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DramaThriller

The Reckless Moment

- It could happen to so many married women!

After discovering the dead body of her teenage daughter's lover, a housewife takes desperate measures to protect her family from scandal.

Release Date : 1949-12-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Walter Wanger Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

James Mason

Character Name : Martin Donnelly

Original Name : James Mason

Gender : Male

Joan Bennett

Character Name : Lucia Harper

Original Name : Joan Bennett

Gender : Female

Geraldine Brooks

Character Name : Bea Harper

Original Name : Geraldine Brooks

Gender : Female

Henry O'Neill

Character Name : Tom Harper

Original Name : Henry O'Neill

Gender : Male

Shepperd Strudwick

Character Name : Ted Darby

Original Name : Shepperd Strudwick

Gender : Male

David Bair

Character Name : David Harper

Original Name : David Bair

Gender : Male

Roy Roberts

Character Name : Nagel

Original Name : Roy Roberts

Gender : Male

Jessie Arnold

Character Name : Old Lady (uncredited)

Original Name : Jessie Arnold

Gender : Female

Al Bain

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Jack Baker

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Baker

Gender : Male

Pat Barton

Character Name : Receptionist (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat Barton

Gender : Female

Holger Bendixen

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Holger Bendixen

Gender : Male

Gail Bonney

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Gail Bonney

Gender : Female

Chet Brandenburg

Character Name : Department Store Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Peter Brocco

Character Name : Pete the Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Brocco

Gender : Male

Paul E. Burns

Character Name : Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul E. Burns

Gender : Male

John Butler

Character Name : Pawnbroker (uncredited)

Original Name : John Butler

Gender : Male

Kathryn Card

Character Name : Mrs. Loring (uncredited)

Original Name : Kathryn Card

Gender : Female

Claire Carleton

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Claire Carleton

Gender : Female

Boyd Davis

Character Name : Tall Man in Post Office (uncredited)

Original Name : Boyd Davis

Gender : Male

Karl 'Killer' Davis

Character Name : Wrestler (uncredited)

Original Name : Karl 'Killer' Davis

Gender : Male

George Dockstader

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : George Dockstader

Gender : Male

Charles Evans

Character Name : Bank Official (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Evans

Gender : Male

Charles Ferguson

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Ferguson

Gender : Male

Everett Glass

Character Name : Drug Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Everett Glass

Gender : Male

Robert Gordon

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Gordon

Gender : Male

Buddy Gorman

Character Name : Magazine Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Buddy Gorman

Gender : Male

Harry Harvey

Character Name : Post Office Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Harvey

Gender : Male

Virginia Hunter

Character Name : Girl (uncredited)

Original Name : Virginia Hunter

Gender : Female

Danny Jackson

Character Name : Drummer (uncredited)

Original Name : Danny Jackson

Gender : Male

Charles Jordan

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Jordan

Gender : Male

Kenneth Kendall

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Kendall

Gender : Male

Norman Leavitt

Character Name : Second Postal Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Leavitt

Gender : Male

David Levitt

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : David Levitt

Gender : Male

Mike Mahoney

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Mahoney

Gender : Male

Charles Marsh

Character Name : Bob (Newsper Vendor) (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Marsh

Gender : Male

Louis Mason

Character Name : Mike (uncredited)

Original Name : Louis Mason

Gender : Male

Richard Mickelson

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Richard Mickelson

Gender : Male

John Monaghan

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Monaghan

Gender : Male

Sue Moore

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Sue Moore

Gender : Female

Evelyn Moriarty

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Evelyn Moriarty

Gender : Female

Pat O'Malley

Character Name : Bank Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat O'Malley

Gender : Male

Joe Palma

Character Name : Card Player (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Palma

Gender : Male

Dorothy Phillips

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Dorothy Phillips

Gender : Female

Joe Ploski

Character Name : Clerk in Bus Depot (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Ploski

Gender : Male

Byron Poindexter

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Byron Poindexter

Gender : Male

Joe Recht

Character Name : Newsboy (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Recht

Gender : Male

Barry Regan

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Barry Regan

Gender : Male

John Roy

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : John Roy

Gender : Male

Cosmo Sardo

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Cosmo Sardo

Gender : Male

Celeste Savoi

Character Name : Waitress (uncredited)

Original Name : Celeste Savoi

Gender : Male

William Schallert

Character Name : Police Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : William Schallert

Gender : Male

Ann Shoemaker

Character Name : Mrs. Catherine Feller (uncredited)

Original Name : Ann Shoemaker

Gender : Female

Billy Snyder

Character Name : Gambler (uncredited)

Original Name : Billy Snyder

Gender : Male

Glenn Thompson

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Glenn Thompson

Gender : Male

Frances E. Williams

Character Name : Sybil (uncredited)

Original Name : Frances E. Williams

Gender : Female

Harry Wilson

Character Name : Man in Bus Depot (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Wilson

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-09

What is it about folks in movies who find dead bodies? Rather than just call the police and rely on them to adequately do their jobs, they always find themselves embroiled in silly, self-inflicted plots that almost always cause far more trouble... Here is another such example. Joan Bennett is "Lucia", a rather bored housewife whose husband is always away, and whose young daughter "Bea" (Geraldine Brooks) is having a fling with the rather roguish "Ted" (Shepperd Strudwick). Her mother tries to put a stop to the relationship, be he wants paying off - she tells him to get lost. Next day, he confronts poor old "Bea" with the truth, a tussle ensues and soon "Ted" is down with the fishes, the daughter having tried to cover her tracks. Police find the corpse, and enter James Mason ("Donnelly") and his even more unscrupulous partner "Nagel" (Roy Roberts) who have some incriminating letters and want $5,000 to keep them from the investigation. Mother, determined to save her irresponsible child, tries to accommodate the blackmailer and over time their dynamic changes somewhat... It's quite a quirky story with two good performances - Mason, quite understated and Bennett measured - even when under quite a bit of pressure, and the direction from Max Opuls keeps the pace well. Sadly, he struggles to see it off the rocks of melodrama as we near the end, but even that is a bit different.