Movie Review: Shadow of Suspicion (1944)
Synopsis: The valuable Stonehaven necklace is set to be transferred to the Chicago branch of the Cartell & Co. jewelry store, which had a recent unsolved robbery. Shortly before it is delivered, a man first calling himself Mr. Adams and then Everett G. Northrup arrives, claiming to be from the New York office to check on security. When the doubtful store manager, Frank Randall calls to check up on his visitor he speaks with the real Everett G. Northrup, who arrives on the next plane, assumes the name Jimmy Dale and goes to work as the imposter's secretary to keep an eye on him. Only, it is all a ruse. The men know each other, have assumed each other's identities and are working together, only not in the way that first seems.
Who's in it? The movie stars Peter Cookson, Tim Ryan, Marjorie Weaver, Pierre Watkin, Clara Blandick and John Hamilton.
Review: For reasons I've never been able to explain, I occasionally pick out a movie to watch only to not be able to find it the next morning. That was the case again this morning and, as a result, I needed to pick out a different film. The second choice ended up being Shadow of Suspicion and, fortunately, it turned out to be a good choice.
I think the most interesting thing about this movie was the mystery surrounding Dale (Cookson) and Northrup (Ryan) and their motive for arriving in Chicago. At first glance, it seemed as though they were there to steal the necklace. However, based on how quickly Randall (Watkin) figured out Dale was lying about who he was, they were either the worst jewel thieves ever, had an unusually complicated plan or weren't there to steal the necklace at all and it wasn't clear which it was until at least mid-way through the film.
Adding to this was the two characters being fun to watch. Dale was a bit pushy on the romance side with the secretary, Claire (Weaver), something I'll chalk up to the time period, but was a likeable, charming guy while Northrup provided a decent amount of comic relief while also being deceptively clever when needed. Even if they turned out to be jewel thieves, they were the kind you would probably root for.
Even after everyone's motives regarding the necklace were revealed, the movie still managed to stay reasonable unpredictable, with a few added twists and some suspense, especially when Claire was unnecessarily put in danger over something she didn't even know happened. This did keep me on the edge of my seat a bit.
Speaking of Claire though, if I had any complaints about the movie, it is I wish she would have been more than a love interest/unwitting accomplice. I would have loved to have seen the movie throw in an additional twist involving her character, either with her secretly being a jewel thief or perhaps working undercover for the police, just to give her a bit more of a purpose, especially since Weaver was a talented enough actress to handle that.
Final Opinion: It wasn't my first choice for a movie this morning, but it did turn out to be an entertaining one and I had no regrets watching it as a result.
My Grade: B
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1944:
Movie Review: Ghost Catchers (1944)
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