Burt Lancaster and Yvonne De Carlo can’t seem to catch a break in “Criss Cross”

Criss Cross (1948) is an American film noir directed by Robert Siodmak that plunges the audience into a dark, fatalistic world of obsessive love and impending disaster. The story centers on Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster), a man who returns to Los Angeles trying to leave his past behind. He takes back his old job as a driver for an armored car company, a symbol of the honest, steady life he hopes to maintain. However, Steve can’t shake his deep, lingering obsession with his beautiful and volatile ex-wife, Anna (Yvonne De Carlo).

Despite his family’s and friends’ warnings about Anna’s manipulative nature, Steve inevitably crosses paths with her again, immediately reigniting a passionate but doomed romance. The situation is complicated by the fact that Anna is now married to Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea), a local gangster and nightclub owner. Steve’s renewed relationship with Anna forces him into a dangerous love triangle, quickly pushing him away from his attempts at a clean start and back toward the corrupting influences of the criminal underworld. This relentless attraction to a woman who is demonstrably bad for him sets the stage for the escalating tragedy.

As the plot unfolds, Steve becomes trapped in a tangled web of deceit and double-crosses, where no one—not Anna, not Slim, and certainly not Steve himself—can be completely trusted. The film masterfully builds a sense of inescapable doom as the intricate plan for the heist is set in motion. Criss Cross is a powerful, stylish examination of human weakness, desire, and betrayal, showcasing how a single, consuming obsession can irrevocably lead a man down a path to his own destruction.

Yvonne De Carlo and Burt Lancaster

Robert Siodmak (1900 – 1973) had a very successful career in Hollywood and is best known for his thrillers and films noir. He signed a seven-year contract with Universal and directed The Killers (1946), the film that made Ava Gardner a star. He worked with some of the top movie stars during Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Deanna Durbin, Gene Kelly, Burt Lancaster, Dorothy McGuire, Yvonne de Carlo, Olivia de Havilland, and Barbara Stanwyck. Often compared to Hitchcock in his prime, he never got the recognition that the Master of Suspense did, but most of his films hold up remarkably well and are worth watching.

Burt Lancaster (1913- 1994) was an American actor and producer. He won a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance in Elmer Gantry (1960). Lancaster made his film debut in The Killers (1946). After the release of that film, he was on his way as a leading man, starring in quick succession Desert Fury (1947), Brute Force (1947), Variety Girl (1947), I Walk Alone (1947), All My Sons (1948), and Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). Other popular films starring Lancaster include The Flame and the Arrow (1950), Jim Thorpe All-American (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Rose Tattoo (1955), and Birdman of Alcatraz (1962).

Yvonne De Carlo (1922 – 2007) was a Canadian-American actress, dancer, and singer whose career spanned six decades across film, television, and stage. She first rose to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s as a Hollywood film star, gaining recognition in lavish Technicolor productions like Salome, Where She Danced (1945) and often being cast in exotic or adventurous roles, including her notable turn in the film noir Criss Cross (1949). Her film career peaked when she played Sephora, the wife of Moses, in Cecil B. DeMille’s epic The Ten Commandments (1956). She gained renewed fame with a new generation of fans in the 1960s for her enduring role as Lily Munster, the glamorous matriarch, in the popular CBS sitcom The Munsters (1964–1966).

Dan Duryea (1907 – 1968) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for his character roles as villains, but he had a long career that included a variety of lead and second lead roles. Duryea graduated from Cornell University in 1928. In his senior year, he was the president of the college drama society. Duryea went to Hollywood in 1940 to play Leo Hubbard in The Little Foxes, a role he created on Broadway. He established himself in films noir, costarring in classics like Scarlet Street (1945), Criss Cross (1948), and Too Late for Tears (1949).

