Fiddling around on Youtube this morning, I entered ‘British black and white movies and came across a movie called ‘Obsession (aka ‘The Hidden Room) which I had never heard of. I looked it up on imdb, where it receives a 7.3 rating and some enthusiastic reviews.
Ive just finished watching it and am mightily impressed. It is a little gem, an movie with no special effects, relying solely on plot, acting, dialogue and direction.
I was especially taken by the acting of Robert Newton. I knew him previously from ‘Treasure Island and ‘Oliver Twist, where he plays rather melodramatic villains (Long John Silver and Bill Sykes respectively), but here he is understated and naturalistic. The ace detective, Superintendent Finsbury, played by Naunton Wayne, is also good - a model of calm logic and a superb foil for Robert Newton. His speech about all murderers being amateurs, whereas policemen are professionals, is memorable.
The movie I watched before this was ‘Godzilla vs Kong, an infantile monster movie that is currently cleaning up at the box office. I watched it free of charge on goojara, mainly because I love ‘King Kong from 1933, but it was dire; it
On imdb there is a fine review of ‘The Hidden Room by Keith Humphreys, which I agree with and which I have decided to include here:
A fine example of the Terribly sorry old chap, but Im afraid Im going to have to kill you school of Brit Noir is 1949s ‘The Hidden Room (aka ‘Obsession in the US).
The film revolves around a beautiful, faithless wife (Sally Gray) whose urbane, intelligent cuckold (Robert Newton) seeks indirect vengeance by trying to kill one of her lovers in a fashion that the police will never uncover. Gray is at her most alluring and her most cold. If there were any doubt as the film progresses, the final scene makes clear her characters utter selfishness, and she puts it over in a manner worthy of noirs most memorable femme fatales.
Robert Newton, as a calculating, vindictive psychiatrist plotting the perfect murder, is even better. Its hard to believe that his suave, perfectly tailored character is the creation of the same actor who made Arrrrhhh! the byword of pirates everywhere.
Because he is ostensibly the victim of his wayward wife and conducts himself so politely, its possible to feel sorry for him until about half way through the film, when a critical scene with a little dog makes you realize that he is, like his spouse, a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
Phil Brown is serviceable as the doomed lover, though a stronger actor might have been able to do more in the many he has with Newton.
Naunton Wayne — for once not with Basil Radford off better as a dogged detective, and also skillfully injects relief into the otherwise grim story.
The other key presence here is director Edward Dmytryk, who was essentially exiled to Britain during the McCarthy witch hunts. He had a smaller budget to work with than what he was no doubt used to in Hollywood, but he gets everything possible out of the small cast and few sets as the film unfolds.
