Joan Bennett and James Mason in "The Reckless Moment"

Max Ophuls, a renowned German director who only made four films in the United States, directed The Reckless Moment (1949). It starred Joan Bennett and James Mason. It was only Mason’s third American film. The film is based on The Blank Wall (1947), a novel written by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. The cinematography was by Burnett Guffey who won Academy Awards for From Here to Eternity (1953) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

The plot involves Lucia Harper (Bennett) who is trying to keep Ted Darby (Shepperd Strudwick) a low-life criminal from seeing her teenage daughter Bea (Geraldine Brooks). He tells Lucia that he’s willing to stop seeing Bea for a price. Lucia is confident that when she tells her daughter Darby’s true feelings the relationship will come to an end. This is film noir so no situation gets resolved that easily. Without giving anything away, let’s just say things go horribly wrong, exposing Lucia’s daughter and family to some pretty despicable characters. 

Max Ophuls (1931-1957) was born in Germany where his film career began. After it was clear the Nazis would take power in Germany, Ophuls, a jew, moved to France in 1933 where he became a French citizen in 1938. After the fall of France, he traveled through Switzerland and Italy, eventually ending up in the United States. In Hollywood, Ophuls directed Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Exile (1947), Joan Fontaine and Louis Jordan in Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), and Caught starring James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Ryan. The Reckless Moment would be his last Hollywood film before he returned to France, where he directed major successes La Ronde (1950) and The Earrings of Madame de…(1953) starring Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux.

James Mason (1909 – 1984) was an English actor who was a movie star in the UK before coming to Hollywood. His popular British films include The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady co-starring Margaret Lockwood (1945). His performance in Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out (1947) brought him international acclaim and success in Hollywood. In Hollywood he starred in four films in 1949: Caught, Madame Bovary with Jennifer Jones, The Reckless Moment with Joan Bennett, and East Side, West Side with Barbara Stanwyck. Other popular American films include The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), A Star is Born (1954), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Island in the Sun (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959), and Lolita (1963). Mason continued to work in film and television up to the time of his death.

James Mason and Joan Bennett

Joan Bennett (1910–1990) began her film career during the early sound era. A natural blonde, Bennett dyed her hair as a plot device in the film Trade Winds (1938). As a brunette, Bennett projected a sultry persona that had her compared to the brunette beauty, Hedy Lamarr. During this period she starred in two costume epics. She played Princess Maria Theresa in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) and Grand Duchess Zona of Lichtenburg in The Son of Monte Cristo (1940). Bennett was one of two finalists for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), along with Paulette Goddard. She had a very successful collaboration with the director Fritz Lang. With Lang, she starred in the classics Man Hunt (1940), The Woman in the Window (1944), and Scarlet Street (1945). Bennett acted on stage and on television where she became a pop culture icon playing Elizabeth Collins Stoddard on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows (1966-1971).

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join the discussion on August 1, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to the discussion on Zoom.

The Reckless Moment trivia

• This was the last American film directed by Max Ophuls.
• This was the first film in which Bennett is the mother of an adult daughter.
• Geraldine Brooks was 24 years old when she played Bennett's 17-year-old daughter.
• Bennett made a career switch with this film, going from femme fatale to the "perfect" mother in films like Father of the Bride (1950) and Father's Little Dividend (1951).
• The movie The Deep End (2001) starring Tilda Swinton is loosely based on this film.

Discussion  questions

1. Did The Reckless Moment fit the film noir classification in your opinion?
2. What did you make of James Mason's character? 
3. Were the family dynamics believable? 
4. Could you relate to Bennett's dilemma? 
5. Filmed in Balboa, Newport Beach, and Los Angeles, California. Did the location filming give the film a more realistic feel?
6. Did anything in the film surprise you?
7. Did The Reckless Moment remind you of any other classic movies?

James Mason and Joan Bennett

James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Ryan are "Caught"

Caught (1949) is an American film noir directed by Max Ophuls and starring James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Ryan. The screenplay was by Arthur Laurents from the novel Wild Calendar by Libbie Block.

Leonora Eames (Bel Geddes) always dreamed about being rich. Her dreams come true when she marries Smith Ohlrig a multimillionaire. Her dreams quickly turn into nightmares when Ohlrig turns out to be mentally unstable and abusive. Leonora eventually leaves Ohlrig, going to work in a doctor's office, and befriends Dr. Larry Quinada (Mason). The two eventually fall in love but there's one problem: she's married to Ohlig and he's not going to give Leonora up easily.

Max Ophuls (1931-1957) was born in Germany where his film career began. After it was clear the Nazis would take power in Germany, Ophuls, a jew, moved to France in 1933 where he became a French citizen in 1938. After the fall of France, he traveled through Switzerland and Italy, eventually ending up in the United States. In Hollywood, Ophuls directed Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Exile (1947), Joan Fontaine and Louis Jordan in Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), and Caught starring James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Ryan. The Reckless Moment would be his last Hollywood film before he returned to France, where he directed major successes La Ronde (1950) and The Earrings of Madame de…(1953) starring Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux.

