The Reckless Moment

Infobox Film | name =The Reckless Moment


caption =
director = Max Ophüls
producer = Walter Wanger
writer =
starring =James Mason
Joan Bennett
Geraldine Brooks
Shepperd Strudwick
cinematography = Burnett Guffey
music = Hans J. Salter
editing = Gene Havlick
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = October 17, 1949 U.S. release
runtime = 82 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0041786

"The Reckless Moment" (1949) is a melodrama film directed by Max Ophüls, produced by Walter Wanger, and released by Columbia Pictures. Burnett Guffey served as the films cinematographer. The film is based upon "The Blank Wall", a 1947 short story written by Elisabeth Sanxay Holding. The film "The Deep End" (2001) is based upon the same story.

Plot

California housewife Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett) attempts to cover up her daughter's (Geraldine Brooks) accidental murder of an undesirable ex-lover (Shepperd Strudwick). Martin Donnelly (James Mason), a clean-shaven smooth-talker involved in organized crime, discovers the truth and tries to blackmail the family. Complications arise when he realizes his true feelings for Lucia. This was Mason's third U.S. film, after having appeared for director Ophüls in "Caught", then "Madame Bovary".

Critical reaction

Bosley Crowther's "New York Times" 1949 review praised the actors but noted, "But it isn't all right with this picture. Although it is rather well staged, with credible location settings in Balboa and Los Angeles, it is a feeble and listless drama with a shamelessly callous attitude. The heroine gets away with folly, but we don't think this picture will." [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=2&title1=Reckless%20Moment%2c%20The&title2=&reviewer=BOSLEY%20CROWTHER&pdate=19491230&v_id=40622&oref=slogin&oref=login Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times ] ]

Cast

*James Mason as Martin Donnelly
*Joan Bennett as Lucia Harper
*Geraldine Brooks as Bea Harper
*Henry O'Neill as Tom Harper
*Shepperd Strudwick as Ted Darby
*David Bair as David Harper
*Roy Roberts as Nagel

Notes

External links

* [http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews25/the_reckless_moment.htm DVD Beaver review]