Sunday Viewing: The Locket, 1946

RKO of the 1940’s was known for its melodramas and moody Film Noir pictures. The Locket is the height of that interesting era of film history. Originally, Hume Cronyn had purchased Norma Barzman’s dark screenplay as a vehicle for his wife, Jessica Tandy. Later, for whatever reason, he sold the rights to RKO who hired Sheridan Gibney to substantially rewrite the script.


The film concerns a newly engaged young woman (played by Laraine Day) who has something of a troubled past. As a young girl, she was falsely accused of theft. Well, she didn’t take that too well. And, as she grew up, she actually became a kleptomaniac—and worse. She enters in an out of relationships with men in an attempt to seek revenge against those who had accused her all those years before. In her web she ensnares a macho artist (Robert Mitchum), and she marries her psychiatrist (Brian Aherne) and, then, sets her sites on the son of the woman who accused her of theft. In short, she’s a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and it’s quite delightful to watch.

The film is considered one of the finest examples of Film Noir. With stunningly sharp lighting and the unusual use of flashbacks within flashbacks, theis picture sets itself apart from others of the era and genre. For an unusual look at 1940’s madness, The Locket, is the perfect film to cuddle up with on a Sunday afternoon.

To have a look at a clip from The Locket, visit Turner Classic Movies Web site. For some reason, they’re making it impossible to embed the video.