James Mason (1909 – 1984) was an English actor who was a movie star in the UK before coming to Hollywood. His popular British films include The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady co-starring Margaret Lockwood (1945). His performance in Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out (1947) brought him international acclaim and success in Hollywood. In Hollywood he starred in four films in 1949: Caught, Madame Bovary with Jennifer Jones, The Reckless Moment with Joan Bennett, and East Side, West Side with Barbara Stanwyck. Other popular American films include The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), A Star is Born (1954), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Island in the Sun (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959), and Lolita (1963). Mason continued to work in film and television up to the time of his death.

Barbara Bel Geddes (1922 – 2005) was an American stage and screen actress. She starred as Maggie in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955). She played Irene Dunne’s daughter in I Remember Mama (1948), and was Midge, James Stewart’s on-again-off-again girlfriend in Vertigo (1958). Bel Geddes also worked on television during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1978, she starred as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on Dallas (1978 – 1990), the role for which she is most famous.

Robert Ryan (1909 - 1973) was an American film and stage actor. Ryan got his start in acting with a theater group in Chicago, where he was born, in the late-1930s. By 1939, he had a film contract with Paramount appearing in minor roles in a variety of pictures. In 1943, he signed a long-term contract with RKO based on his stage performance in Clash by Night (1941). The studio was grooming him for stardom with 1943’s Tender Comrade co-starring Ginger Rogers when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a drill instructor. He resumed his career after the war and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance in Crossfire (1947). Ryan worked on stage, on TV, and in film during the next three decades. His other film roles include The Set-Up (1949), Flying Leathernecks (1951), On Dangerous Ground (1951), Clash by Night (1952), and Bad Day at Black Rock (1954).

Robert Ryan and Barbara Bel Geddes

Caught trivia

• James Mason was originally cast as Smith Ohlrig, the role Robert Ryan played.
• Smith Ohlrig was supposedly based on Howard Hughes.
• This was Mason's first American film.
• The film has three famous TV moms in the cast: Barbara Billingsley (June Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver), Natalie Schafer (Lovey Howell of Gilligan's Island), and Barbara Bel Geddes (Miss Ellie of Dallas),

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join the discussion on July 25, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Contemporary reviews were negative but now the movie is considered a film noir classic. What do you think turned those critics off?
2. What did you think of James Mason's American film debut? Was he smart to switch roles with Robert Ryan?
3. Caught was Bel Geddes fourth movie in three years. What did you make of her performance? Any shades of Miss Ellie?
4. Many critics thought Robert Ryan's character was modeled after Howard Hughes. Did you see any resemblance?
5. Did anything about the film surprise you?

James Mason is the “Odd Man Out”

Odd Man Out (1947) is a British film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason and Robert Newton. The film made Mason an international film star and elevated Reed to the ranks of the top directors of the day.

Johnny McQueen (Mason) is a member of the IRA and has been hiding out since his escape from prison in the home of Kathleen Sullivan (Kathleen Ryan). He’s been hiding out for six months and is suddenly ordered to rob a mill to get money for IRA activities. His men and associates wonder if Johnny is up to the job and suggest that another take the lead. Johnny doesn’t give up control and the robbery proceeds with Johnny in the lead, but things don’t go as planned.

Carol Reed (1906 – 1976) was an English film director. He directed several classic films including The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949), and Oliver! (1968). Reed worked in a theatrical company in his teens. He eventually entered the film business in the UK where he worked his way up to the position of assistant director. He got his big break as a director with The Stars Look Down (1940) based on a novel by A. J. Cronin and starring Michael Redgrave. Other British films followed including Night Train to Munich (1940) starring Margaret Lockwood and Rex Harrison, Kipps (1941) with Redgrave again, and The Young Mr. Pitt (1942) starring Robert Donat.

James Mason (1909 – 1984) was an English actor who was a movie star in the UK before coming to Hollywood. His popular British films include The Seventh Veil (1945) and The Wicked Lady co-starring Margaret Lockwood (1945). His performance in Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out (1947) brought him international acclaim and success in Hollywood. In Hollywood he starred in four films in 1949: Caught, Madame Bovary with Jennifer Jones, The Reckless Moment with Joan Bennett, and East Side, West Side with Barbara Stanwyck. Other popular American films include The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951), The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), Julius Caesar (1953), A Star is Born (1954), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Island in the Sun (1957), North by Northwest (1959), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959), and Lolita (1963). Mason continued to work in film and television up and to the time of his death.

