THE MAN WITH A CLOAK

US, 1951, 81 minutes, Black and white.
Joseph Cotten, Barbara Stanwyck, Louis Calhern, Leslie Caron, Joe Desantis, Jim Backus, Margaret Wycherly.
Directed by Fletcher Markle.

The Man with a Cloak is an atmospheric drama with a touch of the film noir. However, it is set in 1848 in New York City. A young woman, Leslie Caron in an early role, comes to visit a wealthy Frenchman in exile (a dominant Louis Calhern). She is engaged to his grandson who is fighting for the Republic in France. She is befriending by an alcoholic man in a bar (run by Jim Backus). He is played by Joseph Cotten – and eventually emerges as Edgar Allen Poe. Barbara Stanwyck is the household manager for Louis Calhern, in relationship with the butler, played by the heavy Joe Desantis, with Margaret Wycherly (White Heat) as the housekeeper. They have been with the ailing Frenchman for many years and are moving towards murdering him for his money.

There are several complications, good performances, a score by David Racksin.

1.An entertaining small film from MGM in the 1950s?

2.New York City, the black and white photography, atmosphere? The streets, the hotel, the mansion? The musical score?

3.The title, the voice-over, the comment on Dupin? His presence in the bar, drinking, in debt, interchanges with Flaherty? The encounter with Madeleine? Helping her? Going to the house, the encounter with Lorna, the attraction? The hostility towards Martin? His discussions with Theverner? The interactions, his return? His suspicions? His drinking with Theverner? The deal and the money with Lorna? His seeking out Madeleine, testing the glass for poison? The second testing and the discovery of the poison? His working out what happened? Martin pursuing him, his walking with the policeman? Warning Flaherty, the policeman coming to the rescue after the finding of the will and the fight? His IOU and his signature? An interesting Poe story?

4.Madeleine, the background in France, her love for Paul, the Republic? Her arriving at the house, Theverner’s tantrum, going to the hotel? The encounter with Dupin, his help? Lorna and her taking the message in to Theverner and wanting to oust Madeleine? Her rushing in? Persuading Theverner to stay, his warning her during the night? Her suspicions, the treatment by Martin and Lorna? Enlisting the help of Dupin? Going to the lawyer? Having to move out of the house, the visit to the boarding house? The build-up to the finale, the death of the lawyer, the death of Theverner? The discovery of the will? Her inheriting the money, the return to France?

5.Lorna, the faded actress? Her performance, the household, her beauty, wealth? Avarice for the money? The relationship with Martin? With Mrs Flynn? Her managing Theverner? The celebration and party, his ordering everyone to leave? The deal with Dupin and the attraction, Martin’s jealousy? The build-up to the deaths, the withdrawal of the medicine? The finale, the will, the fight? Accepting her destiny and her having to live in the house with Martin until she died?

6.Mrs Flynn, observing, her comments? Her support of Madeleine?

7.Martin, sinister, hard, the relationship with Lorna? Murderous? Following Dupin in the street, the police? The final fight?

8.Theverner, his past, reprobate, exile? Paul appealing to him? His dependence on Lorna and Martin, seeing through them? Attraction to Madeleine and inviting her to stay? The discussions with Dupin? The parties, his drinking, the doctor’s visits? The rewriting of the will, his stroke, the lawyer drinking the poison, his being unable to do anything? Signalling to Dupin with his eyes about the will? His raven and its being called Villon?

9.A satisfying drama? Brief, atmosphere? The drama of greed and its being thwarted?