The Accused (1949 film)
| The Accused | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | William Dieterle |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Written by | Story: June Truesdell Screenplay: Ketti Frings |
| Starring | Loretta Young Robert Cummings Wendell Corey Sam Jaffe |
| Music by | Victor Young |
| Cinematography | Milton R. Krasner |
| Editing by | Warren Low |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | January 14, 1949 |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Accused (1949) is a American film noir directed by William Dieterle and written by Ketti Frings, based on Be Still, My Love, a novel written by June Truesdell. The drama features Loretta Young, Robert Cummings, Wendell Corey, Sam Jaffe, among others.[1]
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Plot
Wilma Tuttle (Young) is college professor who arouses the sexual interest of her student Bill Perry (Douglas Dick). When Perry tries to rape Tuttle, she beats him to death with a tire iron. She covers up her crime by making it seem as though Perry was killed while diving into the sea from a precipitous cliff. As she follows the police investigation of Perry's death, Wilma realizes that she'll never be able to escape her conscience, especially when she falls in love with Warren Ford (Cummings), the dead boy's guardian.
Cast
- Loretta Young as Dr. Wilma Tuttle
- Robert Cummings as Warren Ford
- Wendell Corey as Lt. Ted Dorgan
- Sam Jaffe as Dr. Romley
- Douglas Dick as Bill Perry
- Suzanne Dalbert as Susan Duval
- Sara Allgood as Mrs. Conner
- Mickey Knox as Jack Hunter
- George Spaulding as Dean Rhodes
- Francis Pierlot as Dr. Vinson
- Ann Doran as Miss Rice, Nurse
- Carole Mathews as Waitress
- Billy Mauch as Harry Brice
Critical reception
The New York Times gave the film a positive review, and wrote, "Murder is a common and salable screen commodity...The Accused, ...is a super-duper psychological job, well spiced with terminology which sounds impressive, if not always crystal clear in meaning, and the performers go about their business with an earnestness which commands attention. Under William Dieterle's assured direction, the story flows smoothly and methodically builds up suspense to a punchy climax which leaves it to the audience to determine whether the defendant should be punished or go free."[2]
The staff at Variety magazine gave the film a good review. They wrote, "The Accused exploits fear and emotional violence into a high grade melodrama...Director William Dieterle, with a solid story foundation and an ace cast upon which to build, marches the melodrama along with a touch that keeps punching continually at audience emotions...Loretta Young's portrayal of the distraught professor plays strongly for sympathy. It's an intelligent delineation, gifting the role with life. She gets under the skin in bringing out the mental processes of an intelligent woman who knows she has done wrong but believes that her trail is so covered that murder will never out."[3]
References
- ^ The Accused at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ The New York Times. Film review, "Psychological Murder Drama at Paramount," January 13, 1949. Last accessed: January 7, 2008.
- ^ Variety. Film review, January 13, 1949. Last accessed: January 7, 2008.
External links
- The Accused at the Internet Movie Database
- The Accused at Allmovie
- The Accused at the TCM Movie Database
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