bennet's Maid * James Edwards as Henry, Bennet's Butler * Ray Hyke as Phil Wilson, Detective *

Morgan Farley Francis Morgan Farley (October 3, 1898 – October 11, 1988) was an American actor on the stage and in films and television. Career His theatrical career began in 1918 in the stage adaptation of Booth Tarkington's '' Seventeen''. He recre ...

as Doc, Police Lab Man *

Keye Luke Keye Luke (, Cantonese: Luk Shek Kee; June 18, 1904 – January 12, 1991) was a Chinese-born American film and television actor, technical advisor and artist and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild. He was known for playing Lee Chan, t ...

as Chinese Laundry Owner *

George Humbert George Humbert (born Umberto Gianni; July 29, 1880 – May 8, 1963) was an Italian-born American actor who appeared in more than 100 films between 1918 and the 1950s. He emigrated to the United States as a steerage passenger on board the Italian ...

as Italian Restaurant Owner

Production

It was known as ''The Man Who Stole a Dream''.

Reception

Audiences and critics found the plot too confusing, and the film was not popular on its release. Lisa Mateas of

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

said that "contemporary audiences ... will find that ''Manhandled'' does not disappoint". The film was described by the producer as "somewhat troublesome" at the box office.

References

External links

* * * * {{Pine-Thomas 1949 films 1949 crime films American crime films American black-and-white films Film noir Paramount Pictures films Films based on American novels Films directed by Lewis R. Foster 1940s English-language films 1940s American films