The Unsuspected (1947)

The beginning of The Unsuspected finds a dead woman in the house of Victor Grandison, the host of a radio show that tells true crime stories. It's soon followed by the return of one of his nieces who'd been believed dead. The niece, Matilda, is accompanied by Steven, who claims to be her husband, but to whom she can't remember ever being married. Then there's Althea, Victor's other niece, who is married to Oliver, who was once engaged to Matilda. And Althea's not exactly thrilled that Matilda is still alive.

So yes, to say the plot is very thick right from the beginning is an understatement. And everyone manages to keep it interesting as the plot gets even more muddled before everything suddenly becomes clear. At that point, the audience is in on it but there's nothing we can do to warn the dwindling cast of good guys.

The cast gives a great ensemble performance, delivering lines naturally with nothing too overdramatic until a Grandison speech in the later half. Highlights come from Claude Rains, the penultimate supporting actor, as Victor Grandison, commanding your attention and fully committing to his character - a man who doesn't waver from his end goals for a second. Joan Caulfield is a great person for the audience to empathize with as she wanders about mildly confused at the center of the story. Director Michael Curtiz floats us through the Grandison home, making us familiar with all the rooms and giving us the impression that trouble is waiting just around the corner. The black and white film is really taken advantage of with the use of lighting to set the mood - an example being the soft glow that seems to emanate from the Matilda. And the whole production is so smooth, Hollywood could never match it with a remake today.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend for: Those who'd enjoy a good mystery without needing to grip the edge of their seat.