 

Criss Cross trivia

• Reunion of Noir Veterans: The film reunited director Robert Siodmak and star Burt Lancaster, along with composer Miklós Rózsa, all of whom had previously collaborated on the highly successful 1946 film noir classic, The Killers. The two movies share the thematic elements of a doomed protagonist drawn back into crime by a manipulative woman.
• Uncredited Star Debut: A very young and uncredited Tony Curtis makes a brief appearance in the film. He can be spotted as an extra dancing with Yvonne De Carlo’s character, Anna, in the lively nightclub scene at “The Round-Up.”
• Los Angeles Location as a Character: Criss Cross was shot extensively on location in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. This area, known for its steep hills, Victorian architecture, and rundown boarding houses, was a popular setting for classic film noirs, and its gritty, precarious atmosphere adds to the movie’s sense of fatalism. Much of the architecture seen in the film was later demolished in the 1950s and 60s due to redevelopment.
• Novel Adaptation: The film is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Don Tracy. While the novel provided the core plot, the film adaptation, scripted by Daniel Fuchs, amplified the key elements of film noir, including the complex flashback structure, the fatalistic voice-over narration, and the overwhelming sense of doom.

 

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Discussion questions

1. The Nature of Obsession and Fate: The film utilizes a flashback structure that essentially reveals the ending in the very first scene. How does knowing Steve Thompson's ultimate fate from the beginning affect the audience's viewing experience? Does this structure amplify the fatalism and obsessive nature of his choices, or does it simply reduce the suspense?
2. The Archetype of the Femme Fatale: How does Anna (Yvonne De Carlo) embody the classic film noir archetype of the femme fatale? Is she truly evil and manipulative, or is she also a victim of her circumstances and the limited opportunities available to women in her environment? How does her character compare to other famous film noir women?
3. Moral Compromise and the American Dream: Steve Thompson returns to Los Angeles determined to live an honest, working-class life, but his desires quickly derail him. How does the film comment on the idea of the American Dream or the possibility of redemption? At what point does Steve cross the moral line, and is his downfall inevitable regardless of his choices?
4. Style and Setting in Noir: The film makes extensive use of location shooting in the atmospheric, now-demolished Bunker Hill neighborhood of Los Angeles. How do the movie's visual style—specifically the use of low-key lighting (chiaroscuro), shadows, and gritty urban settings—reflect and enhance the themes of desperation, moral corruption, and entrapment in the story?

Barbara Stanwyck ensnares men with her beautiful “Baby Face”

Baby Face (1933) is an American pre-Code drama directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent. The supporting cast includes Theresa Harris, Henry Kolker, Margaret Lindsay, Nat Pendleton, and John Wayne in an early screen performance.

The Ascent of Lily Powers

Set during the Prohibition era and the Great Depression, Baby Face introduces the audience to Lily Powers (Stanwyck), a young woman living a difficult life in a dreary industrial town in Pennsylvania. Forced into dire circumstances by her unscrupulous father, Lily is trapped in a life of exploitation and hardship. Her only source of intellectual and emotional guidance comes from an unlikely friend, an older, philosophical cobbler, who encourages her to reject her current predicament and seize control of her own destiny by embracing a ruthlessly self-serving worldview.

An Ambitious Relocation

Motivated by a fierce desire to escape her past, Lily leaves her small town with her loyal friend, Chico (Harris), heading for the promise of a big city—New York. She quickly sets her sights on the Gotham Trust Company, a towering symbol of wealth and power. Armed with her intelligence, ambition, and striking beauty, Lily makes a calculated decision to use her charm and sexuality as her primary tools for advancement.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder

Lily begins her calculated ascent within the bank, moving systematically from department to department. As she progresses, she encounters a succession of influential men, each of whom she manipulates and seduces to secure promotions and financial gain. Her ruthless ambition leaves a trail of ruined careers and personal scandals in her wake, as the men she uses are unable to resist her influence.

The Height of Power and a New Test

Lily’s relentless climb eventually brings her face-to-face with the bank’s President, a man who is both powerful and intrigued by her unique drive. For the first time, her single-minded focus on material success and power is challenged by a more complex emotional dynamic. As financial disaster threatens the bank and her new life, Lily must face a crucial test of her values, forcing her to decide what truly matters to her and if her carefully constructed world is worth the price she has paid.

