Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

Jan. 23, 2016, Mystery Photo
This week’s mystery movie has been the 1946 picture “Cloak and Dagger,” starring Gary Cooper, Robert Alda, Vladimir Sokoloff, J. Edward Bromberg, Marjorie Hoshelle and Ludwig Stossel, and introducing Lilli Palmer.  The screenplay was by Albert Maltz and Ring Lardner Jr., from a story by Boris Ingster and John Larkin, “suggested by the book by” Corey Ford and Alastair MacBain. The movie was directed by Fritz Lang.

Oct. 8, 1946, Cloak and Dagger
Released by Warner Bros., the movie was the first production by Milton Sperling’s United States Pictures Inc. and was the first of five independent films he originally planned for 1946.

The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther wrote (Oct. 5, 1946) that the film “is highly suspenseful in a slick cinematic style. Apart from the realm of realities, it is fast entertainment on the screen.”

And yet he quibbled with the plot: The filmmakers “loaded the whole thing down with the baldest and most familiar of the spy-thriller cliches.”

The film opened in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 1946, at the Wiltern, and the Warners Hollywood and Downtown.  Writing in the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 12, 1946, critic Edwin Schallert said it was almost a documentary, calling it “a thrilling adventure narrative that simultaneously is illumined by good strong highlights in the dialogue.”

“Cloak and Dagger” was suggested as a mystery movie by Earl Boebert and set off an unusual quest to defeat Google’s image search function. For some curious reason, much of the film turns up on Google’s image search —  at least in some circumstances. Earl did extensive research on why he and I were getting different results from Google. The simple explanation is that Google personalizes my results as “a movie guy” and customizes his results something else. Cloak and Dagger indeed!

The movie is available from Amazon.

Jan. 18, 2016, Mystery Photo

For Monday, we have a mystery guest with a gun.

Update: This is Eddie Dunn, whom you may recognize as the annoyed chauffeur in W.C. Fields’ “The Bank Dick.”

Jan. 19, 2016, Mystery Photo

 

And for Tuesday, we have a mystery woman.

Update this is Helen/Helene Thimig.

Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gunman), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery gunman) and Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery gunman).

Jan. 20, 2016, mystery photo

And for Wednesday, we have a mystery woman.

Update: This is Marjorie Hoshelle.

Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Megan Lee Ann and Thom (Tuesday’s mystery woman).

Jan. 21, 2016, Mystery Photo

And for Thursday, we have a mystery guest with a shoe.

Update: This is Lilli Palmer.

Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman).

Jan. 22, 2016, Mystery Photo

And for Friday, our mystery guest seems to be uncomfortable about having a drink with a mystery companion.

Update: This is Gary Cooper and Ludwig Stossel.

Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery ladies),  Jenny M (Thursday’s mystery guest) and LC (mystery movie and mystery cast).

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

30 Responses to Movieland Mystery Photo (Updated + + + +)

  1. Mike Hawks says:

    Drop that gun Eddie Dunn.

    Like

  2. Rogét-L.A. says:

    Monday: Frank Puglia?

    Like

  3. Don Danard says:

    I’d say it’s Eddie Dunn today.

    Like

  4. Mary Mallory says:

    Myrtle Anderson and WHIRLPOOL?

    Like

  5. Sheila says:

    Tuesday is Helene Thimig.

    Like

  6. Howard Mandelbaum says:

    “Cloak and Dagger” (1946)
    Monday: Eddie Dunn
    Tuesday: Helen Thimig

    Like

  7. Megan, Lee Ann and Thom says:

    Helene Thimig for Tuesday.

    Like

  8. Howard Mandelbaum says:

    Marjorie Hoshelle.

    Like

  9. Mary Mallory says:

    CLOAK AND DAGGER with Helene Thimig Tuesday, and Marjorie Hoshelle Wednesday.

    Like

  10. Sheila says:

    Lilli Palmer, ‘Cloak and Dagger’?

    Like

  11. beachgal says:

    Is Wen. Jinx Falkenburg?

    Like

  12. Mike Hawks says:

    Helene Thimig, Marjorie Hoshelle and Lilli Palmer now appearing in CLOAK AND DAGGER.

    Like

  13. Jenny M says:

    Thursday – Lilli Palmer?

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  14. LC says:

    This would be Cloak and Dagger (1946) w/ Gary Cooper, Lili Palmer, Helene Thimig, Marjorie Hoshelle, Robert Alda, Ludwig Stoessel…

    Like

  15. Surely Ida Lupino on Thursday would be too easy?

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  16. beachgal says:

    Thurs is Lilli Palmer, Friday is Gary Cooper – it’s Cloak and Dagger.

    Like

  17. beachgal says:

    Wen is Marjorie Hoshelle

    Like

  18. Don Danard says:

    Today it looks like Ernest Truex having a conversation with Sgt. York.

    Like

  19. Film = ‘Cloak & Dagger’ Tuesday…Helen Thinig..Wednesday..Marjorie Hoshelle.. Thursday..Lilli Palmer…..Friday.. Ludwug Stossel & Gary Cooper.

    Like

  20. Mike Hawks says:

    What is Ludwig Stossel saying to Gary Cooper.

    Like

  21. Candy Cassell says:

    Obviously Gary Cooper today. Perhaps Lili Palmer yesterday? Great faces this week!

    Like

  22. Megan, Lee Ann and Thom says:

    I’m a little late in replying this week because of interruptions, but it’s Cloak and Dagger.

    Like

  23. Earl Boebert says:

    Considering the amount of talent applied to it, I found it to be a remarkably pedestrian effort — as exemplified by a shot of Lilli Palmer gingerly holding an uncocked Tommy gun. That must have caused a few chuckles on the part of returning WWII veterans, although to be fair it’s a common error in movies and TV shows involving 1930s/40s mayhem.

    There’s an interesting history to this movie involving a destroyed last reel and other behind the scenes drama.

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