''Beware, My Lovely'' is a 1952 film noir crime film directed by

Harry Horner Harry Horner (July 24, 1910 – December 5, 1994) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American art director who made a successful career in Hollywood as an Oscar-winning art director and as a feature film and television director. Biography Horner was ...

starring

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

Robert Ryan Robert Bushnell Ryan (November 11, 1909 – July 11, 1973) was an American actor and activist. Known for his portrayals of hardened cops and ruthless villains, Ryan performed for over three decades. He was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

and

Taylor Holmes Taylor Holmes (May 16, 1878 – September 30, 1959) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 Broadway plays in his five-decade career. However, he is probably best remembered for his screen performances, which he began in silent films in ...

. The film is based on the 1950 play ''The Man'' by

Mel Dinelli Amelio "Mel" Dinelli (6 October 1912, Albuquerque, New Mexico – 28 November 1991, Los Angeles, California) was an American writer for theatre, radio, film and magazines, usually in the suspense genre. He grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ...

, who also wrote the screenplay.

Plot

A widow impulsively hires a handyman to help her with house repairs and cleaning. She quickly discovers Ryan is dangerous. He keeps her inside the house for the entire day and his manoeuvres, paranoiac imaginings and instability make it impossible for her to summon help or to escape.

Cast

The cast includes the following: *

as Mrs. Helen Gordon *

as Howard Wilton *

as Mr. Walter Armstrong *

Barbara Whiting Barbara Whiting Smith (May 19, 1931 – June 9, 2004) was an American actress and singer. Early life Whiting was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of music manager Eleanor Youngblood Whiting and composer Richard A. Whit ...

as Ruth Williams * James Willmas as Mr. Stevens * O. Z. Whitehead as Mr. Franks

Production notes

The play on which the film is based, ''The Man'', was originally a short story by Mel Dinelli. Dinelli adapted the story for the stage. It debuted on Broadway in January 1950, starring

Dorothy Gish Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...

. The story was also featured on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio show '' Suspense'' as "To Find Help" on January 18, 1945, with Frank Sinatra as Howard and

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning four decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

as Mrs Gillis (Mrs Gordon in the film). It was dramatised again on ''Suspense'' in 1949 with Gene Kelly and Ethel Barrymore on January 6, 1949. The movie was shot over an 18-day period in 1951 for Collier Young and Ida Lupino's production company, The Filmakers.

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in th ...

, then the head of RKO Pictures, withheld the film from release for a year. Robert Ryan later said that he felt Hughes tried to "bury" the film because of the fact he was active in

left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soc ...

, and spoke publicly about his involvement. The picture of the woman's late husband was actually a photograph of actor William Talman. He was then little known and was not credited.

Reception

According to

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

, the film is a "straight tour-de-force situation, clearly contrived and designed for no other positive purpose than to send shivers chasing up and down the spine. And in that respectable endeavor, its success will depend entirely upon how susceptible you are to illogic and little tricks of looming shadows and clutching hands."

Related works

Earlier that year, Lupino and Ryan co-starred in ''

On Dangerous Ground ''On Dangerous Ground'' is a 1951 film noir-melodrama starring Robert Ryan and Ida Lupino, directed by Nicholas Ray, and produced by John Houseman. The screenplay was written by A. I. Bezzerides based on the 1945 novel ''Mad with Much Heart,'' ...

'', a ''film noir'' directed by Nicholas Ray and produced by John Houseman. The story was the basis for a 1960 episode of the TV anthology '' Startime'', with

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

and

Thelma Ritter Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an American actress, best known for her comedic roles as working-class characters and her strong New York accent. She won the 1958 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and received ...

References

External links

* * * * {{Rotten Tomatoes , m/beware_my_lovely , Beware, My Lovely 1952 films 1950s thriller films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American thriller films Films directed by Harry Horner Film noir Films scored by Leith Stevens Films set in 1918 RKO Pictures films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films