 

Theresa Harris and Barbara Stanwyck

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Baby Face trivia

• Helped Trigger Strict Censorship: Baby Face is widely considered one of the most notorious films of the Pre-Code Hollywood era and was cited as a major catalyst for the strict enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code (the Hays Code) in 1934. The film’s frank depiction of a woman using sex to advance her career was deemed scandalous by censors and moral reformers.

• The Censored Ending and Rediscovery: The version initially released to theaters had a heavily censored ending imposed by the Studio Relations Committee (the enforcement arm of the Code), which showed the main character, Lily, reformed and losing her ill-gotten gains. The original, uncensored ending—which was much less punitive and suggested she was rewarded—was presumed lost for decades until a complete pre-release print was discovered in the Library of Congress in 2004.

• Early John Wayne Role: Look closely at the cast list! A young John Wayne, years before he became a major star, appears in an early, uncredited role as one of the Gotham Trust Company employees—specifically, one of Lily Powers’ initial romantic conquests within the bank.

• The Power of Philosophy: In the initial, uncensored cut of the film, Lily’s philosophical cobbler friend quotes German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, encouraging her to reject traditional morality and become a “master” of her own life. Censors forced this Nietzschean dialogue to be rewritten and dubbed over to remove the immoral suggestion and replace it with a more conventional lesson about taking the “right way” to success.

 

Discussion questions

1. Morality and Agency: Lily Powers is often cited as a classic example of a "fallen woman" in film, yet she is also one of the few women in Pre-Code Hollywood to successfully gain and hold power. Do you view Lily as a victim of her circumstances who is simply fighting back, or as a cold manipulator who willfully exploits others? How does the film challenge or reinforce traditional ideas about female morality and agency?
2. The Role of Men and Institutions: The film portrays the men in Lily's life—from her father to the bank executives—as easily corrupted by their own desires and entitlement. Does Baby Face suggest that these powerful men and the institution (the Gotham Trust Company) are inherently weak or corrupt, and that Lily is merely taking advantage of a pre-existing moral rot?
3. The Impact of Censorship (Pre-Code vs. Post-Code): Considering that this film was a major reason the Production Code was strictly enforced, how does the Pre-Code version's ending (if you are familiar with it) fundamentally change the film's message compared to the censored version? Does the original ending support a truly anti-moral message, or is it simply a more realistic portrayal of consequences?
4. Economic and Social Commentary: The film is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and touches on themes of wealth inequality and the struggle for survival. To what extent is Lily Powers a product of the economic despair of the time, and how does her ruthless pursuit of money reflect a cynical view of the American Dream during this period?
5. Lily's Relationship with Chico: Lily's only constant, trusted relationship is with her African-American friend and eventual maid, Chico (Theresa Harris). Given the rigid racial and social hierarchies of the 1930s, how is their relationship portrayed differently from Lily’s relationships with the white men in the film? Does their bond offer a commentary on class, race, or female solidarity in a world of male exploitation?

Book Review: “Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece - Strangers on a Train”

Title: Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock's Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece - Strangers on a Train

By Stephen Rebello

Publisher: Running Press

ISBN: 978-0-7624-8639-7 (hardcover)

Stephen Rebello’s Criss-Cross is a carefully researched and engagingly written telling of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 thriller, Strangers on a Train, chronicling its production against the backdrop of a politically paranoid Hollywood. Coming off a string of critical and commercial flops in the late 1940s, the film represented a gamble for Hitchcock, who adapted Patricia Highsmith's dark, complex debut novel. Rebello frames Strangers on a Train as the comeback vehicle that inaugurated the director's “Golden Decade,” which would eventually include classics like Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, and Psycho. The book details how this project, initially deemed “unsavory” by critics, was rife with conflict, feuds, and creative compromises, yet ultimately yielded a masterful and enduring suspense film.

