''Beware, My Lovely'' is a 1952 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definiti ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

directed by Harry Horner starring Ida Lupino, Robert Ryan and Taylor Holmes. The film is based on the 1950 play ''The Man'' by Mel Dinelli, who also wrote the screenplay.

Plot

A widow named Helen Gordon impulsively hires handyman Howard Wilton to help her with house repairs and cleaning, but she quickly discovers that he is dangerous, paranoid and unstable. Howard keeps Helen inside the house for the entire day and she cannot summon help or escape.

Cast

* Ida Lupino as Helen Gordon * Robert Ryan as Howard Wilton * Taylor Holmes as Walter Armstrong * Barbara Whiting as Ruth Williams * James Willmas as Mr. Stevens * O. Z. Whitehead as Mr. Franks

Production

The play on which the film is based, ''The Man'', was originally a short story written by Mel Dinelli, who also adapted the story for the stage. It debuted on Broadway in January 1950 with Dorothy Gish in the starring role. The story was also featured on the CBS radio show ''

Suspense Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by mysteriousness, uncertainty, doubt, or undecidedness. In a narrative work, suspense is the audience's excited anticipation about the plot or conflict (which may be heightened by a viol ...

'' as "To Find Help" on January 18, 1945 with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

and Agnes Moorehead. It was dramatized again as an episode of ''Suspense'' with

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

and

Ethel Barrymore Ethel Barrymore (born Ethel Mae Blythe; August 15, 1879 – June 18, 1959) was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Barrymore was a stage, screen and radio actress whose career spanned six decades, and was regarde ...

on January 6, 1949. The film was shot over an 18-day period in 1951 for Collier Young and Ida Lupino's production company the Filmakers.

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

head

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

withheld the film from release for a year. Robert Ryan later said that he felt that Hughes had tried to "bury" the film because Ryan was active in

left-wing politics Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

. Earlier in 1952, Lupino and Ryan had costarred in '' On Dangerous Ground'', 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 widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

and

Thelma Ritter Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was an American character actor, character actress who, known for her strong New York City English, New York City accent, diminutive size, and plain look, favored working-class roles. She ear ...

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "It 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."

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 English-language thriller films