Portrait In Black (1960)

Set in San Francisco, the beautiful but unhappy wife (Lana Turner) of a shipping magnate (Lloyd Nolan) falls in love with her husband's doctor (Anthony Quinn). Together, they plot and carry out her husband's murder but soon after mysterious letters arrive accusing them. Directed by Michael Gordon (PILLOW TALK), plot wise it has all the seeds of a typical film noir, what with the adulterous wife and her lover bumping off her "in the way" spouse. But as produced by that wizard of plush known as Ross Hunter, instead of B&W, it's in bright Technicolor and Lana Turner suffers in diamonds, mink and a glamorous Jean Louis wardrobe. It's a pleasing mixture of film noir and melodrama with a generous dose of soap (the overripe dialogue courtesy of Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts adapting their play for the screen). There's a marvelous underscore by Frank Skinner, one of his very best with shimmering cinematography by Sirk's sorcerer of the camera, Russell Metty. With Sandra Dee, Richard Basehart, John Saxon, Ray Walston, Virginia Grey and in her final film role, Anna May Wong.