DramaThriller

The Velvet Touch

- Rosalind has her eye on three men... three men have their eye on Rosalind... one of them is up to no good!

After accidentally killing her lecherous producer, a famous actress tries to hide her guilt.

Release Date : 1948-07-13

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Independent ArtistsRKO Radio Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Valerie Stanton

Original Name : Rosalind Russell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Michael Morrell

Original Name : Leo Genn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marian Webster

Original Name : Claire Trevor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Capt. Danbury

Original Name : Sydney Greenstreet

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gordon Dunning

Original Name : Leon Ames

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ernie Boyle

Original Name : Frank McHugh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Peter Gunther

Original Name : Walter Kingsford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jeff Trent

Original Name : Dan Tobin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paul Banton

Original Name : Lex Barker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Susan Crane

Original Name : Nydia Westman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Nancy

Original Name : Theresa Harris

Gender : Female

Character Name : Actor 'Judge Brack'

Original Name : Russell Hicks

Gender : Male

Character Name : Herbie

Original Name : Irving Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pansy Dupont

Original Name : Esther Howard

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Couch

Original Name : Harry Hayden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Howard Forman (as William L. Erwin)

Original Name : Bill Erwin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helen Adams

Original Name : Martha Hyer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Jimmy Ross (as Steven Flagg)

Original Name : Michael St. Angel

Gender : Male

Character Name : Terry

Original Name : Louis Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sgt. Oliphant

Original Name : James Flavin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Soper

Original Name : Charles McAvoy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eddie Brown

Original Name : Dan Foster

Gender : Male

Character Name : George Tesman

Original Name : James Todd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Elvsted

Original Name : Joyce Arling

Gender : Female

Character Name : Juliana Tesman (as Ida Schumaker)

Original Name : Ida Shoemaker

Gender : Female

Character Name : Ejlert Lovborg

Original Name : Phillip Barnes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bertha

Original Name : Bess Wade

Gender : Male

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mr. Putnam

Original Name : Robert Riordan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Theatre Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Hazel Dohlman

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Where did you get your luck, Valerie? Or does God pity the wicked? The Velvet Touch is directed by Jack Gage and collectively written by Leo Rosten, Walter Reilly, William Mercer and Annabel Ross. It stars Rosalind Russell, Leo Genn, Claire Trevor, Sydney Greenstreet and Leon Ames. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Joseph Walker. Ah, now then, is this a murder mystery in reverse? At the beginning we are shown the crime of murder, so we know the main character is guilty. The rest of the picture thrives on if Valerie Stanton (Russell) will either get caught by the law, own up, or become a victim of crime herself? The screenplay contains a flashback and that grand old devil of someone else being pegged for the murder. There's witticisms abound, with some wonderfully choice lines delivered with relish, while the cast turn in decent shows - Greenstreet doesn't show up till the 45 minute mark, but promptly waddles in and steals the film! Set to the background of the theatre it's unsurprising to find this is something of a theatrical drama rather than a film noir of the era. It has found its way into a couple of film noir reference books, without really being film noir as such. Certainly the photography is appealing to noir fans, and there's a dark passage of play that definitely comes out of noirville, but really it's a marginal entry. But hey! It's still a very good film that's recommended. 7/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-09

This is a very glamorous, but rather cyclical, drama about a theatrical impresario "Dunning" (Leon Ames) who discovers "Valerie Stanton" (Rosalind Russell) and turns her into a star of latter day stage equivalents of soap operas. Of course, there is their simultaneous romance that has long since lost it's sparkle and is now just the source of constant rancour between the two who now only need the other for financial reasons. Enter Walter Kingsford who offers her a much meatier part and Leo Genn as a British architect with whom she has actually fallen in love and the story builds to a rather predictable, messy, development. Up to this point, the on-off, up-down relationship/rivalry melodrama rather drags it all down a bit - despite Russell looking like the proverbial million dollars; and it is really only now with the arrival of Sydney Greenstreet as the deceptively charming investigating detective "Capt. Danbury" that the story becomes a little more interesting - he is a theatre buff, but can he see through the façade?