The 13th Letter

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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.

[edit] Plot

The film noir concerns a doctor at a Canadian hospital in the province of Quebec, 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 Françoise Rosay as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."

[edit] Cast

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