The Suspect

Directed by Robert Siodmak, The Suspect follows Charles Laughton’s Philip Marshall as he finds himself in a whole mess of trouble after embarking on a tentative relationship with a younger woman (Ella Raines’ Mary). Filmmaker Siodmak, armed with Bertram Millhauser and Arthur T. Horman’s screenplay, delivers a familiar yet satisfying thriller that benefits from the superb efforts of its various actors, with Laughton’s compelling and thoroughly sympathetic turn as the henpecked central character elevating the proceedings on an impressively consistent basis. (Raines and Rosalind Ivan, cast as Philip’s domineering wife, offer up top-notch periphery work, as well.) The movie’s watchable atmosphere is perpetuated by an ongoing emphasis on scenes and sequences of an irresistibly engrossing nature (eg a dogged inspector walks Philip through what he thinks really happened), and although there are a handful of lulls here and there throughout the 85 minute running time, The Suspect builds towards a tremendously engaging third act that’s capped off with an almost impressively downbeat finale – which does, in the final analysis, cement the picture’s place as a stirring endeavor that boasts one of Laughton’s very best performances.

*** out of ****