Strangers In The Night (1944)

A wounded soldier (William Terry) in the South Pacific during WWII corresponds with a young woman he's never met while recuperating. When he's well enough, he goes to visit her but while he is enthusiastically greeted by her mother (Helene Thimig), the girl is nowhere to be found. Directed by Anthony Mann (BEND OF THE RIVER). Though he wouldn't fully bloom artistically until the 1950s, this low budget B programmer is full of Gothic touches and noir-ish atmosphere (including a portrait which hovers over the proceedings as much as the portrait in LAURA) which demonstrate Mann's assured ability to elicit mood and solid performances. Quite an accomplishment considering the so called mystery is no mystery at all and it uses a ploy frequently used in other books and films (notably a famous Edward Albee play). Still, fans of the genre should enjoy it well enough. The second tier cast do fine work. With Virginia Grey and Edith Barrett.