This week’s mystery movie was the 1943 RKO picture “The Seventh Victim” and there’s a bit of a story to go with it. On Sunday, I had dinner at Musso and Frank with Mary Mallory and Alexa Foreman, formerly head researcher at TCM, who was in town for the TCM Classic Film Festival. The restaurant was packed with TCM fans and we happened to see Eddie Muller of the Film Noir Foundation and his wife, and (to do a bit of name-dropping) Quentin Tarantino. Over dinner, I asked Mary and Alexa to suggest this week’s mystery movie. They came up with several movies that aren’t in the Daily Mirror vaults, but then hit on “The Seventh Victim” and so here we are.
“The Seventh Victim” stars Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell and Kim Hunter in her screen debut, with Evelyn Brent, Erford Gage, Ben Bard, Hugh Beaumont, Chef Milani and Marguerita Sylva. It was photographed by Nicholas Musuraca, with art direction by Albert S. D’Agostino and Walter E. Keller. It was produced by Val Lewton, written by Charles O’Neal and DeWitt Bodeen and directed by Mark Robson.
It’s available on DVD with “Shadows of the Dark” from Amazon.
Bosley Crowther of the New York Times (Sept. 18, 1943) said: “Maybe it isn’t essential that a plain horror picture make sense, but, at least, the patron is entitled to know what the heck is going on. This writer claims, with modest candor, to have an average amount of brains and we make it a point to pay attention whenever reviewing a film. But, brother, we have no more notion of what “The Seventh Victim” at the Rialto, is about than if we had watched the same picture run backward and upside down.”
“The Seventh Victim” opened in Los Angeles on Dec. 23, 1943, at the Hawaiian, 5939 Hollywood Blvd., in a Val Lewton double bill with “Ghost Ship” starring Richard Dix. Grace Kingsley, who reviewed the movie for the Los Angeles Times noted: “Indeed, loud screams greeted several creepy sequences.”
And as others have pointed out, “Seventh Victim” reuses sets from “The Magnificent Ambersons.”
Here’s the staircase in “The Magnificent Ambersons” …
…as it appears in “The Seventh Victim” at a girls school.
We start our mystery week with this mystery woman. Happy Monday!
Update: This is Ottola Nesmith.
And for Tuesday, we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Elizabeth Russell.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Marianne Mosner.
Google Image Search Fail: Bob Dylan and Che Guevara.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Jenny M (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sarah (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Bob Hansen (mystery movie and mystery cast).
Continuing ladies’ week, we have another mystery woman for Thursday.
Update: This is Barbara Hale.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Dewey Webb (Tuesday’s mystery woman) and Barbara Klein (mystery movie, Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery women).
And to wrap up women’s week, we have a final mystery lady with a mystery male companion.
Update: Hugh Beaumont and Kim Hunter.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman), Dewey Webb (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery woman), Jenny M. (Thursday’s mystery woman), Barbara Klein (Thursday’s mystery woman), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery woman), Gary Martin (Thursday’s mystery woman), Victor H. Brown (Thursday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery woman), Patrick (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Maricatrin (Thursday’s mystery woman).
ladailymirror.com 
It’s amazing how much she looks like Beulah Bondi.
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But, alas, is not.
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Creepy Ottola Nesmith in THE SEVENTH VICTIM.
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An unusually attractive Minerva Urecal?
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Very amusing. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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It is not Beulah Bondi? The mystery lady also reminds me of Ruth Warrick, but the background looks like this lady is from a previous generation.
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Alas, not Beulah Bondi or Ruth Warrick.
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I admit, I don’t know her. But I got this itch that says she’s in The Big Sleep.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Some uninformed person like myself has to venture Gale Sondergaard.
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Interesting guess. But alas, no.
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That would have been me.
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Is it a woman’s prison picture?
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No, it is not.
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OK, it’s been a while since I’ve even been able to hazard a swing and a miss:
Edna Mae Oliver
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Interesting guess, but among other things, she’s too easy for a Monday.
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THE SEVENTH VICTIM 1943 with Marguerita Sylva and Elizabeth Russell.
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Ottola Nesmith and Elizabeth Russell in ‘The Seventh Victim’.
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Elizabeth Russell.
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First name that popped into my head this a.m. was Elizabeth Russell.
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Probably unlikely for a Monday but how about Aline Macmahon?
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Aline is a Thursday or Friday mystery guest. 🙂
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Elizabeth Russell
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Movie is Seventh Victim.
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It’s Val Lewton’s “The Seventh Victim.” Elizabeth Russell in a bath robe was a high point cinched it!
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Today’s lady is Elizabeth Russell; I believe the movie is The Seventh Victim.
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Monday’s lady is Ottola Nesmith; the back-of-the-head lady is Jean Brooks.
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For Tuesday… Linda Watkins?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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I believe that Tueday’s lady is Elizabeth Russell, and that the movie is The Seventh Victim from 1943. It stars Kim Hunter and maybe Hugh Beaumont. What a great movie!
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Marianne Mosner.
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Gail Russell Wednesday?
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Gail Russell would be a Friday mystery guest. 🙂
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Tuesday: Elizabeth Russell
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The Seventh Victim – Ottola Nesmith on Mon and Elizabeth Russell on Tues
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Monday–Mary Young
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Barbara Hale.
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Barbara Hale
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Barbara Hale
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The Seventh Victim
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A very young Barbara Hale.
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For thursday, it’s Barbara Hale. Always enjoyed her work.
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I think that’s Barbara Hale with the widow’s peak.
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Miss Thursday looks a lot like Barbara Hale.
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Barbara Hale in her third credited role.
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Thursday’s mystery woman is Barbara Hale in The Seventh Victim from 1943, with Ottola Nesmith and Elizabeth Russell.
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Barbara Hale today?
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The Seventh Victim (1943) w/Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Marguerita Sylva, Kim Hunter, …
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And Barbara Hale.
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Hugh Beaumont and Kim Hunter check out the weather report.
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Hugh Beaumont this a.m. Wondering if his photo made it for the Mystery Contest!
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This is the young Kim Hunter so it must be The Seventh Victim.
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Hugh Beaumont and Kim Hunter
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Hugh Beaumont and Kim Hunter.
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Friday´s mystery actors are obviously Kim Hunter and Hugh Beaumont. Is Thursday´s mystery lady perhaps a young Barbara Hale? I have no idea what the movie is, but would love to watch it!
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Thursday: Barbara Hale. Friday: Hugh Beaumont & Kim Hunter. Mystery Movie: The Seventh Victim (1943)
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