Shock

1946 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By Alfred L. Werker


SYNOPSIS

Janet Stewart (Anabel Shaw) goes to San Fransisco to meet her returning POW husband (Frank Latimore.) She gazes out her window at witnesses a man murdering his wife. She goes into a severe shock. Her psychologist (Vincent Price) just so happens to be the murderer... and he will stop at nothing to make sure she is unable to tell.

MY THOUGHTS

Vincent Price shines in an average b-movie.

The film is a part of the Fox Film Noir series and like many of those entries, calling it 'noir' is a little iffy. The extreme shadowing and unique camera angles are barely evident here. Perhaps it's due to the film's b-movie status and quick shooting schedule. It was shot in just 19 days.
Thematically it does fit the noir category. Murder and deceitful characters are essential noir elements. The film seems more than a little influenced by Hitchcock's Spellbound.
Shock is also able to create and maintain a decent level of suspense throughout... though calling the film 'Shock' is a bit misleading. Janet Stewart may be in shock, but the film is not shocking at all. It's rather routine instead.

The characters spout all sorts of psychological jargon and theories. Some of it seems real, while the rest seems as phony as the technobabble in 50's sci-fi B-movies.
Vincent Price is able to spout the occasionally silly babble without seeming ridiculous. Whether in horror films or otherwise, Price always shined playing dark shady roles. The roles seemed to always be written to be 'all bad' yet Price is always able to make them seem more human and real. This is one of them, and he's a delight to watch.

All in all, it's an entertaining film, if a bit predictable.