Undercurrent

Based on a short story by Thelma Strabe, Vincent Minelli’s Undercurrent, like so many films of the period, is a variation on the theme of Hitchcock’s Rebecca: a dowdy young woman impetuously marries a wealthy man and moves to his estate where the ghost of a previous occupant haunts her to the point of suspecting that her husband is a murderer. In this case, however, the ghost is not her husband’s former wife but his brother, who may not be dead after all. After middle-aged Ann Hamilton (Katharine Hepburn) marries rich, charming industrialist Alan Garroway (Robert Taylor), he soon reveals himself to be obsessed with his brother Michael (Robert Mitchum), who wounded Alan psychologically by stealing money from the family after their father’s death. (Note: Mitchum fans may be disappointed to learn that the actor’s screen time is minimal.) As Ann learns more about Michael, she begins to doubt Alan’s story and becomes fascinated by the “ghost” of his brother, so sets off to track him down (“How could I be in love with someone I’ve never seen?”). The film has more atmosphere than action, its pacing psychological in nature, but there are scenes that pack a wallop, such as Mitchum’s iconic appearance in the stable door at night and a harrowing game of cliff-side chicken on horseback.