The Velvet Touch is a 1948 American film noir drama directed by Jack Gage and starring Rosalind Russell, Leon Ames, Leo Genn and Claire Trevor.[3]
| The Velvet Touch | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jack Gage |
| Screenplay by | Leo Rosten Adaptation: William Mercer |
| Story by | Annabel Ross |
| Produced by | Frederick Brisson |
| Starring | Rosalind Russell Leon Ames Leo Genn Claire Trevor |
| Cinematography | Joseph Walker |
| Edited by | Roland Gross Chandler House |
| Music by | Leigh Harline |
Production companies | Independent Artists, Ltd. |
| Distributed by | RKO Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.6 million[2] |
| Box office | $1.2 million (rentals in US/Canada)[2] |
Plot
editBroadway leading lady Valerie Stanton (Russell) accidentally kills her producer and former lover, Gordon Dunning (Ames), during an argument about the direction her career should take. He expects her to sign for his next production, a typical frothy comedy for which he is known, whereas she wants to star in a revival of Hedda Gabler to prove her versatility as an actress.
Other characters involved in the plot are Michael Morrell (Genn), Valerie's new beau; supporting actress Marian Webster (Trevor), who is wrongly accused of committing Valerie's crime; and police Capt. Danbury (Greenstreet), who may know more than he is willing to disclose.
Cast
edit- Rosalind Russell as Valerie Stanton
- Leo Genn as Michael Morrell
- Claire Trevor as Marian Webster
- Sydney Greenstreet as Captain Danbury
- Leon Ames as Gordon Dunning
- Frank McHugh as Ernie Boyle
- Walter Kingsford as Peter Gunther
- Dan Tobin as Jeff Trent
- Lex Barker as Paul Banton
- Nydia Westman as Susan Crane
- Theresa Harris as Nancy
- Russell Hicks as Judge Brack
- Irving Bacon as Albert
- Esther Howard as Pansy Dupont
- Harry Hayden as Mr. Crouch
- William Erwin as Howard Forman
- Martha Hyer as Helen Adams
- Steven Flagg as Jimmy
Reception
editNew York Times film critic Bosley Crowther thought the plot and its conclusion was too obvious. He wrote: "Since the murder is prefatory business in this new film which came to the Rivoli yesterday, we are telling no more than you'll witness two minutes after the picture begins. The rest is a long and tortuous survey of Miss Russell's efforts to elude discovery as the rather obvious murderess and get on with her promising career . . . This foregone conclusion of the story is only one of the film's weaknesses. The muddiness of the character played by Miss Russell is another one. The role was so randomly written by Leo Rosten that one finds it hard to see any solid personality or consistency in the dame."[4]
Film critic Dennis Schwartz praised the production and called the film: "A sparkling crime melodrama richly steeped in theatrical atmosphere." In addition he wrote: "In this solid production, the tension is kept up until the final curtain call as to whether Russell will confess, get caught, or get away with the crime of passion."[5]
References
edit- ^ "The Velvet Touch: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ a b "Hitchcock Bernstein unit". Variety. 12 January 1949. p. 18. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ The Velvet Touch at the TCM Movie Database.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, August 26, 1948. Accessed: August 14, 2013.
- ^ Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, May 4, 2002. Accessed: August 14, 2013.