The 13th Letter
Encyclopedia
The 13th Letter is a 1951 film directed by Otto Preminger
. The film is a remake of Le Corbeau
(1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
.
concerns a doctor at a Canadian hospital in the province of Quebec
, Canada
who receives a series of poison pen letters. Later, more letters all signed with the mysterious pseudonym "Raven," are delivered to others in the small Canadian town. The wife of the doctor receives a letter accusing her of having an affair. One letter informs a shell-shocked veteran that he is dying of cancer, causing the distraught man to commit suicide
. Quickly, the townsfolk begin pointing fingers at all possible suspects.
and music score: "The movie is redolent with atmosphere: (Joseph) LaShelle
's photography accentuates the black and shadows, and there's dark shading too in (Alex) North's
music. The film is dominated by death and melancholy, and by Françoise Rosay
as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
. The film is a remake of Le Corbeau
Le Corbeau
Le Corbeau is a 1943 French film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. The film was notable for causing serious trouble to its director after World War II because it had been produced by Continental Films, a German production company established in France in the early months of the war, and because...
(1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques, which are critically recognized to be among the greatest films from the 1950s...
.
Plot
The film noirFilm noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
concerns a doctor at a Canadian hospital in the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who receives a series of poison pen letters. Later, more letters all signed with the mysterious pseudonym "Raven," are delivered to others in the small Canadian town. The wife of the doctor receives a letter accusing her of having an affair. One letter informs a shell-shocked veteran that he is dying of cancer, causing the distraught man to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Quickly, the townsfolk begin pointing fingers at all possible suspects.
Cast
- Linda DarnellLinda DarnellLinda Darnell was an American film actress.Darnell was a model as a child, and progressed to theater and film acting as an adolescent. At the encouragement of her mother, she made her first film in 1939, and appeared in supporting roles in big budget films for 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s...
as Denise Tourneur - Charles BoyerCharles BoyerCharles Boyer was a French actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found success in movies during the 1930s. His memorable performances were among the era's most highly praised romantic dramas,...
as Dr. Laurent - Michael RennieMichael RennieMichael Rennie was an English film, television, and stage actor, perhaps best known for his starring role as the space visitor Klaatu in the 1951 classic science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still. However, he appeared in over 50 other films since 1936, many with Jean Simmons and other...
as Dr. Pearson - Constance SmithConstance SmithConstance Smith was an Irish film actress, known as a contract player of 20th Century Fox in the 1950s.-Biography:...
as Cora Laurent - Françoise RosayFrançoise RosayFrançoise Rosay was a French opera singer, diseuse, and actress who enjoyed a film career of over sixty years and who became a legendary figure in French cinema...
as Mrs. Gauthier
Reaction
Channel 4's review of this film praised the cinematographyCinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
and music score: "The movie is redolent with atmosphere: (Joseph) LaShelle
Joseph LaShelle
Joseph LaShelle, A.S.C. was a Los Angeles born film cinematographer.He won an Academy Award for Laura , and was nominated eight additional times.-Career:...
's photography accentuates the black and shadows, and there's dark shading too in (Alex) North's
Alex North
Alex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood ....
music. The film is dominated by death and melancholy, and by Françoise Rosay
Françoise Rosay
Françoise Rosay was a French opera singer, diseuse, and actress who enjoyed a film career of over sixty years and who became a legendary figure in French cinema...
as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."