The Velvet Touch

With plenty of melodrama to soften its noir edges, Jack Gage’s The Velvet Touch stars Rosalind Russell as Broadway star Valerie Stanton, who accidentally kills her producer and former lover Gordon Dunning (Leon Ames) during a heated argument and flees the scene. Rather than a whodunit, it’s a whatwillshedoaboutit; the film sustains tension not just in Valerie’s cover-up but in her interior grappling with remorse and insecurity. Claire Trevor plays the obsessive actress Marian Webster, who was in love with Dunning, and Leo Genn plays Michael Morrell, the wealthy architect who steals Valerie’s heart but may know more than she thinks. As always, Sydney Greenstreet shines on screen as the paternal Captain Danbury, who’s equally suspicious and protective toward Valerie. Russell’s given plenty of scenes to show off her dramatic acting chops, including her extended daze immediately following the murder, her horror at Marian’s accusations, and her breakdown at the news of a character’s suicide. It’s a well-crafted film that offers moments of tremendous tension, if not suspense, and a realistic glimpse into the world of midcentury Broadway theater, culminating in a closing act that keeps viewers up in the air until the final moment.