Movie Review: Dishonored Lady (1947)
Synopsis: Madeleine Damien is a beautiful and successful art editor who is sought after by many men and has had multiple lovers, including jeweler Felix Courtland, one of her magazine's biggest advertisers. When she learns she has become the subject of rumors and mockery at the magazine, Madeleine quits her job and, at the advice of her psychiatrist, relocates under an assumed name and tries to make a living as an artist.
She meets and falls in love with one of her neighbors, Dr. David Cousins but is reluctant to marry him because he doesn't know the truth about her or even her real name. Things become even more complicated when Courtland finds her and she is later falsely accused of the jeweler's murder, making her past public knowledge, jeopardizing her relationship with Cousins and, because she feels defeated and unwilling to mount a defense, risking a murder conviction.
Who's in it? The movie stars Hedy Lamarr, Dennis O'Keefe, John Loder, William Lundigan, Paul Cavanagh, Morris Carnovsky and Natalie Schafer.
Review: My wife and I watched a Mysteries at the Museum installment about Hedy Lamarr last night and that inspired me to watch one of her movies this morning. I've had Dishonored Lady in my library for some time and ended up finally selecting it. While I wasn't sure what to think about it at first, it proved to be an entertaining choice.
I think one of the things that impressed me most about this film is, despite being nearly 80 years old, it is surprisingly still relevant. The idea of unmarried women having multiple boyfriends probably isn't as taboo as it was when the film was made but the double standard and ability to "gain a reputation" still exists, as do men who pursue women as a prize.
I was particularly surprised by how the movie attempted to do a deep dive into the reasons behind her lifestyle, including what today probably would be considered severe depression, possibly caused by her father's suicide. Obviously, wanting to have sex before marriage wouldn't normally be considered a sign of mental illness today. However, in Madeleine's (Lamarr) case, I think the argument could be made. Plus, her extreme method of coping with it, going into hiding and changing her name, seemed to be the best course of action once you get to know her "friends" better.
Madeleine's past and present colliding with each other did make for an intriguing overall story. Courtland (Loder) clearly wasn't going to let her go without a fight and could easily ruin things for her, putting him in a position of power. The fact she loved Cousins (O'Keefe) and was heartbroken about hurting him meant there was a good chance she'd allow herself to be convicted and executed for murder, making it hard to tell if this movie would have a happy ending or a tragic one.
The one thing about the film I guess I would describe as being on the fence about would be that relationship with Cousins. I want to believe they really loved each other, but I'm also not convinced he didn't just fall for her pretty face - especially with the way he was so quick to abandon her when he found out about her past and only came around to being back on her side after being admonished by her psychiatrist (Carnovsky) over his behavior. She deserved better from him.
Final Opinion: Some of the material is probably a bit dated (though, again, I think some of it still applies today) but Lamarr's performance and the overall story do make this a film worth watching.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies with "disreputable" women:
Movie Review: 1,000 Convicts and a Woman (1971)
Movie Review: The Diary of a High School Bride (1959)
Movie Review: My Forbidden Past (1951)
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