Notorious - 1946
Notorious - Released Sept 6, 1946. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock's film has two lead stars, but it's really a heroine adventure story, featuring Ingrid Bergman as Alicia Huberman, and secondarily Cary Grant as intelligence officer Devlin, the man who recruits her to infiltrate a Nazi den in Brazil.
The film tells us she's bad ("tramp" is used a couple of times) but she hardly seems evil or unlikeable, just moderately alcoholic and deeply depressed (and cynical) because her father turned out to be a Nazi agent working against the allies, something that would probably knock just about any American for a loop in 1946.
Then she meets Cary Grant and things are looking up, except in Ben Hecht's script, she has to prove that she's worthy of his attention, which then means she has to marry Nazi-sympathizer Claude Rains (as Alexander Sebastian) and live with him and his diabolical mother (Madame Leopoldine Konstantin) in their enormous mansion in Rio De Janeiro.
Being rich and adored might not seem like much of a penance, but considering she wants to be with Cary Grant, being assigned to Claude Rains is a quite an ordeal. In between the day-to-day tasks of a married woman, she has to meet with Grant in secret to receive orders to look for the hard evidence the US Government needs about the Nazi groups activities. Much of this coaching from agent Devlin (and his name is no accident) is delivered in tones dripping with sarcasm, condescension and disgust since Grant's character cannot face up to the fact that he's fallen in love with this amoral super-spy he has imagined (she's not a super-spy, only an amateur following orders, but in the end she's more effective than the whole staff of spy professionals working with Cary).
Eventually everybody has to face the music: Mr. Sebastian has to tell his mother that the new Mrs. Sebastian isn't exactly who he thought she was (something mother Sebastian suspected all along and is ready to solve with poison); Agent Devlin makes a weak attempt to get assigned to another location but instead winds up at the doorstep of the enormous mansion with a case of worry and an advanced case of love-sickness; and Hitchcock has to create his usual level of tension in the middle of a spy-love melodrama, which he is able to do with his usual efficiency.
Original Page July 24, 2016
Starring Miss Barbara Stanwyck [Illustrated with 310 Photographs] - amazon.com
Sophia Loren: A Life in Pictures - 192 Pages - Amazon.com
You will see Amazon links on this web site because I am an Amazon affiliate. I earn from qualifying purchases.

Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon - 512 Pages
"A dazzling portrait of an incredible woman. Elizabeth's life was more captivating than any film could ever be."— Demi Moore
"Brower’s book takes the reader into the private world of the most famous celebrity of the 20th century. Elizabeth’s heart, mind, and passion come vividly alive on each page. We see her as a woman who struggled and ultimately survived to rewrite the playbook on celebrity and power. I never wanted it to end!" — Brooke Shields
"Brower is quickly becoming a brand-name Washington writer because of her ability to deliver juicy tidbits and insider information while steering her books toward a mainstream audience without sacrificing historical credibility." — Christian Science Monitor on TEAM OF FIVE
Amazon Link to order Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon Hardcover
Audio Book version - Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon
[This is an affiliate Amazon link which may provide a commission earned for this site. If that happens, we'll probably buy an old movie on Blu Ray with the proceeds.]
What's Recent
- Strangers on a Train - 1951
- Santo vs The Vampire Women 1962
- Salome, Where She Danced – 1945
- Picnic – 1955
- I Was A Male War Bride – 1949
- Here Come the Girls – 1953
- The Brass Bottle – 1964
- The Girl Can't Help It – 1957
- Uncharted – 2022
- Cyclotrode X – 1966
- L'emmerdeur (aka A Pain in the Ass) – 1973
- Robot Monster – 1953
Enter Santo - The Blue Ray Box Set
Here Come The Girls 1953 - Updated