Moviecut—Dishonored Lady

source: Dishonored Lady

Dishonored Lady

I too, have been a fan of Hedy's for a long time. All of her movies are very watchable because of her beauty and a few are better than others because of the production quality, story, etc. But, Dishonored Lady was made by a director that knew absolutely what he had. Every scene has the very best angle with lighting and expression. A lot of her movies have her looking great most of the time (how could she not look great)but, this one maximizes her beauty in every single scene. The copies I have seen are a little rough, and that is a shame. This is the movie that makes you wonder why she wasn't in higher demand. The story is great drama, with a respectable supporting cast, and allows her to be the working girl, the bad girl, the sad girl, the girl next door, and the accused murderess. Can it get any better than this, with every scene suitable as a still? There is not an actress today that comes close to having the screen presence that Hedy had in her hey-day.

I was delightfully surprised in every way by the quality of this film in respect of the sharpness of the picture and the clarity of the sound, AND by its sheer entertainment value. Set in New York in the immediate post-war years, "Dishonored Lady" grabs our attention straight from the outset, as Hedy Lamarr walks to work at her office, and from there it is non-stop interest as the story unfolds, in the office itself, in cocktail bars, the opulent mansion of predatory male, John Loder (twice, as well as twice in his chauffeur-driven limousine), in Hedy's flat where she has started a new life, in the courtroom and at the airport. Hedy, as Madeleine Damien, has a lot of acting to do, and she does it quite superbly. She is well supported by the rest of the cast, in what is a film that deserves recognition as 90 minutes of gripping cinema, with the bonus of seeing Lamarr throughout, whose role as a woman that men can't resist is entirely credible.

I've just seen Dishonored Lady for the first time and quite enjoyed it. A fashion editor of a magazine has a breakdown after she crashes her car. She is taken in by a psychiatrist and when she has recovered, heads to New York where stays in an apartment block and has a new identity too. She falls in love with a scientist and also a millionaire. This millionaire is then murdered and she gets the blame for it, even though she didn't do it. Can she clear her name in court? The cast includes Hedy Lamarr, Dennis O'Keefe and John Lodar. With the Wicked Witch of the West herself, Margaret Hamilton as a landlady. Dishonored Lady is worth checking out. Enjoyable. Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

This movie was generally well made. The critics have not been kind to this movie over the years. I think it had a 'dream and erotic' quality. I think it did a good job of implying sexual behavior, so as not to incense censors of that time. Hedy was beautiful, and I thought her rather ambiguous performance, gave the film a nice sense of mystery. Again, the supporting cast was generally second rate. I think budget concerns were responsible for some rather lack-luster actors. I do believe Hedy Lamarr needed strong supporting performances, to help carry her movies, and inspire her performances.