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Strange Illusion
Strange Illusion
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Edgar G. Ulmer
Screenplay by	Adele Comandini
Story by	Based on an original; story by Fritz Rotter
Produced by	Leon Fromkess
Starring	James Lydon; Sally Eilers; Warren William; Regis Toomey; Charles Arnt; George H. Reed; Jayne Hazard; Jimmy Clark; Mary McLeod; Pierre Watkin; John Hamilton; Sonia Sorel; Vic Potel
Cinematography	Philip Tannura, A.S.C.; Eugen Schüfftan (uncredited)
Edited by	Carl Pierson; (supervising film editor)
Music by	Musical score composed; and conducted by Erdody
Production; company	P R C Pictures, Inc.
Distributed by	P R C Incorporated
Release date	March 31, 1945 (United States);
Running time	87 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Strange Illusion is a 1945 film noir. Loosely inspired by Hamlet, it was envisioned as a modern crime film. It was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and starred Jimmy Lydon, Warren William and Sally Eilers. According to noir historian Spencer Selby the film is "a stylish cheapie by the recognized master of stylish cheapies."^[1]

Plot

A college student has a recurrent dream that leads him to suspect there is something sinister about his widowed mother's suitor.

Cast

James Lydon as Paul Cartwright
Warren William as Brett Curtis
Sally Eilers as Virginia Cartwright
Regis Toomey as Dr. Vincent
Charles Arnt as Professor Muhlbach
George H. Reed as Benjamin
Jayne Hazard as Dorothy Cartwright
Jimmy Clark as George
Mary McLeod as Lydia
Pierre Watkin as Armstrong
Sonia Sorel as Miss Farber
Vic Potel as Mac-Game Warden
George Sherwood as Langdon
Gene Stutenroth as Sparky
John Hamilton as Mr. Allen

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Dennis Schwartz liked the film's atmospherics but gave a mixed review to the production as a whole, writing, "The dark psychological thriller had an engrossing premise courtesy of Mr. Shakespeare and was influenced further by Freudian dream analysis, but it was unconvincing as a melodrama, the script was weak, the plot was full of holes and the acting was as lame as it gets...What's interesting is that the film is shot as an intense dream sequence in shadowy black-and-white hues and its sense of delirium powerfully filters through the story almost wiping away the unconvincing heavy-handed performances of the villains and the mummified acting by the leads. It's a film where Ulmer's unique style and his film noir moody interjections work better than the derivative mystery story."^[2]

Critic Matthew Sorrento of Film Threat also lauded the film: "Though saddled with the script’s fetish for Freud, Ulmer stylizes his thriller without sending it adrift. Like his other great films, Strange Illusion is a shaggy quickie that takes fine shape throughout."^[3]

References

^ Selby, Spencer. Dark City: The Film Noir, film listed as film noir #391 on page 182, 1984. Jefferson, N.C. & London: McFarland Publishing. ISBN 0-89950-103-6.
^ Schwartz, Dennis. "Ozus' World Movie Reviews," film review, September 20, 2004. Accessed: August 1, 2013.
^ Sorrento, Matthew. Film Threat, film review, February 18, 2011. Accessed: August 1, 2013.