Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

JohnHowardReid Ann Sothern (Dell Faring), Zachary Scott (David Starrling), Joan Davis (Dr Canford), Gigi Perreau (Susan Starrling), Kristine Miller (Celia Starrling), John McIntyre (Pike Ludwell), Tom Helmore (Crane Weymouth), Helen Brown (Miss Burke), Barbara Billingsley (Olga), Marcia Van Dyke (secretary), Anthony Sydes (Bobby), Jimmy Hunt (boy with chocolate milk), Roger Moore (Townsend), George Eldredge (prosecutor), Thomas Browne Henry (judge), Don Haggerty (rescuing physician), John Maxwell (jury foreman), Johnny Indrisano (juror), Pierre Watkin (Dr Hodge), Ruth Lee (nurse). Director: PAT JACKSON (billed as Patrick Jackson). Screenplay: William Ludwig. Based on the 1943 novel Death in the Doll House by Elizabeth Head Fetter (under the pseudonym, "Hannah Lees") and Lawrence P. Bachmann. Photography: Ray June. Film editor: Cotton Warburton. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons and Eddie Imazu. Set decorator: Edwin B. Willis and Ralph S. Hurst. Costumes designed by Irene. Make-up: Jack Dawn. Hair styles: Sydney Guilaroff. Music composed and directed by Andre Previn. Montage: Peter Ballbusch. Sound supervisor: Douglas Shearer. Producer: Robert Sisk.Copyright 16 November 1949 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture. New York opening at the Palace: 18 May 1950. U.S. release: 19 May 1950. U.K. release: 18 March 1950. Australian release: 13 April 1950. 7,539 feet. 84 minutes.SYNOPSIS: When a six-year-old child's memory is restored by a psychiatrist, she remembers a puzzling detail about her mother's murder. COMMENT: Although slow to get going, this unusual "B" from Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer turns out to be an engrossing little film noir. Admittedly, the casting is a bit disconcerting. Perennial heavy Zachary Scott plays the good guy, a victimized innocent, while fluffy Ann Sothern of the light-headed "Maisie" series is the chilling murderess. (I'm not giving the plot away as the audience is aware of this fact almost as soon as the action finally commences). It's probably true that this switch adds to the film's appeal. And I'm not advocating that the opening scenes should be trimmed either. Not only are they essential to the plot, but they feature the gorgeous Kristine Miller, whose performance is the best in the movie. (Not that Ann Sothern doesn't run her close).A creditable support cast also helps. Gigi Perreau (the intended victim) is especially convincing. And I liked Joan Davis (the too- trusting doctor) and John McIntyre (the hero's too-pragmatic friend and lawyer). English director Pat Jackson seems right at home with Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer's technicians, including expert cinematographer Ray June and smooth-as-silk film editor Cotton Warburton.

MartinHafer David (Zachary Scott) is married to a no-good cheat, Celia. After returning from a business trip, he learns at a dinner party that his wife and 'friend' are having an affair. Later, as the two are arguing over this, Celia knocks out David. In the meantime, Celia's sister, Dell (Ann Sothern) arrives and confronts Celia for stealing her fiancé. Soon Dell kills Celia...and with David unconscious, he's assumed to have done the killing...and David isn't sure he didn't. David's been sent to death row and the only glitch in Dell's plan is that David's young daughter (Gigi Perreau) might have witnessed the killing and Dell needs to be certain she won't talk. While the young girl is too traumatized to fully recall the events, she could remember through the course of therapy...and it could be Dell on death row instead! So Dell can either wait and hope the child cannot remember or kill her to make certain!This is an unusual film due to the casting. This is NOT a complaint, but seeing Ann Sothern playing a killer is interesting, as she usually played nice, sweet folks like her Maisie character from the 1940s. At first, you can understand her motivation in killing her sister...but to see her attempting to murder an innocent child...that is a dark and twisted character! Additionally, this is one of the few films I've seen where Nancy David (Reagan) is given a chance to really act and she was quite nice as the child psychiatrist, Caroline. In other films, such as "Hellcats of the Navy" and "The Next Voice You Hear", Davis never really had a chance to shine as an actress.As for the film itself, it is very good and worth seeing. It's also very unusual for MGM...a studio that wasn't known for such dark films back in 1950. In general, film noir pictures were done by other studios and MGM preferred making 'nice' movies...but here they've created a rather hard-hearted film! This is NOT a complaint...I liked the film and can easily recommend it to anyone. By the way, one odd thing you see in the film is 'hydrotherapy'. Back in the bad old days of psychiatric treatment, hospitals often used baths to somehow try to cure or alleviate suffering in mental patients. In the really bad old days, it was ice water! Here, in the more enlightened 20th century, the baths were less traumatic and more soothing--with warm water. Of dubious value...but at least not harmful in the latter.

kidboots Ann Sothern was her own most caustic critic. In an interesting interview in "Films in Review" (March 1988), she was very scathing of her early films and finished up with a hope that her new film "The Whales of August" (1987) would garner her a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Academy Awards (it did)!!! Every film I have ever seen her in she is usually the star to watch. Even watching "A Letter to Three Wives" - she had so much vibrancy, she put the other two wives in the shade (Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell). Almost straight after "A Letter to Three Wives" she played a cold blooded murderess in "Shadow on the Wall" and played it to perfection.Initially, she wasn't cold blooded at all. She played Dell Faring, sister of the beautiful Celia (Kristine Miller) who had made it her life's work to take everything that was precious to Dell - yes one of those sisters!!! Celia has it all, marriage to a devoted husband David (Zachary Scott) and a sweet step daughter Susan (Gigi Perreau). But Susan has reservations about Celia that are well founded for Celia is having an affair with Crane, Dell's fiancée. David finds out and makes it known to Dell who then comes to Celia's apartment for a showdown. Celia and David have had words and when David comes out of his stupor (he has been hit on the head) he finds Celia dead and that he has been charged with murder!!! He can't remember anything but believes he did it. But there is a witness - Susan, who is in shock and by the help of a caring psychiatrist (Nancy Davis) is being persuaded to remember!!The movie really belongs to the talented Gigi Perreau, she has always had an ethereal aura (she was magical in "Enchantment") and was groomed as a successor to Margaret O'Brien. While at first she was a happy little girl, most of the movie is set in the trauma ward of a children's hospital. She is just first rate as she retreats into a world of her own, only remembering the hideous shadow on the wall. Sympathy for Dell evaporates as she becomes more and more determined to conceal the truth - even if it means killing Susan. There is a particularly chilling scene when Dell poisons Susan's chocolate milk. After asking a little boy to drink it as she thinks it tastes "nasty and bitter" they are both saved when it is accidentally spilt.This is a stylish film noir and Ann proved, once again, that she had what it takes to be a big star. Whatever she thinks about herself, she was definitely a survivor - there weren't many actresses who started in 1927 and were nominated for Academy Awards in the 1980s!!!

terryannedoyle I saw Shadow on the Wall when I was 11 years old as part of a double feature with Annie Get Your Gun. I have never forgotten it. Its major impact on me as a youngster was watching another young child being threatened so menacingly by a supposedly loving adult female. I was spellbound by the performances and sat on the edge of my seat throughout the film. The ending was fantastic. Previously, I had associated Ann Southern with light romantic or comedic performances on radio and TV, never as a villain, and such an evil one at that. It is the only movie that I remembered Nancy Reagan being in, and I thought she and Zakery Scot were great and that Gigi Pieureux was marvelous. I have described this movie to friends many times over the years, and now I look forward to seeing it again at age 71.