The 13th Letter
| The 13th Letter | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Otto Preminger |
| Produced by | Otto Preminger |
| Screenplay by | Howard Koch |
| Based on |
the story "Le Corbeau" by Louis Chavance |
| Starring |
Linda Darnell Charles Boyer Michael Rennie Constance Smith Françoise Rosay |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Cinematography | Joseph LaShelle |
| Edited by | Louis R. Loeffler |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The 13th Letter is a 1951 American drama film directed by Otto Preminger.[1][2] The film is a remake of the French film Le Corbeau (The Raven, 1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Plot
The film concerns Doctor Pearson (Michael Rennie) at a Canadian hospital in the province of Quebec, who receives a series of poison pen letters. Later, more letters all signed with the mysterious picture of a feather are delivered to others in the small Canadian town. The wife of the main doctor - Dr. Laurent (Charles Boyer) - at the Hospital, where Dr. Pearson works too, Cora Laurent (Constance Smith) receives a letter accusing her of having an affair with Dr.Pearson. One letter informs a shell-shocked veteran Mr. Gauthier that he is dying of cancer, causing the distraught man to commit suicide. Quickly, the townsfolk begin pointing fingers at all possible suspects.
Cast
- Linda Darnell as Denise Tourneur
- Charles Boyer as Dr. Laurent
- Michael Rennie as Dr. Pearson
- Constance Smith as Cora Laurent
- Françoise Rosay as Mrs. Gauthier
- Judith Evelyn as Sister Marie Corbin
- Guy Sorel as Robert Helier
- June Hedin as Rochelle Turner
Reception
Channel 4's review of this film praised the cinematography and music score: "The movie is redolent with atmosphere: Joseph LaShelle's photography accentuates the black and shadows, and there's dark shading too in Alex North's music. The film is dominated by death and melancholy, and by Françoise Rosay as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."[3]
References
- ↑ "The 13th Letter". FilmAffinity. filmaffinity.com. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ↑ "The 13th Letter". AFI. afi.com. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ↑ Channel 4, film review.
External links
- The 13th Letter at the Internet Movie Database
- The 13th Letter at AllMovie
- The 13th Letter at the TCM Movie Database