Robert Newton (1905 – 1956) was a popular English actor and is probably best remembered for his role as Long John Silver in the Walt Disney version of Treasure Island (1950). His exaggerated accent in that role is credited with what we consider the “pirate voice.” Newton was a popular player in London’s West End and he also appeared on Broadway, replacing Laurence Olivier in Private Lives. He made several films in Hollywood including The Desert Rats (1953), Les Miserables (1952), Blackbeard the Pirate (1952), and The High and the Mighty (1954).

Many of the supporting players came from Dublin’s Abbey Theatre including Cyril Cusack, Robert Beatty, and Dan O’Herlihy.

Odd Man Out trivia:

• The role was originally offered to Stewart Granger who rejected it when he saw how little dialogue he had.
• James Mason thought this was the best performance in his whole film career.
• The film has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The character of Father Tom has artwork in his church from the National Gallery in London and the Louvre!
• The gang of street boys was played by children from St. Patrick’s Boys Home in Belfast.
• This was the first British film to win the BAFTA award for Best British Film; BAFTA was established in 1948.

To watch the film on YouTube click on the link below.

To join the discussion on Zoom on December 1, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click on the link here. You’ll need to RSVP to get your Zoom invitation.

Discussion Questions:

1. Many film critics consider Odd Man Out a film noir. Does this make sense to you?
2. Do you think Johnny had his heart in the robbery?
3. What did you make of Johnny’s collaborators and the people he encountered when on the run?
4. Was the ending what you expected? Was it inevitable?
5. The film has some beautifully shot scenes; do any stand out to you?

“The Reckless Moment”—an overlooked film noir gem

Max Ophuls, a renowned German director who only made four films in the United States, directed The Reckless Moment (1949). It starred Joan Bennett and James Mason. It was only Mason’s third American film.

The plot involves Lucia Harper (Bennett), who is trying to keep Ted Darby (Shepperd Strudwick), a low-life criminal, from seeing her teenage daughter, Bea (Geraldine Brooks). He tells Lucia that he’s willing to stop seeing Bea for a price. Lucia is confident that when she tells her daughter Darby’s true feelings, the relationship will come to an end. This is film noir, so no situation gets resolved that easily. Without giving anything away, let’s just say things go horribly wrong, exposing Lucia’s daughter and family to some pretty despicable characters.

Joan Bennett in a pivotal scene from The Reckless Moment

The Backstory
Director Ophuls (1931-1957) was born in Germany, where his film career began. After it was clear the Nazis would take power in Germany, Ophuls, a jew, moved to France in 1933, where he became a French citizen in 1938. After the fall of France, he traveled through Switzerland and Italy, eventually ending up in the United States. In Hollywood, Ophuls directed Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in The Exile (1947), Joan Fontaine and Louis Jordan in Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), and Caught starring James Mason, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Robert Ryan. The Reckless Moment would be his last Hollywood film before he returned to France, where he directed major successes La Ronde (1950) and The Earrings of Madame de…(1953), starring Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux.

Joan Bennett (1910–1990) began her film career during the early sound era. A natural blonde, Bennett dyed her hair as a plot device in the film Trade Winds (1938). As a brunette, Bennett projected a sultry persona that had her compared to brunette beauty Hedy Lamarr. During this period, she starred in two costume epics. She played Princess Maria Theresa in The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) and Grand Duchess Zona of Lichtenburg in The Son of Monte Cristo (1940).

Joan Bennett in a still from one of her screen tests for Gone with the Wind. This is the famous paddock scene.

Almost Scarlett O’Hara
Bennett was one of two finalists for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), along with Paulette Goddard, who appeared to be the front-runner. There was concern that Goddard’s marriage to Charley Chaplin wasn’t legal, which made Bennett’s prospects to play Scarlett almost certain until Vivian Leigh showed up to watch the filming of the burning of Atlanta scenes on the Selznick backlot. Despite that disappointment, Bennett had a distinguished film career. She worked with many of the top directors of the period, including George Cukor, Mitchell Leisen, Tay Garnett, Henry Hathaway, and Vincente Minnelli. She had a very successful collaboration with the director Fritz Lang. With Lang, she starred in the classics Man Hunt (1940), The Woman in the Window (1944), and Scarlet Street (1945). She worked with the French director Jean Renoir in The Woman on the Beach and with director Zoltan Korda in The Macomber Affair (both 1947), co-starring Gregory Peck. In 1950, she became the perfect wife and mother in Father of the Bride (1950) and its sequel, Father’s Little Dividend (1951), both directed by Minnelli. A scandal after the release of Dividend pretty much ended Bennett’s film career. She continued to act on stage and on television, where she became a pop culture icon playing Elizabeth Collins Stoddard on the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows (1966-1971).

James Mason (1909-1984) was an English actor who was a popular film star in Great Britain before he came to Hollywood. Mason was a top box office star in the UK with hits like The Seventh Veil, The Wicked Lady (both 1945), and Odd Man Out (1947).