A central strength of Criss-Cross lies in its deep dive into the chaotic and often adversarial screenwriting process. Rebello reveals the surprising tension between the notoriously meticulous Hitchcock and the celebrated hardboiled novelist Raymond Chandler, who was brought in to draft the script. Though Chandler is credited on the final film—largely due to studio executive Jack Warner’s insistence on a promotable name—Rebello details how Hitchcock ultimately utilized very little of his work. The author credits a collaborative team, including multiple female writers like Czenzi Ormonde and Whitfield Cook, with rescuing the film and helping the director navigate the necessary narrative shifts from Highsmith’s novel. This insight highlights the messy, collaborative reality of feature filmmaking and reframes the traditional understanding of the script's genesis.

Farley Granger and Robert Walker

Beyond the technical and creative battles, Rebello skillfully explores the social and cultural subversiveness embedded within the film. He illuminates the repressive atmosphere of the McCarthy era, characterized by anti-communist suspicion and intense censorship from the Breen office, which forced Hitchcock to cleverly disguise or downplay racy themes and sexual innuendo..

Finally, the book provides ringside accounts of casting and on-set drama, notably focusing on the brilliant yet troubled performance of Robert Walker as the psychotic Bruno Anthony. Rebello’s research, drawn from interviews and extensive archival material including Hitchcock’s storyboards, offers fascinating tidbits, such as how the heavy “bottle glasses” worn by Guy Haines’s wife rendered the actress practically blind. More than just a collection of anecdotes, Criss-Cross provides a definitive, authoritative look at the filmmaking process, from adapting a difficult novel to designing a character’s psychology through costume (like Bruno's garish lobster necktie). For any cinema aficionado and Hitchcock fan, Criss-Cross is a compelling read that confirms Strangers on a Train’s status as a timeless classic thriller.

 

Barbara Stanwyck has “No Man of Her Own”

The film tells the suspenseful story of Helen Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck), a desperate, unwed, and pregnant woman who has been abandoned by her callous lover.

While traveling on a train, a tragic accident results in a dramatic twist of fate: Helen is mistaken for a wealthy, deceased woman, Patrice Harkness (Phyllis Thaxter), whose new in-laws, the kindly and affluent Harkness family, have never met her.

With nowhere else to turn and motivated by a desire to provide a secure life for her newborn son, Helen reluctantly steps into the new identity. She finds herself welcomed into a loving, comfortable home, all while trying to maintain the deception.

However, her fragile new world is threatened when her sleazy ex-boyfriend, Stephen Morley (Lyle Bettger), reappears, eager to exploit her newfound wealth and position. Helen must fight to keep her secret and protect the life she’s desperately built, especially as she develops a growing mutual attraction with William “Bill” Harkness (John Lund), the deceased husband’s brother.

This film noir-tinged melodrama explores themes of desperation, mistaken identity, and the possibility of reinvention and redemption when one is pushed to the limit.

Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund

Mitchell Leisen (1898 – 1972) was an American director who was one of Paramount Pictures' most successful directors during the 1930s and 1940s. He directed Olivia de Havilland to her first Best Actress Oscar in To Each His Own (1946). He also directed Ginger Rogers in Lady in the Dark (1944), as well as the Christmas classic Remember the Night  (1940) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray. Leisen’s last big movie success was the comedy The Mating Season (1951) starring Gene Tierney, John Lund, and Thelma Ritter in an Oscar-nominated performance.

Barbara Stanwyck (1907 – 1990) was an American film star who got her acting start with a supporting role on Broadway in a play called The Noose (1926). The next year, she had the lead in another Broadway production, Burlesque which was a huge hit. She eventually made it to Hollywood, where her success was not immediate. Director Frank Capra saw something in Stanwyck, and he educated her in filmmaking and film acting; the rest is history. Stanwyck was nominated four times for the Best Actress Oscar—Stella Dallas (1937), Ball of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1945), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)—and remains one of the most beloved movie stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

John Lund (1911 – 1992) was an American film, stage, and radio actor known for his work across drama and comedy genres from the 1940s to the 1960s. After an early career that included work in advertising and appearances on Broadway, such as the play The Hasty Heart, he was signed to a film contract with Paramount Pictures. Lund’s breakthrough film role was in To Each His Own (1946), and he went on to star in films like the Billy Wilder-directed A Foreign Affair (1948), No Man of Her Own (1950), alongside Barbara Stanwyck, The Mating Season (1951), and the musical High Society (1956). He also starred in the radio series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar from 1952 to 1954 and served as a vice president of the Screen Actors Guild throughout the 1950s before retiring from acting in the early 1960s.

