Main Cast: Lon Chaney, Jr., Brenda Joyce, J. Carrol Naish, Milburn Stone, Lloyd Bridges
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 60 minutes
Plot
In this suspense story (released as part of Universal's "Inner Sanctum" series, named for the popular radio series of the day), Jeff Carter is a scientist who is working on a medicine which would cure the flu. Carter's duplicitous boss Roger Graham (J. Carrol Naish) sends him on a business trip to South America, and uses his absence to steal Carter's uncompleted formula, as well as the affections of his wife Mary (Brenda Joyce). When Carter returns home and discovers what Graham has done, he plots a grisly revenge. Strange Confession was a remake of the 1934 Claude Rains vehicle The Man Who Reclaimed His Head. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
One of the stronger entries in Universal's "Inner Sanctum" series, Strange Confession is still very much a B-level movie, but is entertaining nonetheless. Unlike other "Sanctum" entries, this one is light on the supernatural/horror elements, and equally light on the mystery elements. It's essentially a revenge melodrama, and as such the audience knows early on who did it and to whom -- and many will figure out the gimmick that makes the title character's confession so strange. Still, Confession is tidily entertaining, utilizing its short running time to its advantage to create a solidly put together excursion into a world in which profits are given much more importance than morality. It's a fairly harsh indictment of the pharmaceutical industry, although that comes about really only because the picture required the villain of the piece to be quite heinous. It works well, though, as long as one doesn't delve too deeply into what is of course a more complex issue in reality. Lon Chaney, Jr. and J. Carroll Naish play the "good" and "evil" characters, and they attack their parts with the appropriate gusto. Brenda Joyce does well as the wife, and a young Lloyd Bridges does the best he can as Chaney's friend, although he has to struggle with some weak comic relief material. While not a classic, Confession is a solidly entertaining way to kill an hour. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
John B. Goodman - Art Director, Abraham Grossman - Art Director, Vera West - Costume Designer, John Hoffman - Director, Russell Schoengarth - Editor, Frank Skinner - Musical Direction/Supervision, Maury Gertsman - Cinematographer, Ben Pivar - Producer, M. Coates Webster - Screenwriter, Jean Bart - Short Story Author
Jeff Carter (Lon Chaney, Jr.) is testing a vaccine for influenza. He is working for tycoon, Roger Graham (J. Carrol Naish), who takes the credit and the profit for Jeff's discovery. Roger cares more about profits than safety and tests it on Jeff's son. Jeff resigns and is blacklisted by his boss. He heads to South America to perfect the formula. Graham has used this opportunity to release the drug and romance Jeff's attractive wife, Mary (Brenda Joyce). When Jeff hears that his son has died, he takes revenge.
