Joan Fontaine smiles, two men die, and you'll root for the killer anyway.
When Ivy, an Edwardian belle, begins to like Miles, a wealthy gentleman, she is unsure of what to do with her husband, Jervis, or her lover, Dr. Roger. She then hatches a plan to get rid of them both.
Acting
Fontaine's poison-dipped politeness.
Costume
Murder never looked this well-dressed.
Cinematography
Shadows that judge her, beautifully.
Director
Sam Wood
Joan Fontaine
Ivy
Patric Knowles
Dr. Roger Gretorex
Herbert Marshall
Miles Rushworth
Richard Ney
Jervis Lexton
Cedric Hardwicke
Inspector Orpington
Lucile Watson
Mrs. Gretorex
Sara Allgood
Martha Huntley
Henry Stephenson
Judge
Rosalind Ivan
Emily
Lilian Fontaine
Lady Flora
Molly Lamont
Bella Crail
Una O'Connor
Mrs. Thrawn
Isobel Elsom
Miss Chattle
Alan Napier
Sir Jonathan Wright
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Joan Fontaine fought for this role after Rebecca and Suspicion—she was tired of playing victims and begged to be the villain.
Released in 1947, the film quietly mirrors the Ruth Snyder case—1920s executed murderess whose electric chair photo made front pages, here aestheticized through Edwardian costume.
US