Barbara Stanwyck and James Mason in East Side, West Side (1949)

Hollywood Calling
Mason went to Hollywood to make Caught (1949), directed by Ophuls. He made three other films in 1949: Madame Bovary, East Side, West Side, and The Reckless Moment. In 1951, he entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox, where they signed a seven-year contract. At Fox, he starred as General Rommel in The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) directed by Henry Hathaway. It was a commercial and financial success. He reprised the role in The Desert Rats (1953), co-starring a young Richard Burton, with direction by Robert Wise. In 1954, he played the evil Sir Brack in Prince Valiant and Captain Nemo in Disney’s 20.000 Leagues Under the Sea. That same year, he starred in the role he is probably most identified with, Norman Maine in A Star Is Born, co-starring Judy Garland. For his performance in that film, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He continued to act through the fifties and sixties in a variety of films, including North by Northwest, Journey to the Center of the Earth (both 1959), The Marriage-Go-Round (1961), Lolita (1962), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Georgy Girl (1966), and Mayerling (1968). During the 1970s and 1980s, Mason continued to act in film and on television. In 1982, Mason was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Verdict, starring Paul Newman.

Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor Trivia
Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor share the same birthday: February 27.
Bennett played Amy March in Little Women 1933.
Taylor played Amy in Little Women 1949.
Both Bennett and Taylor were grandmothers at 39.
Both Bennett and Taylor gave birth to one of their children on their birthdays.
Bennett and Taylor played mother and daughter, respectively, in Father of the Bride and Father’s Little Dividend.

You can read more about Joan Bennett by clicking here.

Screening of “East Side, West Side” at Daystar Center June 19

East Side, West Side (1941)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Room 102

When: June 19, 2018

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

East Side, West Side (1949) is a melodramatic crime drama that stars Barbara Stanwyck, James Mason, Van Heflin, and Ava Gardner. Mason is Brandon Bourne, the unfaithful husband of Jessie Bourne (Barbara Stanwyck). Mason is infatuated with the beautiful and manipulative Isabel Lorrison (Ava Gardner). Jessie does her best to keep her marriage together, but when Isabel is murdered, all bets are off. Police officer Mark Dwyer (Van Heflin) sets out to find the murderer, while finding himself drawn to Jessie in the process.

This all-star M-G-M production features direction by Mervyn Leroy (Gold Diggers of 1933, Random Harvest (1942), Little Women (1949), Quo Vadis (1951)) with a supporting cast that includes Cyd Charisse, Gail Sondergaard, William Conrad, William Frawley, and future First Lady, Nancy Davis Reagan.

Barbara Stanwyck and James Mason in East Side, West Side

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!

You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

Chicago Film Club field trip: “North By Northwest” April 2 at ShowPlace ICON at Roosevelt Road

Directed by Hitchcock—“The Master of Suspense”—and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, North By Northwest is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. 

Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. 

The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. 

The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007

If you want to purchase your ticket in advance, click here. Tickets are also available at the theater.

After the movie, depending on interest, we may go into the Lobby Lounge to discuss the film. We did this after All About Eve and it was a lot of fun.

First-timers: Look for me with the meetup sign before the theater entrance.

Screening of Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" December 8, 2015

Hitchcock in the 50s: Northwest By Northwest
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: December 8, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

North By Northwest (1959) is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. This thriller stars the very stylish Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.


Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

Hitchcock classic “North by Northwest” to be screened at “The Venue 1550” October 11, 2012

The Alfred Hitchcock classic, North By Northwest will be screened at “The Venue 1550,” 1550 S. State St., October 11 at 7 p.m. This is the second in a series featuring movies with a connection to Chicago.

Snack tables are set up inside “The Venue 1550” for your
movie-watching comfort and convenience.

Directed by Hitchcock—“The Master of Suspense”—and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, North By Northwest is one of the classiest espionage films ever made. Grant plays advertising executive Roger O. Thornhill (ROT) who is mistaken for an American agent and framed for murder. Saint plays the mistress of real spy Mason and is used as bait to catch Grant. The movie features some great Chicago locations, including the Ambassador East Hotel, the old LaSalle Street train station, and a glimpse of late-1950s Michigan Avenue. The success of this film led to Grant being offered the role of James Bond, which he turned down. Grant thought he was too old to play Ian Fleming’s famous agent 007.

“The Venue 1550” is a unique, comfortable space. Overflow Coffee Bar will be open before each screening. You can grab a beverage, snack, and bring it to the movie. Snack tables are positioned next to setting spaces for your convenience.


Order Tickets in Advance or at the Door
Movie admission is $7 per film or $20 for all four. To purchase tickets, click here. Tickets are also available at the door.

Post a Flyer!
Download, print, and post a flyer in your building or office by clicking here.