Diagonaldi Very well executed

Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Spikeopath A Woman's Secret is directed by Nicholas Ray and adapted to screenplay by Herman J. Mankiewicz from the novel "Mortgage on Life" written by Vicki Baum. It stars Maureen O'Hara, Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Grahame, Victor Jory and Jay C. Flippen. Music is by Friedrich Hollaender and cinematography by George E. Diskant.When young singer Susan Caldwell (Grahame) is shot, Marian Washburn (O'Hara) takes the blame and is promptly charged. But something isn't right and those closest to Marian decide to dig a little deeper...If the Lord wanted you to have a bullet in you - you would have been born with one!A big mix of noir/mystery/melodrama conventions here as this RKO production ultimately holds its head just above water. The major problem that brings frustration is that the resolution just renders the whole story as sort of pointless, it does at times feel like they made it up as they went along, a jumbled collections of ideas.On the plus side there are some choice characterisations, a flashback structure and decent tech credits on show. Story is packed with angry lawyers, sarcastic coppers and sultry dames. Some of the dialogue spouted is noir gold, particularly when coming from the mouth of Flippen's (stealing the film but sadly under used) grizzled copper, while Ray and Diskant know their noir visuals as they tone down the contrasts and utilise closed in space for the more serious scenes in the story. Grahame is full of sexual and world wise innocence, teasing away like a good un', Jory gives a show of fidgety anger, while Douglas gets the tongue in cheek role and works well as a romantic prop feeding off of O'Hara's (actually under written considering it's the lead) more sternly sexy performance. This is not essential noir for the the noir lovers, and certainly not prime stuff from noir legend Nicholas Ray. Yet it's better than its maligned reputation suggests. But only just mind you... 6/10

dougdoepke No need to recap the plot, which I couldn't do anyway. In fact, just what the screenplay is aiming at may be the movie's biggest secret. Is it a mystery—well no, since early on the camera shows Marian (O'Hara) pulling the trigger. Is it a noir—hardly, since the atmosphere is pretty conventional. Is it a love story (a Ray specialty)—well maybe, except who loves whom is not always clear. Sure, a movie doesn't have to be pigeon-holed to be good. But the trouble here is that Secret is simply too muddled to fit anywhere, and that's despite a luminescent turn from the incomparable Gloria Grahame.Director Ray was especially expert at getting triumphs from love story actresses—Cathy O'Donnell, Allene Roberts, Natalie Wood, et al. No wonder Grahame fell for him in real life. However, critics are right: Jory and Douglas are both a shade too old (circa, 50) for 20-something O'Hara and Grahame. Plus, pity poor Bill Williams whose one-note, unnecessary part suggests he wandered onto the wrong set. Then there's the ill- advised comedy relief from the cop's wife that erupts half-way through as if some studio higher-up suddenly intervened.Hard to believe cult director Ray had anything to do with this muddle. Clearly, he only went through the motions, probably as a result of an unwanted studio assignment (RKO). Too bad. But, I doubt anyone could have salvaged such confused material.

kidboots Vicki Baum was a popular German novelist. Because she was Jewish, she and her husband left Germany in the 1930s and she became a Hollywood screenwriter. One of her books "Mortgage on Life" became the basis for the film "A Woman's Secret". There are a lot of secrets in the film. What really happened when the gun was fired, what type of person was Susan Caldwell?The film starts with a fight between Susan (Gloria Grahame) and Marion Washburn (Maureen O'Hara). Susan is the singing sensation Estralita but she is fed up with the grind of public appearances and radio shows and wants to retire. She and Marion go upstairs, there is a shot and when police come, Marion calmly confesses that she fired the gun that could fatally have injured Susan.Luke Jordan (Melvyn Douglas) and Brooke Matthews (Victor Jory) get involved. Luke, a very good friend of Marions, persuades Brooke, a lawyer, to represent her. Both are convinced that Marion could never do such a thing. From the start there are conflicting personalities. Marion is presenting herself as "hard as nails" and all business, yet she inspires love from everyone - Susan is funny and quirky, yet she is less than loved. Luke takes Inspt. Fowler (Jay C. Flippen) to lunch and gives his version.Marion was a singer and he, her pianist. She is on her way to the top when she is stricken by a rare throat infection. After a year off she begins to sing again but her voice is gone. After leaving a rehearsal they run into Susan, a young singer down on her luck. Gloria Grahame really lifts the film up. She has just the right amount of quirkiness and knowing innocence as Susan, who just happens to have a great voice. She is happy for Marion to do all the work, promoting, booking, pushing her to practice etc. Marion then takes her to Paris to give her some much needed polish. Luke follows to keep an eye on them but Susan has already gone, pursuing a man to Algiers, with the promise of a place in an Opera company. Needless to say, there was no Opera company. On the ship back to New York, Susan, with a new name, Estralita, meets Brooke and sweeps him off his feet!!! By the end of the film she also has a hot headed young soldier (Bill Williams) madly in love with her and unwilling to believe she is anything but sweet and innocent.Melvyn Douglas is great and really gives the film a witty touch. Maureen O'Hara is very classy but she doesn't have her usual spark - in this film she seems quite subdued. Gloria Grahame is a bright light - if it wasn't for her the film would be pretty dull.Jay C. Flippen is also very good as the Inspector who feels something is amiss with Marion's confession. Mary Phillips, who was Humphrey Bogart's second wife, plays Mary Fowler.Recommended.

MartinHafer The film begins with a shooting. While Maureen O'Hara tells the police she shot her protégé, Gloria Graham, her boyfriend (Melvin Douglas) is sure she couldn't have done such a thing. Both tell their side of the story from their perspective and the police wait until Graham recovers from surgery to get at the truth.This is an okay idea for a film--not great, but it sure could have been a lot better. The main problem is that although this was meant to be a serious suspense/mystery film, there were some characters who were poorly written--mostly the women in the cast. The worst, of course, was the detective's nosy wife. I assume someone thought it would be cute to include her in the story, but frankly she seemed all wrong for the overall mood of the film. On one hand, it was supposed to be a mystery and was rather interesting but on the other, they stuck this obnoxious ditz into the film for comic relief! Comic relief in a film like this just made very little sense. Having this obnoxious lady blundering about was akin to putting Pee Wee Herman in an opera. The other problem is that it simply made little sense to have O'Hara taking responsibility for the shooting--especially once you learn the truth. It just made no sense at all. The final problem, though not as serious, was that the character Graham played was frankly too dumb and flighty. Had they made her more ruthless or just less stupid, the film would have clicked much better. It all seemed as if the writers just couldn't write women's parts well.Had they worked out these problems, the film might have been very watchable. However, because of these factors, it's only a minor time-passer and not a film to rush to see.