The Unfaithful (1947)

Arriving home late one night after coming home from a party, a young wife (Ann Sheridan) is attacked by an intruder and she stabs him in self defense. But as her attorney (Lew Ayres) delves further into the case, it becomes clear that she isn't quite truthful about the circumstances surrounding the incident. A loose uncredited remake of W. Somerset Maugham's THE LETTER which had been filmed only seven years earlier under its original title by William Wyler. It's no where near as artful or well layered, of course. It's a well done little noir-ish domestic thriller that doesn't quite make it to the finish line. The film's conclusion is an anti-divorce and "stay together no matter what" lecture that could have come straight from The Vatican. Directed by Vincent Sherman, the film benefits from some sharp location shooting in 1940s L.A. courtesy of Ernest Haller (MILDRED PIERCE) and an unusually strong score by Max Steiner. The screenplay was co-written by David Goodis (whose novel DOWN THERE was made by Truffaut as SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER). With Zachary Scott as the husband, Eve Arden whose wisecracking bitch is allowed more depth than usual, Jerome Cowan, Peggy Knudsen, John Hoyt and Steven Geray.