WITHOUT HONOR
US, 1949, 66 minutes, Black and white.
Laraine Day, Dane Clark, Franchot Tone, Bruce Bennett, Agnes Moorehead.
Directed by Irving Pichel.
This is an unusual melodrama. It focuses on Laraine Day as a housewife in suburbia, somewhat alienated from her cheerful husband, Bruce Bennett, having an affair with a married man, Franchot Tone, his wife played by Agnes Morehead.
When the lover tells her that he wants to discontinue the relationship, she becomes desperate, there is a struggle with a knife. She thinks she has killed him. In a dilemma, she wants to call the police, calls a cab – but is interrupted by the arrival of her husband’s brother, Dane Clark, involved in gambling, past attraction to the wife, but now extremely vindictive, forbidding her to go out, trapping her in the house, summoning the dead man’s wife to confront Laraine Day.
It is not quite as expected, especially in the Revelation about the husband, his injuries, consequences.
Commentators note that Laraine Day has to give a strong performance, not relying on dialogue, but body language and facial expression for her dilemmas and her fears.
1. A brief melodrama of the 1940s? Marriage, infidelity, murder situation, suicide attempt?
2. The period, the home in suburbia, the streets, garden, Orange Grove? The home and the interiors? The coming of television? American suburban life at the time? The musical score?
3. The opening, Denis parking, walking, the house, with Jane? The situation? Her love, prepared to leave her husband, her feeling of his abandonment? The discussion with Dennis? Her emotions, pleading? His acknowledging the situation, saying he would return to his wife? The clash, physical, the stiletto, wounded, collapse in the laundry, Jane and her bewilderment? Her ordering the taxi, intending to go to the police? Her hesitations, her decision?
4. Laraine Day, the performance, minimal speaking, her body language, expressions? Being caught in the situation, the various other participants, their always cutting her off? Her attempt to escape from Bill? The attempted phone call? The taxi gone? The window, Frank finding her, cheerfully bringing her home?
5. Bill, his arrival, Fred’s brother, employing the detective, knowing all about her, the revelation of the past and his relationship and her choice? His manner, the radio, the race and losing? Sending the taxi off? His brutal attitudes towards Jane? The appointment? Katherine arriving, her manner, her knowing what was happening?
6. Katherine, talking with Jane, explaining her husband’s behaviour, the other women, his coming back to her?
7. Fred, cheerful, arriving home, cheery to the neighbours, the television set and its installation? Bill taking him outside, the explanation? His being taken aback, coming into the
house, confronting Jane, hitting her, his being ashamed of doing such a thing?
8. Jane revealing what had happened, the blood in the kitchen, Denis gone, the searching for him, the girls who had called earlier for the clothes, their giving the information about
Denis and the hospital?
9. Katherine, wanting to go to the hospital? Jane, emotionally drained, the razor and the attempted suicide? Taken to the hospital? Katherine forgiving her, the going together?
10. Fred, the confrontation with Bill, revealing Bill’s motivations, jealousy and obsession, Fred packing her things, to go to hospital, Bill trying to put him off, Fred hitting him?
11. The final image, Bill on the road, the frustration of his plans?
