''Problem Girls'' is a 1953 American

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means ...

directed by

E. A. Dupont Ewald André Dupont (25 December 1891 – 12 December 1956) was a German film director, one of the pioneers of the German film industry. He was often credited as E. A. Dupont. Early career A newspaper columnist in 1916, Dupont became a screenwri ...

and starring

Helen Walker Helen Marion Walker (July 17, 1920 – March 10, 1968) was an American actress.Obituary ''Variety'', March 13, 1968, page 79. Biography 1920–1940: Early life Helen Marion Walker was born July 17, 1920 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter ...

Ross Elliott Ross Elliott (born Elliott Blum, June 18, 1917 – August 12, 1999) was an American television and film character actor. He began his acting career in the Mercury Theatre, where he performed in ''The War of the Worlds'', Orson Welles' fam ...

and

Susan Morrow Susan Morrow (born Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor, May 25, 1932 – May 8, 1985) was an American actress. Early years Born as Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor to Frederick W. Immoor and Katherine (Shea) Immoor, Susan Morrow was ...

.Del Vecchio p.32 The film is set in a private school for girls.

Plot

Psychiatrist John Page seeks a quieter life in Los Angeles, and he applies for a teaching position at the Manning School for Girls. Dr. Manning, the founder of the school, has a drinking problem, and the school is managed by his associate, the domineering Miss Dixon. She warns John that the school is a haven for wealthy young women with behavioral problems. At dinner that evening, one of the professors reveals that all the staff at the Manning School are unemployable. A few days later, Miss Dixon abruptly demands that John tend to Thorpe's wife Jean. John protests that he is not licensed to practice medicine. Because Dr. Manning is in an alcoholic stupor, John tentatively agrees to examine Jean, who apparently has attempted suicide. Miss Dixon orders Thorpe not to allow John to visit Jean alone, but the next day, John sees Jean, and he is startled when she weakly discloses she is not married to Thorpe and has no clear memory of the suicide attempt. Miss Dixon catches John with Jean and declares that Manning will assume responsibility for Jean. Later, John overhears a representative of the trustees of Jean Patterson's estate trying to arrange a meeting with Jean without success. Afterward, John sees Manning alone and expresses his concern about Jean, convinced that she is under a mysterious mental strain. He recommends the use of sodium pentathol to assist Jean in recovering her memory, but Miss Dixon returns and discharges John for his audacity. When he protests, she threatens to reveal that he treated Jean without a license. Determined to help Jean, John sneaks back into her room and asks her if she will allow him to give her the injection of sodium pentathol. She agrees, and after the injection, discloses that she is not married to Thorpe and that she is not Jean Patterson. Miss Dixon and Thorpe break into the room before Jean can continue, and John is escorted off the school grounds. The doctor tries to meet with the Patterson trustee, Mr. March, but finds he is unreachable. John then looks up the Patterson obituary and learns that Patterson was a wealthy oil magnate who died abruptly, leaving all his money to his only child, a daughter Jean. In newspaper articles, John read that the daughter is scheduled to inherit the money upon turning 21, and that after a mysterious fire at the Patterson country estate, an amnesia victim was identified as Jean by her husband, Max Thorpe. John seeks more information at the hospital, and after he says he is a friend of Jean, they give him her personal effects. Among them, John discovers a photo of Jean and tracks down the photography studio, where he is startled to see a large portrait of Jean. The photographer identifies Jean as Babette Nelson, a top model who disappeared after she was involved in a car accident that killed her mother and best friend. John contacts Richards and reveals his belief that Miss Dixon and Thorpe are attempting to get the Patterson estate and were using him as a witness for Jean's faked suicide after the inheritance came through. Richards helps John get back on campus, and John then asks one of the students to identify her, but she does not recognize the woman in Jean's room. John and Richards then question the superstitious Bella, who reveals that Thorpe beat the real Jean, who later died in surgery performed by Manning. John arranges a diversion among the students in order to smuggle Jean into the basement, and they overhear Miss Dixon’s and Thorpe’s discussing a plan to dig and relocate Jean's body. In an attempt to escape, John and Jean struggle with Miss Dixon and Thorpe, and Miss Dixon produces a gun, which accidentally goes off, killing Thorpe. Later, the Manning School is renamed for Jean Patterson, and John and Babette decide to stay together at the school.

Cast

as Miss Dixon *

as John Page *

as Jean *

Anthony Jochim Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

as Prof. Richards *

James Seay James Seay (September 9, 1914 – October 10, 1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials. Early years Seay demonstrated an interest in acting at an early age, as he and his mothe ...

as Max Thorpe *

Marjorie Stapp Marjorie Stapp (September 17, 1921 – June 2, 2014) was an American actress who was mainly in low-budget pictures. Biography Stapp began her film career when she signed a contract with the film studio 20th Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her firs ...

as Bella * Roy Regnier as Dr. Manning *

Eileen Stevens Eileen Frances Stevens (born January 7, 1982) is an American actress based in New York City, having done voice work for 4Kids Entertainment, DuArt Film and Video and NYAV Post. Stevens' first major role in an anime series was Belldandy in ''Ah ...

as Mrs. Kargen * Tom Charlesworth as Prof. Clammerley *

Beverly Garland Beverly Lucy Garland (née Fessenden; October 17, 1926 – December 5, 2008) was an American actress. Her work in feature films primarily consisted of small parts in a few major productions or leads in low-budget action or science-fiction movie ...

as Nancy Eaton *

Joyce Jameson Joyce Jameson (born Joyce Beverly Kingsley; September 26, 1932 – January 16, 1987) was an American actress, known for many television roles, including recurring guest appearances as Skippy, one of the "fun girls" in the 1960s television seri ...

as Peggy Carstairs *

Nan Leslie Nanette June Leslie (June 4, 1926 – July 30, 2000) was an American actress. She was known for playing Martha McGivern in the American western television series '' The Californians''. Life and career Leslie was born in Los Angeles, Cali ...

as Claire Harris * Joyce Jarvis as Valerie Creighton *

Mara Corday Mara Corday (born Marilyn Joan Watts; January 3, 1930) is an American showgirl, model, actress, ''Playboy'' Playmate, and 1950s cult figure. Early life Corday was born in Santa Monica, California. Wanting a career in films, she came to Hollywoo ...

as Dorothy Childers * Tandra Quinn as Judith *

Norma Eberhardt Norma Eberhardt (July 8, 1929 – September 16, 2011) was an American actress who began her career as a fashion model. Her film credits included '' Live Fast, Die Young'' and ''The Return of Dracula'', both released in 1958. Biography Early lif ...

as Louise, agoraphobic girl * Eric Colmar as hospital intern * Merritt Stone as Clanton (photographer) * Walter Bonn as Mr. Carstairs * John Oger as Henderson (groundskeeper) * Gladys Kingston as Miss Fanshaw * Juney Ellis as Miss Tippins

References

Bibliography

* Deborah Del Vecchio. ''Beverly Garland: Her Life and Career''. McFarland, 2012.

External links

* {{Ewald André Dupont 1953 films 1950s mystery films 1950s English-language films American mystery films Films directed by E. A. Dupont Films scored by Albert Glasser Columbia Pictures films Films set in schools Films set in Los Angeles Films produced by Aubrey Wisberg Films with screenplays by Aubrey Wisberg American black-and-white films 1950s American films