MovieChat Forums > Hollow Triumph (1949) Discussion > Mystery woman

Mystery woman

posted 16 years ago by zwot
7 replies | jump to latest

This seems like some kind of inside joke that film audiences of 1948 were expected to understand but is completely lost on me. Near the beginning of the film, Marcy arrives with a car to pickup Johnny Muller upon his release from prison. Johnny asks Marcy about the woman in the back seat and Marcy turns to ask her for her name, but she just smiles and looks away. We don't see her again after that.

Was that a cameo appearance by a well-known actress of the day, with the joke being that neither man knew who she was? Or was it just sloppy editing, with the rest of her role being cut but that scene somehow staying in the film? There are several actresses in the full cast list described simply as "Woman" or "Blonde" so not much help there.

[–] s-hill4 16 years ago

In such cases I glance at "TCM-DB," b/c it lists the secondary actors more or less in the order in which they appear. [As opposed to "IMDB," which lists 2d-ary actors in alpha order.] And on TCM-DB I see that Ann Staunton as "Blonde" is credited early among the 2dary cast, which makes me think that THIS is the mystery blonde in the car picking up Henreid's character after release from prison. As I was watching this film recently, I suspected (no proof) that this blonde was to be understood as a hired prostitute. (In '48 that word was never uttered on screen, so audiences needed to read between the lines...) Attached below is the sequence of actors listed on TCM-DB. -- Prof Steven P Hill, Cinema Studies, University of Illinois.
______________________________________________________________

Paul Henreid (John Muller/Dr. [Victor] Bartok )
Joan Bennett (Evelyn Hahn )
Eduard Franz (Frederick Muller )
Leslie Brooks (Virginia Taylor )
John Qualen (Swangron )
Mabel Paige (Charwoman )
Herbert Rudley (Marcy )
Charles Arnt (Coblenz )
George Chandler (Aubrey, assistant )
Sid Tomack (Artell, manager )

[ I think the 2dary actors begin at this point:]
Alvin Hammer (Jerry )
Ann Staunton (Blonde )
Paul Burns (Clerk )
Charles Trowbridge (Deputy )
__________________________________________________________________

[–] zwot 16 years ago

Wow, I wasn't expecting such a quick response on this 1948 film's lonely, little message board.

Thanks, Professor! That's good information. In looking at the ordering of the rest of the secondary cast on TCM I think you may well be correct about Ann Staunton. I especially like your theory about the character's vocation. It would explain the sly, knowing quality of her smile as she coyly avoids the question. That bit of historical insight would seem to resolve the mystery nicely.

I didn't know of the TCM db, so I thank you for that as well. I love classic films (and even some not-so-classic, musty, old movies) and so I'm sure to get much good use from your tip!

[–] jackboot 15 years ago

Great explanation! You know, I just saw this for the first time and that scene with the woman in the back of the car registered, and I half-way thought that she'd be back, but clearly, she was part of the coming out party for Johnny Mullen!

And was she also the same woman who played the D.A.'s wife in Miracle on 34th St.? She went from wife of Mr. Law to a Lady of the Evening!

[–] filmbuff1974 15 years ago

"As I was watching this film recently, I suspected (no proof) that this blonde was to be understood as a hired prostitute. (In '48 that word was never uttered on screen, so audiences needed to read between the lines...)"--s-hill44

That is really subtle. It's always a fascination to me how much actually went on during that era that is not different from ours except that the mainstream media of that era just didn't thrust it in every one's face. A scene like that would probably show John Muller and the Mystery Woman with clothes half off and humping in the back seat. Perhaps we need to go back to that era of subtlety.

Live Long and Prosper!

[–] HoferPM-1 13 years ago

LOL.....I could never picture Paul Henreid humping anyone in the back seat of any car. He was always so suave and sophisticated....again LOL !

[–] dalmain 12 years ago

I had that impression too. I thought she was just some dame or floozy that he probably messed around with. No one important. A prostitute probably or one of those dumb women that mess around with bad guys.

[–] kokopop-3 12 years ago

I think its pretty obvious that Marcy hired the unnamed woman
as a present for Johnny.

While I was reading this thread, I was reminded of what happened
when Mr. Henreid was on a publicity tour for "Joan of Paris" his first
film made in the US. His wife stayed in California and he and a
publicist from RKO traveled to Chicago. As soon as they were checked
into the hotel, the publicist showed him a book (literally a small
black book) full of woman's names and asked him if he wanted a blonde
, brunette or redhead. Henreid declined the offer and sarcastically
said "I've found its better to sleep with society women because you
don't have to pay them and they give you presents."The studio guy
didn't realise he was joking and said "oh you don't have to
pay, the studio pays".Later, the head of the studio insisted
that Henreid pick out an expensive present for his wife and
the studio paid for it.Itis a very funny story and I'm glad
he mentioned it in his autobiography because it shows the
high level of sexual hyprocrasy at that time. All the studios
put a clause in every contract saying the actor coul be fired
if they committed adultry yet it was standard to provide call
girls on the publicity tours.