Bonita Granville was a child star who made an indelible impression as the demonic Mary Tilford in "These Three" (1936), she played another memorable meanie in "Maid of Salem" (1937) and then it was back to more conventional roles such as Nancy Drew. During the 40s she strove to find more adult roles and she made some interesting movies - "Youth Runs wild","Hitler's Children", "Suspense". "The Guilty" was one of those films. It was a gritty, tough film noir and being taken from a Cornell Woolrich story had more twists and turns than a mountain road. Olivia De Havilland had played "good twin/bad twin" roles in "The Dark Mirror" a glossy production with Lew Ayres as the baffled doctor, a year or so before."The Guilty" was able to use a similar story but take it in different directions - apart from the mother, everyone else seemed edgy and guilty!!! The plot is a lot tighter and more complicated, it is just an excellent little noir.
Mike (Don Castle) shares his flat with an old army buddy, Dixon (Wally Cassell) who because of a head injury sustained during the war, is jumpy, jittery and relies too much on drink and drugs. Both of them are involved with Linda and Estelle, (both played by Bonita Granville) a classic good twin, bad twin mix and when Dixon realises that it is sweet Linda who he loves, Mike takes up with Estelle, a boy crazy party girl.
One night Linda disappears and later turns up murdered - enter Police Inspector Heller (Regis Toomey) a very cool, calm and collected type who is like a dog with a bone. He encounters a baffling maze of false clues and Mike also starts his own investigation because he feels Dixon is being judged without defense. Not only has Estelle become Linda's protector (before her death they had hated each other - now she is determined to find the killer) but fatherly lodger (John Litel, who played Nancy Drew's father) seems to be a bit too fond of the twins. There is a scene at the start where he eagerly looks forward to going to the movies with Linda, only to be let down.
The film is set mostly in the men's apartment (it is based on a Woolrich short story "Two Fellows in a Furnished Room") and a cheap bar, obviously Monogram had a tight budget but it just heightened the claustrophobic and seedy atmosphere that gripped you till the end. Something of interest - it was the first picture produced by John Devereaux Wrather Jnr., a Dallas oil millionaire and before the movie's premiere he and Bonita were wed.
Highly, Highly Recommended.
Mike (Don Castle) shares his flat with an old army buddy, Dixon (Wally Cassell) who because of a head injury sustained during the war, is jumpy, jittery and relies too much on drink and drugs. Both of them are involved with Linda and Estelle, (both played by Bonita Granville) a classic good twin, bad twin mix and when Dixon realises that it is sweet Linda who he loves, Mike takes up with Estelle, a boy crazy party girl.
One night Linda disappears and later turns up murdered - enter Police Inspector Heller (Regis Toomey) a very cool, calm and collected type who is like a dog with a bone. He encounters a baffling maze of false clues and Mike also starts his own investigation because he feels Dixon is being judged without defense. Not only has Estelle become Linda's protector (before her death they had hated each other - now she is determined to find the killer) but fatherly lodger (John Litel, who played Nancy Drew's father) seems to be a bit too fond of the twins. There is a scene at the start where he eagerly looks forward to going to the movies with Linda, only to be let down.
The film is set mostly in the men's apartment (it is based on a Woolrich short story "Two Fellows in a Furnished Room") and a cheap bar, obviously Monogram had a tight budget but it just heightened the claustrophobic and seedy atmosphere that gripped you till the end. Something of interest - it was the first picture produced by John Devereaux Wrather Jnr., a Dallas oil millionaire and before the movie's premiere he and Bonita were wed.
Highly, Highly Recommended.