This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 MGM film Undercurrent, with Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Edmund Gwenn, Marjorie Main, Jayne Meadows, Clinton Sundberg, Dan Tobin, Kathryn Card, Leigh Whipper and Charles Trowbridge.
Screenplay by Edward Chodorov.
Based on a story by Thelma Strabel.
Musical score by Herbert Stothart.
Photographed by Karl Freund.
Edited by Ferris Webster.
Recorded by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Randall Duell.
Set decorations by Edwin B. Willis, associate Jack D. Moore.
Hairstyles by Sydney Guilaroff.
Costume supervision by Irene.
Makeup by Jack Dawn.
Produced by Pandro S. Berman.
Directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Further information about Undercurrent is available from the AFI Catalog.
Undercurrent is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked Undercurrent by going through the trades, continuing my exploration of Showmen’s Trade Review. I’d never seen it (one of my primary criteria for picking the mystery movies) and it was a very welcome discovery.
I’m going to guess that Bosley grumped about it somewhat and gave it a middling review.
Pretty much. (The New York Times, November 29, 1946):
One of those deep emotional tangles into which the movies often manage to arrive by a process of sheer affirmation is the end towards which all forces move in Metro’s Undercurrent, which came to the Capitol yesterday. And one of those silly climaxes such as you’d hardly expect to see on a film starring Katharine Hepburn and Robert Taylor is the solution for it all. Not because Metro has beseeched us to keep the secret of this “amazing ending” to ourself do we hereby refrain from exposing it, but simply because we suspect you’d never believe us if we told you — and if you did, you’d only laugh — do we desist.
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Leigh Whipper.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” our leading man and leading lady (Back of the Head Guy and Back of the Head Woman) are riding an elevator.
Update: This is Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn as Back of the Head Persons, with Phil Dunham and Jane Green.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (Monday’s mystery fellow), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious fellow), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery guest) and B.J. Merholz (Monday’s mystery guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman and Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Marjorie Main with Edmund Gwenn as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious elevator operator, mystery passenger and Back of the Head Persons) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s Back of the Head Persons).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Jayne Meadows.
We also have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Robert Mitchum.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mysterious guests and Back of the Head Persons), Funky PhD (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Charles Kjelland (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Boebert (Wednesday’s mystery woman), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery woman and Back of the Head Guy), Sylvia (mystery movie, all mystery guests and interesting information about Monday’s mystery fellow), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests and Back of the Head Persons) and Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mystery woman).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Robert Taylor.
And our enigmatic leading lady.
Update: This is Katharine Hepburn
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Charles Kjelland (Thursday’s mysterious fellow), Robert Morrissey (mystery movie, Thursday’s mystery guests and our mysterious leading man and leading lady), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests) and Megan and Thom (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
That looks like Leigh Whipper but I unfortunately don’t know what movie this is.
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Leigh Whipper today. I’m guessing the movie is “Undercurrent.”
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Leigh Whipper.
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Leigh Whipper
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Oh, this is UNDERCURRENT (1946)! Tuesday’s Back of the Head Guy is Robert Taylor and Back of the Head Woman is Katharine Hepburn. Elevator woman with the little dog is probably Jane Green, and I’m guessing but I believe the elevator operator is Daniel Kerry.
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Robert Taylor and Katherine Hepburn in UNDERCURRENT.
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UNDERCURRENT. Leigh Whipper Monday, Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn BOTH, Daniel Kerry and Kathryn Card Tuesday, Marjorie Main and Forbes Murray BOTH today.
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Wednesday’s mysterious woman is Marjorie Main.
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Looks like Marjorie Main today
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Marjorie Main on Wednesday?
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(Apologies if this is a duplicate)
Marjorie Main on Wednesday?
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Marjorie Main and maybe Undercurrent.
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Marjorie Maine and Edmund Gwenn.
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Thanks to Ms Main, the trail opened up for me.
Undercurrent 1946
Director – Vincente Minnelli
Mon – Leigh Rollin Whipper – great to learn about him and the the founding of NAG (terrible acronym results – I feel the same way about SAG)
Tues – BOTHG and BOTHW are Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn. Per IMDb the lady in profile is Jane Green. They have the elevator guy as Phil Dunham, but doesn’t look like images I’ve seen.
Wed – Marjorie Main and Edmund Gwenn
What a fun twist on this cast. And with the leads only one a regular in Film Noir roles, and he’s the better guy in this movie!
Mr. Whipper was new to me. Finding out about how he, Fredi Washington, Paul Robeson, Ethel Waters, W.C. Handy and Noble Sissle (names I was more familiar with) founded the Negro Actors Guild was a treat. And making Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson the honorary Prez – great.
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Undercurrent (1947) w/Katherine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Edmund Gwenn, Marjorie Main, Leigh Whipper, Katherine Card, Jayne Meadows…
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Oh my it’s “Undercurrent.” On Monday, Leigh Whipper. Tuesday’s stars are Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn and Phil Dunham operating the elevator. On Tuesday, Marjorie Main is conversing with Edmund Gwenn.
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Is that Marjorie Main Wednesday?
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Jayne Meadows and be still my heart Robert Mitchum.
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Jayne Meadows and Robert Mitchum make this Undercurrent
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Of course, Robert Mitchum today
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Of course! I just watched this a few months ago: Jayne Meadows is SO good…Robert Mitchum is not quite miscast, but Robert Taylor (who will show up tomorrow with Kate Hepburn, right?) is somewhat at sea, I think. Undercurrent, from 1946.
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Thur – 1) Jayne Meadows and 2) Robert Mitchum
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Jayne Meadows and Robert Mitchum.
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“Sensitive” Robert Mitchum and Jayne Meadows in UNDERCURRENT 1946
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Jayne Meadows and The Reluctant Star, Robert Mitchum.
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Our movie is Undercurrent with Phil Dunham, Jane Green, Marjorie Main, Jayne Meadows, and Robert Mitchum.
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Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn.
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Bob and Katherine together again.
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Friday – Robert Taylor and Katharine Hepburn.
Yayyy! You included Rommy – perhaps an offspring of Terry (Toto), but haven’t found a verification yet.
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