This week’s mystery movie was the 1959 Paramount picture The Black Orchid, with Sophia Loren, Anthony Quinn, Mark Richman, Virginia Vincent, Frank Puglia, Jimmy Baird, Naomi Stevens, Whit Bissell, Robert Carricart, Joe di Reda and Jack Washburn. Introducing Ina Balin.
Written by Joseph Stefano.
Photographed by Robert Burks.
Art direction by Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson.
Costumes by Edith Head.
Edited by Howard Smith.
Special photographic effects by John P. Fulton.
Process photography by Farciot Edouart.
Set decoration by Sam Comer and Robert Benton.
Assistant director Richard Caffey.
Makeup by Wally Westmore.
Hairstyles by Nellie Manley.
Recording by Hugo Grenzbach and Winston Leverett.
Music score by Alessandro Cicognini.
Produced by Carlo Ponti and Marcello Girosi.
Directed by Martin Ritt.
Further information about The Black Orchid is available from the AFI Catalog.
The Black Orchid is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Videos.
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I picked The Black Orchid by going through the trades and was intrigued by the casting of Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn. And as a plus, the film was directed by Martin Ritt. It’s only aired once on TCM in the last 25 years and that was in 2008. A nice discovery, which always pleases me.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther generally liked it, possibly with a few quibbles, because Bosley.
Nailed it. (The New York Times, Feb. 13, 1959):
In Paramount’s film The Black Orchid, which opened at the Plaza yesterday, Anthony Quinn gives another strong performance as an amiable middle-aged Italian American confused by the emotional eccentricities of his marriageable daughter and a widow he wants to wed. Since neither of these difficult females is too clearly written or played, it is easy for an equally baffled viewer to feel great sympathy toward Mr. Quinn.
For Monday, we have a mystery lad.
Update: This is Jimmy Baird.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Brain Trust roll call: Tim Doherty (Monday’s mystery lad).
Update: This is Jack Washburn.
Note to Sylvia: That’s the base of a reading lamp clamped to the bed. Our mystery lad is blocking the shade.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Mark Richman and Ina Balin.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Whit Bissell.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mysterious guests) and L.C.* (mystery movie and mystery cast).
*Rescued from the spam folder.
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren. Her performance earned her the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Greg (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E.* (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Jenny M. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest) Benito* (mystery movie and Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious men), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Megan and Thom (Thursday’s mystery guest).
*Rescued from the spam folder.
ladailymirror.com 
Peter J. Votrian in Crime in the Streets (1956)
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An excellent guess, but alas….
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Jimmy Baird?
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Hmmm….
A kid (maybe an orphan) who likes baseball and jet planes…
As usual on Mondays, no guess, just meanderings.
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And what a weird image composition; with what I think is the speaker horn for an institutional p.a. system attached to the bedframe. It looks like it’s stuck in the kid’s ear, like an old fashioned ear horn for deaf people – junior sized.
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Monday: Jimmy Baird in THE BLACK ORCHID
Tuesday: Joe Di Reda
Wednesday: Peter Mark Richman, Ina Balin
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The Black Orchid (1958) w/Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren, Peter Mark Richman, Ina Balin, Jack Washburn, Jimmy Baird, Naomi Stevens, Virginia Vincent…
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FINALLY. It took forever to get the name of our TV guy from Wednesday. BLACK ORCHID. Jimmy Baird Monday, Jack Washburn Tuesday, Peter Mark Richman and Ina Balin Wednesday, and Whit Bissell today.
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Thursday’s fellow is Whit Bissell. I’ve seen Wednesday’s suave ladies man in a hundred TV shows but can’t find his name anywhere in my brain.
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Thursday – Whit Bissell
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Movie – The Black Orchid
Monday – Jimmy Baird
Tuesday – Jack Washburn
Wednesday – Peter Mark Richman and Ina Balin
Thursday – Whit Bissell
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Thanks to Mr. Bissell, all is revealed.
“The Black Orchid” 1958
I think Monday’s kid is Jimmy Baird but I’m not sure. Found photos of him with the leading lady.
Tuesday maybe is the leading lady’s deceased movie husband, but not sure. Looks like softly focused ‘memory moment’ but we’ll see.
Wednesday – Peter Mark Richman and Ina Balin (they looked sooo familiar, but couldn’t place ’em until today.)
Thursday – Whit Bissell
Friday will bring Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn
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Whit Bissell.
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Whit Bissell
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Whit Bissell.
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Mark Richman and Whit Bissell. Is it BLACK ORCHID 1958?
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Jimmy Baird, Jack Washburn, Peter Mark Richman, Ina Balon and Whit Bissell in “The Black Orchid.”
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Today’s guest is Whit Bissell.
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Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren.
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Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren
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Jimmy Baird, Mark Richman, Ina Balin, Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren in BLACK ORCHID.
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