No Man of Her Own trivia

• Stanwyck played Helen Ferguson, which happened to be the name of her publicist. Ferguson was one of the best-known publicists of the era.
• Remade as Mrs. Winterbourne starring Shirley MacLane and Riki Lake.
• The film was Lyle Bettger’s film debut. They would work together again in All I Desire (1953).
• Filmed in 1949, but not released until 1950.
• One of Jane Cowl’s last films. She died in 1950, the year the film was released.

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on November 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Moral Dilemma and Sympathy: Helen Ferguson’s decision to assume Patrice’s identity is based on desperation and a desire to protect her child. At what point in the film does the audience's sympathy for Helen’s predicament shift, and does her initial motive justify the subsequent lies and actions she takes?
2. Genre and Tone: The film is often described as a blend of the “woman's picture” and Film Noir. How do the visual style, plot elements (like the train crash and the blackmail subplot), and Helen’s narration contribute to the feeling of doom and inescapable fate typical of Film Noir, even within the melodramatic framework of a family drama?
3. Identity and Class: Helen, a poor, unwed mother, steps into the life of the wealthy Patrice Harkness. What does the film suggest about the societal importance of identity and class in post-war America? Could Helen have achieved a similar level of security and acceptance if she had revealed her true self to the Harkness family immediately?
4. The Role of the Harkness Family: How do the kindness and immediate acceptance of Mr. and Mrs. Harkness—people who were essentially strangers—influence Helen’s choices? Does their profound goodness make Helen’s deceit more heartbreaking or more understandable, and how does John Lund’s character, Bill, complicate her new life?

An all-star cast discovers the difference between “Flesh and Fantasy”

Flesh and Fantasy is a 1943 American anthology film that weaves together three distinct, supernatural-tinged stories, all framed by a philosophical conversation between two club members about the nature of destiny and the reality of fortune-telling. The movie explores the central theme of whether human lives are dictated by fate or free will, and the profound impact that predictions and dreams can have on an individual's psychology and subsequent actions. This approach blends romance, suspense, and the eerie, making it an early, atmospheric example of the episodic storytelling format in cinema.

The three segments each showcase a unique encounter with the uncanny. The first story, set during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, follows a lonely, self-conscious young woman who yearns for a better life. She receives a mysterious, beautiful mask from a strange shopkeeper and is allowed to experience the evening as someone transformed, but with a strict condition that must be met by midnight. The second segment features a skeptical, wealthy man who attends a party where a prominent palmist is making uncannily accurate predictions for the guests. When the man insists on a private reading, he receives a shocking prophecy that forces him to confront his own sense of morality and control over his future.

The final tale centers on a high-wire circus aerialist known for his dangerous, death-defying act. He becomes deeply unsettled after a terrifying dream where he falls during his performance, the scene of his doom forever imprinted with the image of a screaming, beautiful woman he's never met. This premonition begins to erode his nerve until he unexpectedly encounters the woman from his dream in real life, prompting him to try and understand the connection between his inner fears and the external world, and whether he can truly defy the fate he believes has been foretold.

 

The all-star cast directed by Julien Duvivier (1896 – 1967) includes Charles Boyer, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Robert Cummings, and Betty Field.

There was a fourth segment that was to star John Garfield, but he dropped out and was replaced by Alan Curtis. The segment was well received by preview audiences, but was cut from the film and expanded to a full-length feature, Destiny 1944.

 

Betty Field and Robert Cummings

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Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time.

