No Man of Her Own (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Director Mitchell Leisen's 1950 film 'No Man of Her Own' is an engrossing, complex, beautifully acted blend of romantic melodrama & a film noir thriller based on a far-fetched crime novel titled, I Married a Dead Man. That book is written by Cornel Woolrich (who also authored Rear Window). Under the pseudonym William Irish, he co-writes the script here alongside Sally Benson & Catherine Turney. The plot is one of near-perfect coincidence. Pregnant Helen Ferguson (the great Barbara Stanwyck), abandoned by her sleazy boyfriend, Steve (Lyle Bettger), is given a one-way ticket for San Francisco, & boards a train with nothing but chump change in her pocket; she has no idea what she'll do when she gets there.
Aboard the train, she meets a friendly couple who offers up one of their seats for her. They are Patrice & Hugh Harkness (Phyllis Thaxter, Richard Denning) and, Patrice is pregnant, as well. While in the lavatory together, Patrice lets Helen try on her wedding ring; revealing that she has never met her husband's well-off family and, they have no idea what she even looks like. At this point, the train goes off the rails & crashes, killing many, including the young couple. Helen is whisked away to the hospital where she goes into early labor. She awakes some time later {her baby is healthy}, but the doctors believe that Helen is Patrice Harkness {as she is still wearing the ring}. 'Patrice'/Helen & her newborn are taken-in by the kind Mr. & Mrs. Harkness (Henry O'Neill, Jane Cowl) and, she finds herself unable to tell them the truth. They are so loving and, would offer her baby boy the security that she doesn't have. Thinking she's the widow of his dead brother, the Harkness' other son, Bill (John Lund) falls for 'Patrice'. All is going well ... until Helen's old flame Steve turns up to blackmail her. Drama ensues.
I prefer the first hour's melodrama to the last half hour's dark film noir twists, but on the whole, this is a wonderful film with great atmosphere, sequences that exude warmth, sequences that are enticingly ominous, and all the while, anchored by Barbara Stanwyck's superb performance. Stanwyck - for me, one of the greatest actresses of all-time - beautifully expresses her inner torment as she decides to continue the ruse for her baby. Every line she utters, every ponderance on her face, every tear that falls from her eyes ... we are invested in her and, therefore, allow for the fairly unbelievable plot to unfold the way it does. Just watch for her slow realization of what's happening after she wakes up in the hospital bed -- a master class in acting, right there.
Stanwyck is brilliant, but her co-stars aren't far-off. I really enjoyed the love & care coming from Jane Cowl as Mrs. Harkness, who may or may not know that Patrice is not who she claims to be; and she may not care, either way. And I really liked John Lund as Bill Harkness. His romantic chemistry with Stanwyck is absolutely lovely. And I commend the way he subtly communicates his questions & feelings for Patrice without saying much of anything -- we know how he's feeling simply by examining his body language & eyes. Everyone in the cast performs their roles with dignity & exactitude.
Mitchell Leisen does a great job directing. He & cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp give us some wondrous visuals; I'm reminded of the crash sequence, as well as a striking shot late in the proceedings where we see Bill climbing a crooked stair that is engulfed by steam from a nearby train. The production design is top-notch. And the varied costumes are made by master Edith Head. As mentioned, I much prefer the 1st hour of the film to the 2nd. Maybe that is because the slimy blackmailing ex is featured so prominently -- it's just unpleasant to watch him. The Harkness family scenario takes a back seat to some truly loony plot occurrences late in the game. Still, I enjoyed this film greatly. And my gosh, if for no other reason, see it for Stanwyck.
Aboard the train, she meets a friendly couple who offers up one of their seats for her. They are Patrice & Hugh Harkness (Phyllis Thaxter, Richard Denning) and, Patrice is pregnant, as well. While in the lavatory together, Patrice lets Helen try on her wedding ring; revealing that she has never met her husband's well-off family and, they have no idea what she even looks like. At this point, the train goes off the rails & crashes, killing many, including the young couple. Helen is whisked away to the hospital where she goes into early labor. She awakes some time later {her baby is healthy}, but the doctors believe that Helen is Patrice Harkness {as she is still wearing the ring}. 'Patrice'/Helen & her newborn are taken-in by the kind Mr. & Mrs. Harkness (Henry O'Neill, Jane Cowl) and, she finds herself unable to tell them the truth. They are so loving and, would offer her baby boy the security that she doesn't have. Thinking she's the widow of his dead brother, the Harkness' other son, Bill (John Lund) falls for 'Patrice'. All is going well ... until Helen's old flame Steve turns up to blackmail her. Drama ensues.
I prefer the first hour's melodrama to the last half hour's dark film noir twists, but on the whole, this is a wonderful film with great atmosphere, sequences that exude warmth, sequences that are enticingly ominous, and all the while, anchored by Barbara Stanwyck's superb performance. Stanwyck - for me, one of the greatest actresses of all-time - beautifully expresses her inner torment as she decides to continue the ruse for her baby. Every line she utters, every ponderance on her face, every tear that falls from her eyes ... we are invested in her and, therefore, allow for the fairly unbelievable plot to unfold the way it does. Just watch for her slow realization of what's happening after she wakes up in the hospital bed -- a master class in acting, right there.
Stanwyck is brilliant, but her co-stars aren't far-off. I really enjoyed the love & care coming from Jane Cowl as Mrs. Harkness, who may or may not know that Patrice is not who she claims to be; and she may not care, either way. And I really liked John Lund as Bill Harkness. His romantic chemistry with Stanwyck is absolutely lovely. And I commend the way he subtly communicates his questions & feelings for Patrice without saying much of anything -- we know how he's feeling simply by examining his body language & eyes. Everyone in the cast performs their roles with dignity & exactitude.
Mitchell Leisen does a great job directing. He & cinematographer Daniel L. Fapp give us some wondrous visuals; I'm reminded of the crash sequence, as well as a striking shot late in the proceedings where we see Bill climbing a crooked stair that is engulfed by steam from a nearby train. The production design is top-notch. And the varied costumes are made by master Edith Head. As mentioned, I much prefer the 1st hour of the film to the 2nd. Maybe that is because the slimy blackmailing ex is featured so prominently -- it's just unpleasant to watch him. The Harkness family scenario takes a back seat to some truly loony plot occurrences late in the game. Still, I enjoyed this film greatly. And my gosh, if for no other reason, see it for Stanwyck.