Vicki Baum was a popular German novelist. Because she was Jewish, she and her husband left Germany in the 1930s and she became a Hollywood screenwriter. One of her books "Mortgage on Life" became the basis for the film "A Woman's Secret". There are a lot of secrets in the film. What really happened when the gun was fired, what type of person was Susan Caldwell?
The film starts with a fight between Susan (Gloria Grahame) and Marion Washburn (Maureen O'Hara). Susan is the singing sensation Estralita but she is fed up with the grind of public appearances and radio shows and wants to retire. She and Marion go upstairs, there is a shot and when police come, Marion calmly confesses that she fired the gun that could fatally have injured Susan.
Luke Jordan (Melvyn Douglas) and Brooke Matthews (Victor Jory) get involved. Luke, a very good friend of Marions, persuades Brooke, a lawyer, to represent her. Both are convinced that Marion could never do such a thing. From the start there are conflicting personalities. Marion is presenting herself as "hard as nails" and all business, yet she inspires love from everyone - Susan is funny and quirky, yet she is less than loved. Luke takes Inspt. Fowler (Jay C. Flippen) to lunch and gives his version.
Marion was a singer and he, her pianist. She is on her way to the top when she is stricken by a rare throat infection. After a year off she begins to sing again but her voice is gone. After leaving a rehearsal they run into Susan, a young singer down on her luck. Gloria Grahame really lifts the film up. She has just the right amount of quirkiness and knowing innocence as Susan, who just happens to have a great voice. She is happy for Marion to do all the work, promoting, booking, pushing her to practice etc. Marion then takes her to Paris to give her some much needed polish. Luke follows to keep an eye on them but Susan has already gone, pursuing a man to Algiers, with the promise of a place in an Opera company. Needless to say, there was no Opera company.
On the ship back to New York, Susan, with a new name, Estralita, meets Brooke and sweeps him off his feet!!! By the end of the film she also has a hot headed young soldier (Bill Williams) madly in love with her and unwilling to believe she is anything but sweet and innocent.
Melvyn Douglas is great and really gives the film a witty touch. Maureen O'Hara is very classy but she doesn't have her usual spark - in this film she seems quite subdued. Gloria Grahame is a bright light - if it wasn't for her the film would be pretty dull.Jay C. Flippen is also very good as the Inspector who feels something is amiss with Marion's confession. Mary Phillips, who was Humphrey Bogart's second wife, plays Mary Fowler.
Recommended.
The film starts with a fight between Susan (Gloria Grahame) and Marion Washburn (Maureen O'Hara). Susan is the singing sensation Estralita but she is fed up with the grind of public appearances and radio shows and wants to retire. She and Marion go upstairs, there is a shot and when police come, Marion calmly confesses that she fired the gun that could fatally have injured Susan.
Luke Jordan (Melvyn Douglas) and Brooke Matthews (Victor Jory) get involved. Luke, a very good friend of Marions, persuades Brooke, a lawyer, to represent her. Both are convinced that Marion could never do such a thing. From the start there are conflicting personalities. Marion is presenting herself as "hard as nails" and all business, yet she inspires love from everyone - Susan is funny and quirky, yet she is less than loved. Luke takes Inspt. Fowler (Jay C. Flippen) to lunch and gives his version.
Marion was a singer and he, her pianist. She is on her way to the top when she is stricken by a rare throat infection. After a year off she begins to sing again but her voice is gone. After leaving a rehearsal they run into Susan, a young singer down on her luck. Gloria Grahame really lifts the film up. She has just the right amount of quirkiness and knowing innocence as Susan, who just happens to have a great voice. She is happy for Marion to do all the work, promoting, booking, pushing her to practice etc. Marion then takes her to Paris to give her some much needed polish. Luke follows to keep an eye on them but Susan has already gone, pursuing a man to Algiers, with the promise of a place in an Opera company. Needless to say, there was no Opera company.
On the ship back to New York, Susan, with a new name, Estralita, meets Brooke and sweeps him off his feet!!! By the end of the film she also has a hot headed young soldier (Bill Williams) madly in love with her and unwilling to believe she is anything but sweet and innocent.
Melvyn Douglas is great and really gives the film a witty touch. Maureen O'Hara is very classy but she doesn't have her usual spark - in this film she seems quite subdued. Gloria Grahame is a bright light - if it wasn't for her the film would be pretty dull.Jay C. Flippen is also very good as the Inspector who feels something is amiss with Marion's confession. Mary Phillips, who was Humphrey Bogart's second wife, plays Mary Fowler.
Recommended.