Secret Beyond the Door... (1948)

62% of users liked it
(562 ratings)

Even star Joan Bennett and director Fritz Lang regarded The Secret Beyond the Door as the weakest of their collaborative efforts. Bennett plays spoiled socialite Celia, who falls recklessly in love with the handsome but emotionally complex Mark Lamphere (Michael Redgrave, in his first American… More Even star Joan Bennett and director Fritz Lang regarded The Secret Beyond the Door as the weakest of their collaborative efforts. Bennett plays spoiled socialite Celia, who falls recklessly in love with the handsome but emotionally complex Mark Lamphere (Michael Redgrave, in his first American film). After their wedding, Celia becomes uncomfortably aware that Mark's mild distrust of women is actually a deep-set, and potentially dangerous, hatred. Even when facing the possibility that she'll be murdered in her sleep, Celia remains loyal to her unbalanced husband. The slowly mounting tension is enhanced by the mood-drenched cinematography of Stanley Cortez and the feverish musical score by Miklos Rozsa. But when it's all over, The Secret Beyond the Door fails to linger in the memory in the manner of such earlier Lang-Bennett efforts as The Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Written By: Rufus King, Silvia Richards
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1949 Limited
On DVD: Apr 22, 2006
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Poetry of architecture, rejection of Freud
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Strange, weirdly inventive thriller
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Even Lang himself thought this was a poor film.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Robert C

Considering the year it was made, it is quite a perverse film. Some great visuals and a very interesting (if not overly complex) premise. Part of both it's charm and short coming is the horribly dated dialog, but the potential is there for a great film.
Michael G

From a story standpoint, Secret Beyond the Door is nothing special. Actually, its pretty damn dull. It's the story of an impetuous marriage where the woman (the beautiful Joan Bennett in this case) gets more than she bargained for. By today's standards it comes off as silly… More
From a story standpoint, Secret Beyond the Door is nothing special. Actually, its pretty damn dull. It's the story of an impetuous marriage where the woman (the beautiful Joan Bennett in this case) gets more than she bargained for. By today's standards it comes off as silly and even predictable. And on top of it all, there are so many elements that could've added to the story so well but instead leaving you needing more. But since Fritz Lang directed Secret Beyond the Door and his visual style makes up for the story's numerous shortcomings, I forgave a lot. So much in the last act was a work of art that by the time you get to the end of this movie with its convenient ending you're just left with torn feelings because you saw something magnificent but had to endure this mundane story to see it. I don't know. See it yourself, make your own call...

Cast

            Joan Bennett as Celia Lamphere

            Michael Redgrave as Mark Lamphere

            Anne Revere as Caroline Lamphere

            Barbara O'Neil as Miss Robey

            Natalie Schafer as Edith Potter

            Anabel Shaw as Intellectual Sub-Deb

            Rosa Rey as Paquita

            James Seay as Bob Dwight

            Mark Dennis as David

            Virginia Brissac as Sarah

            Paul Cavanagh as Rick Barrett

            Tom Chatterton as Judge

            David Cota as Knife Fighter

            Frank Dae as Country Squire

            Danny Duncan as Ferret-Faced Man

            Virginia Farmer as Lavender Falls Couple

            Paul Fierro as Fighter

            Jesse Graves as Porter

            Donald Kerr as Ticket Man

            Nolan Leary as Station Agent

            Donna Martell as Young Mexican Girl

            Kay Morley as Sub-Debs

            Pedro Regas as Waiter

            Julian Rivero as Proprietor

            Paul Scardon as Owl Eyes

            Houseley Stevenson Sr. as Andy

            Lucio Villegas as Priest

            Eddy Waller as Lem

            Crane Whitley
            
            Marie Harmon
            
            Ralph Littlefield as Gothic Man

            Harry Denny as College President

            Watson Downs as Conductor

            Robert Espinosa
            
            Peggy Remington as Dean of Women

            Wayne Treadway as Beefy Man
See full cast