 

Discussion questions

1. Free Will vs. Destiny: The film repeatedly raises the question of whether a person is master of their own fate or merely a puppet of destiny. In the second story, where Marshall Tyler is told he will commit murder, does the prophecy cause him to act, or does his reaction to the prophecy reveal an inherent flaw in his character?
2. The Nature of Reality and Perception: Both the first story (Henrietta and the mask) and the third story (Paul Gaspar and the dream woman) explore how an individual’s perception of self influences the way the world treats them. How do the masks and dreams in these segments serve as a psychological tool for transformation, and to what extent is the supernatural aspect merely a catalyst for a change that was always possible?
3. The Role of the Anthology Format: Flesh and Fantasy is an anthology film tied together by a brief framing device. Do you feel the three distinct stories collectively strengthen the film's central philosophical theme, or do they feel too disparate? Which story best explores the balance between "flesh" (human experience/desire) and "fantasy" (the supernatural/occult)?
4. Influence of the Occult on Psychology: The film suggests that preoccupation with predictions—whether from a palm reader or a dream—can have a paralyzing or maddening effect on the characters. Compare Marshall Tyler's reaction to the murder prophecy with Paul Gaspar's reaction to his premonition of death. How do their psychological responses to the occult drive the plot in their respective stories?

 

 

“Suspicion” drives a wedge between Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine

Suspicion (1941) is an American mystery-suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. The supporting cast includes Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, and Leo G. Carroll. It is based on the novel Before the Fact (1934) by  Francis Iles.

The film follows Lina McLaidlaw (Fontaine), a reserved and romantically inexperienced woman who is captivated by the charming and reckless playboy Johnnie Aysgarth (Grant). Despite her family’s warnings about his reputation as a spendthrift and a scoundrel, Lina quickly falls in love and marries him.

After a lavish honeymoon, Lina’s initial bliss begins to fade as she discovers the truth about Johnnie’s financial situation—he’s penniless, dishonest, and a habitual gambler. As Johnnie’s schemes become more desperate and his lies grow more elaborate, Lina’s disillusionment deepens into a terrifying suspicion.

Joan Fontaine, Cary Grant, and Nigel Bruce

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Cary Grant (1904 – 1986) was an English-born American actor who became one of the most popular leading men in film history. Grant started his career in vaudeville before heading to Hollywood. He became a superstar in the late 1930s in a series of screwball comedies, including The Awful Truth (1937) with Irene Dunne. He was a memorable C. K. Dexter Haven in The Philadelphia Story (1940) opposite Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. He received two Best Actor nominations for Penny Serenade (1941) and None but the Lonely Hearts (1944). Other classic Grant films include Gunga Din (1939), Only Angels Have Wings (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). He made four popular films with Alfred Hitchcock: Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959). He was presented with an Honorary Oscar at the 42nd Academy Awards in 1970.

Joan Fontaine (1917 – 2013) was a British-American actress who starred in more than 45 films during Hollywood’s “Golden Age.” After secondary roles in Gunga Din (1939) and The Women (1939), her fortunes turned with her starring role in Alfred Hitchcock’s first American film, Rebecca (1940). She was nominated for Best Actress for her role in that film, but lost to Ginger Rogers. The next year, she worked with Hitchcock again in Suspicion and this time won the Best Actress Oscar, beating out her older sister Olivia de Havilland. She received a third and final nomination for The Constant Nymph (1943). Other popular Fontaine films include This Above All (1942), From This Day Forward (1946), Ivy (1947), Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and Ivanhoe (1952). After the late 1950s, she appeared less in films and more on stage and television. Fontaine and her sister are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.

Suspicion trivia

• Joan Fontaine is the only performer to win an Oscar in an Alfred Hitchcock film.
• Fontaine read the novel the film was based on and sent Hitchcock a note offering to play the part for free, if necessary.
• This was the first film that Hitchcock produced as well as directed.
• Suspicion marked the first time Cary Grant worked with Hitchcock; he would go on to collaborate with the director on three more films, Notorious (1946), To Catch a Thief (1955), and North by Northwest (1959).
• Grant was paid $112,500 and Fontaine earned $67,750.

