MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS

US, 1945, 68 minutes, black and white.
Nina Foch, George Macready, Dame May Whitty.
Directed by Joseph Lewis.

My Name is Julia Ross is a very small film of 1945 yet it had quite an impact. It was directed by Joseph Lewis who was to go on to a significant career with smaller films like Gun Crazy or The Big Combo. It was also a significant film for Nina Foch who went on to be a considerable actress, generally in smaller roles, but getting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Executive Suite. George Macready continued to be a villain in a range of films including Gilda and Paths of Glory.

The setting is very much similar to Hitchcock’s version of Rebecca, the London situations as well as the coast of Cornwall. In fact, there are great similarities of plot to Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca.

While this is a brief, small-budget film, it has a great deal of atmosphere and is still interesting and entertaining.

1. The reputation of this film? Cult film? The work of the director? The cast? A film noir of the 1940s?

2. The work of Joseph Lewis, his reputation, small-budget, hard-boiled films? The cast? George Macready as perennial villain? Dame May Whitty cast against kind old lady type?

3. The UK setting, London, the British coast, the authentic feel? Echoes of Rebecca? Yet Hollywood made? The studio sets? The musical score?

4. The character of Julia, in herself, her age, experience, fiance, financial situation, needing work, taking the job?

5. The landlady, her attitude, interaction with the fiance, the information about the office? The later dealing with the family’s henchman?

6. The advertisement, Julia seeing it, going to the appointment, the nature of the interview, credibility, the interviewer, the mother and son? The decision, the arrangements?

7. The fiance, his concern, his character, the message, the landlady, the office, his search, driving to Cornwall?

8. Julia and the travel to Cornwall, with the mother and son, the remoteness of the house, the staff, her room?

9. The mother, her competence, her control of her son, the son and his eerie manner? The servants, the household?

10. Imprisonment, the change of name, Julia’s bewilderment, the growing fear, the reactions?

11. The doctor, his being no help?

12. Julie getting out, the note, the car, going to the town, accepted, the trick about the message, but the fiance receiving it, the visit to the town and the arrest?

13. Julia, strength of character, energies, her reasons, her dealing with the mother, the wheedling of the son?

14. Julia getting out the window, on the rocks, the mother’s reaction? The reaction of the son? The irony that this was all staged?

15. The explanation of what had happened, the son and the murder of his wife, the cover-ups, getting substitute wives and controlling them, wanting to kill them and so the son being free?

16. The arrests, the shock for the mother, the behaviour of the son, Julia and her life being restored?