{"id":36317,"date":"2016-02-19T13:34:50","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T20:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36317"},"modified":"2020-12-05T22:42:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-06T05:42:27","slug":"phantom-lady-1944","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36317","title":{"rendered":"Phantom Lady (1944)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you realize this can result in an awful long rest cure for you?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster-202x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-36318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster-768x1143.jpg 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster-688x1024.jpg 688w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Poster.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn unhappy man (Alan Curtis) attends a musical show with a mysterious woman (Fay Helm) he meets at a bar, then returns home to find his wife strangled to death and a bevy of policemen (Thomas Gomez, Regis Toomey, and Joseph Crehan) eager to question him. When Curtis is sentenced to death because he can&#8217;t verify his alibi, his beautiful secretary (Ella Raines) does everything she can to help find the &#8220;phantom lady&#8221; Curtis spent the evening with &#8212; but her efforts are foiled at every turn. Could Curtis&#8217;s best friend (Franchot Tone) have anything to do with the case?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Amateur Sleuths<\/li>\n<li>Elisha Cook, Jr. Films<\/li>\n<li>Ella Raines Films<\/li>\n<li>Franchot Tone Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;No One Believes Me!&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Robert Siodmak Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nRobert Siodmak directed this engaging, atmospheric, but narratively flawed <em>noir<\/em> about a plucky amateur sleuth (Raines) determined to save the man she not-so-secretly loves. From the opening shot showing the back of an outlandish hat (belonging to the inexplicably gloomy &#8220;phantom lady&#8221;):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Hat-Back-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; Siodmak keeps us guessing about who each of the primary characters are, what role they may eventually play in the mystery (or not), and who&#8217;s ultimately behind the murder of a character only seen post-mortem in a glamorous portrait <em>a la<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=6718\"><em>Laura<\/em> (1944)<\/a> (released later that same year). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Portrait-1-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We are eventually let down by the unsubtle inclusion of a character whose deluded state of mind is far too transparent, and whose performance edges into campy territory. However, expressionistic cinematography and memorable sets make the film a consistent visual treat, and the central mystery &#8212; who IS that phantom lady, and why was she so determined to keep her identity a secret? &#8212; builds to a nice reveal. Watch for a truly deranged Elisha Cook, Jr. playing a cartoonishly lustful drummer:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-56317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cook-Jr-Drumming-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and Carmen Miranda&#8217;s sister Aurora as a performer literally seething at the idea of another woman wearing one of her designer hats.  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-1024x723.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"452\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-56318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-1024x723.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-128x90.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-768x543.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda-382x270.png 382w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Miranda.png 1407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Leading man Alan Curtis plays a radically different &#8212; and much more sympathetic &#8212; character here than in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36118\"><em>High Sierra<\/em> (1941)<\/a>, where he was cast as Lupino&#8217;s abusive boyfriend &#8216;Babe&#8217;; he&#8217;s also known for his leading role as a paratrooper in Douglas Sirk&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4638\"><em>Hitler&#8217;s Madman<\/em> (1943)<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Eldwood Bredell&#8217;s noir-ish cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography4.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography4-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography4-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography3.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography3-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography3-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography5.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography5-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Cinematography5-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Expressionistic sets and direction<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Interrogation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Interrogation.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Interrogation.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Interrogation-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Interrogation-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Sets.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Sets-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Phantom-Lady-Sets-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>An often-clever script: &#8220;Remember all my friends? Well, they aren&#8217;t.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a distinctive if flawed noir classic. Listed as a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0036260\/\">IMDb entry<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cinematicthreads.com\/review.php?id=1326&#038;ltr=P\">Cinematic Threads Capsule Review<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1944\/02\/18\/archives\/the-screen-at-loews-state.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/86584\/phantom-lady#articles-reviews?articleId=72454\">TCM Article<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/phantom-lady\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you realize this can result in an awful long rest cure for you?&#8221; Synopsis: An unhappy man (Alan Curtis) attends a musical show with a mysterious woman (Fay Helm) he meets at a bar, then returns home to find his wife strangled to death and a bevy of policemen (Thomas Gomez, Regis Toomey, and Joseph Crehan) eager to question him. When Curtis is sentenced to death because he can&#8217;t verify his alibi, his beautiful secretary (Ella Raines) does everything&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36317\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36317"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56325,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36317\/revisions\/56325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}