Click HERE to watch to movie on the Internet Archive (this print is beautiful).

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, October 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Ambiguity and Perception: To what extent does director Alfred Hitchcock use cinematic techniques (such as lighting, camera angles, and dialogue) to keep the audience as unsure of Johnnie's true nature as Lina is? Do you believe the ambiguity benefits or harms the film's overall suspense?
2. The Character of Lina: Lina transforms from a reserved "spinster" to a woman consumed by fear. Is her growing suspicion primarily a reasonable response to Johnnie's actions, or is it a sign of psychological instability, perhaps driven by her initial insecurity and desperation to be loved?
3. Cary Grant's Casting: Cary Grant was one of Hollywood's most popular leading men at the time. How does Grant's established charming on-screen persona affect your perception of his character, Johnnie? Do you think the studio's desire to keep Grant a "hero" altered the film's thematic impact from the source novel, Before the Fact?
4. Love vs. Self-Preservation: Why does Lina remain with Johnnie even after repeatedly discovering his dishonesty, embezzlement, and the possibility that he intends to kill her? Does her decision reflect a desperate, all-consuming love, or does it say something about the limited options and societal roles for women in the period the film was made?

Robert Mitchum, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Preston star in “Blood on the Moon”

A classic “noir Western,” Blood on the Moon (1948) is an American Western noir directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Preston, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Preston. The supporting cast includes Walter Brennan, Frank Faylen, and Phyllis Thaxter.

The film centers on Jim Garry (Mitchum), a drifter and a hired hand. He’s called to a remote part of the American West by an old friend, Tate Riling (Preston), who’s involved in a dispute with a local cattle rancher. Initially, Garry agrees to take on a role in what he believes is a straightforward business deal, but he quickly discovers a complex web of deceit, betrayal, and violence.

The film’s plot thickens as Garry becomes entangled in the conflict between the cattleman and a group of homesteaders. The rancher's spirited daughter, Amy Lufton (Bel Geddes), immediately distrusts Garry, suspecting he’s on the side of her family’s enemies. As Garry begins to question his friend’s true intentions and the morality of his own involvement, he finds himself caught between opposing sides, each with their own secrets and hidden agendas. He learns that the stakes are much higher than he first believed and that he’s a pawn in a much larger, more dangerous game.

Torn between loyalty to his past and a growing sense of justice, Garry must navigate a treacherous landscape of shifting allegiances and constant danger. His journey to uncover the truth and choose a side forces him to confront his own cynical nature and determine where his true loyalties lie.

Blood on the Moon trivia

• After seeing the film, Howard Hughes canceled Barbara Bel Geddes’s contract. He said she wasn’t sexy enough.
• For the night scenes, director Robert Wise and cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca chose to use infrared film, despite the problems it could cause with the tones of clothes and makeup.
• According to some pre-production press, James Stewart was set to star in the Mitchum role.
• Walter Brennan thought Robert Mitchum looked like an authentic cowboy.

 

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday October 13, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Noir Western or Traditional Western? Blood on the Moon is often called a “Noir Western.” What elements of film noir does it incorporate? Do you think the film ultimately adheres more to the conventions of film noir or the traditional Western genre?
2. The Morality of Jim Garry: At the start of the film, Jim Garry is a hired hand, a man for hire with no clear moral compass. How does his character evolve throughout the film? What events or interactions, particularly with Amy Lufton, lead to his shift from a cynical opportunist to a man of principle?
3. Trust and Betrayal: The film’s plot is driven by a complex web of deceit. Discuss the theme of trust as it applies to the relationships between Jim Garry and Tate Riling, Jim and Amy, and even Amy and her father. In this world, who can be trusted, and why?
4. Symbolism of the Setting: The film’s desolate, rugged landscapes serve as more than just a backdrop. How does the setting—the canyons, the isolated ranches, the moonlit nights—reflect or enhance the film’s themes of moral ambiguity, isolation, and conflict?