A Woman's Vengeance

Plot

A Woman's Vengeance concerns a "likely" murderer, Henry Maurier, played by Charles Boyer. It is no secret that Maurier is enamored with young Doris (Ann Blyth), but is his love for the girl motive enough for Maurier to murder his invalid wife? Only family friend Dr. Libbard (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) believes in Maurier, and it is Libbard who eventually extracts a confession from the real killer -- just seconds before Maurier is to be executed. Without giving the game away, we'll note that the supporting cast includes Jessica Tandy, Mildred Natwick, and John Williams (Rachel Kempson couldn't have played the murderer, inasmuch as she's the victim). A Woman's Vengeance was adapted by Aldous Huxley (the same) from his own story The Gioconda Smile. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

A Woman's Vengeance is a tidy little "killer thriller" that will be a pleasant surprise for mystery fans looking for something a little off the beaten path. The setup is a familiar one, and while it's not handled with a great deal of originality, it plays things "by the book" in a neat, effective, and strangely comforting way. Everything is in its place, every point is set up in an entirely appropriate manner, and things resolve in the time-honored tradition -- inevitable, but not boring. Zoltan Korda's direction is similarly on key -- it hits all the notes just as expected, rarely surprising but always pleasing. Where Vengeance does rise above the pack a bit is in its cast. Charles Boyer and Ann Blyth are both fine, but not exceptional. But a relatively young Jessica Tandy and the dependable Cedric Hardwicke make themselves noticed and very welcome indeed. Tandy's performance is fresh and captivating, even though her "old maid" part is hardly original, and she handles her big moments with supreme confidence and ability. Hardwicke is even better, underplaying for all he is worth and mining rich veins of character with the slightest gesture or tone of voice. Mildred Natwick is also quite good, even if her part doesn't allow her to shine as do Tandy and Hardwicke. All in all, Vengeance is a very satisfying murder caper. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Charles Boyer - Henry Maurier
• Ann Blyth - Doris
• Jessica Tandy - Janet Spence
• Cedric Hardwicke - Dr. Libbard
• Mildred Natwick - Nurse Braddock

Cecil Humphreys - Gen. Spence; Hugh French - Robert Lester; Rachel Kempson - Emily Maurier; Valerie Cardew - Clara; Carl Harbord - Coroner; John Williams - Prosecuting Counsel; Leyland Hodgson - 1st Ward; Ola Lorraine - Maisey; Harry Cording - McNabb; Frederic Worlock - Bit

Credit

Bernard Herzbrun - Art Director, Eugène Lourié - Art Director, Orry-Kelly - Costume Designer, Horace Hough - First Assistant Director, Zoltan Korda - Director, Jack Wheeler - Editor, Miklos Rozsa - Composer (Music Score), Bud Westmore - Makeup, Russell Metty - Cinematographer, Richard Metty - Cinematographer, Zoltan Korda - Producer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Ted Offenbecker - Set Designer, Leslie I. Carey - Sound/Sound Designer, Corson Jowett - Sound/Sound Designer, Aldous Huxley - Screenwriter, Aldous Huxley - Book Author

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