Strange Illusion

Strange Illusion

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
Produced by Leon Fromkess
Screenplay by Adele Comandini
Story by Fritz Rotter
Starring Jimmy Lydon
Warren William
Sally Eilers
Music by Leo Erdody
Cinematography Philip Tannura
Benjamin H. Kline
Eugen Schüfftan
Edited by Carl Pierson
Production
company
PRC Pictures
Distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation
Release dates
  • March 31, 1945 (1945-03-31) (United States)
Running time
 87 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Strange Illusion is a 1945 film noir crime film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Jimmy Lydon, Warren William and Sally Eilers. According to noir historian Spencer Selby the film is, "A stylish cheapie by the recognized master of stylish cheapies."[1]

Plot summary

An adolescent believes that his widowed mother's suitor may have murdered his father.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review, yet liked the atmospherics of the film, and wrote, "The dark psychological thriller had an engrossing premise courtesy of Mr. Shakespeare and was influenced further by Freudian dream analysis, but it was unconvincing as a melodrama, the script was weak, the plot was full of holes and the acting was as lame as it gets...What's interesting is that the film is shot as an intense dream sequence in shadowy black-and-white hues and its sense of delirium powerfully filters through the story almost wiping away the unconvincing heavy-handed performances of the villains and the mummified acting by the leads. It's a film where Ulmer's unique style and his film noir moody interjections work better than the deviative mystery story."[2]

Critic Matthew Sorrento of Film Threat also lauded the film: "Though saddled with the script’s fetish for Freud, Ulmer stylizes his thriller without sending it adrift. Like his other great films, Strange Illusion is a shaggy quickie that takes fine shape throughout."[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Selby, Spencer. Dark City: The Film Noir, film listed as film noir #391 on page 182, 1984. Jefferson, N.C. & London: McFarland Publishing. ISBN 0-89950-103-6.
  2. ↑ Schwartz, Dennis. "Ozus' World Movie Reviews," film review, September 20, 2004. Accessed: August 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ Sorrento, Matthew. Film Threat, film review, February 18, 2011. Accessed: August 1, 2013.
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