The 13th Letter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The 13th Letter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Otto Preminger |
| Produced by | Otto Preminger |
| Written by | Louis Chavance (story Le Corbeau) Howard Koch |
| Starring | Linda Darnell Charles Boyer Michael Rennie Constance Smith Françoise Rosay |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Cinematography | Joseph LaShelle |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | January 19, 1951 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 85 min. |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The 13th Letter is a 1951 film directed by Otto Preminger. The film noir concerns a doctor at a Canadian hospital in the province of Québec, Canada who receives a series of poison pen letters. Later, more letters all signed with the mysterious pseudonym "Raven," are delivered to others in the small Canadian town. The wife of the doctor receives a letter accusing her of having an affair. One letter informs a shell-shocked veteran that he is dying of cancer, causing the distraught man to commit suicide. Quickly, the townsfolk begin pointing fingers at all possible suspects. The film is a remake of Le Corbeau (1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
[edit] Reaction
Channel 4's review of this film praised the cinematography and music score: "The movie is redolent with atmosphere: (Joseph) LaShelle's photography accentuates the black and shadows, and there's dark shading too in (Alex) North's music. The film is dominated by death and melancholy, and by Rosay as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."
[edit] Cast
- Linda Darnell as Denise Tourneur
- Charles Boyer as Dr. Laurent
- Michael Rennie as Dr. Pearson
- Constance Smith as Cora Laurent
