The Woman on the Beach *** (1947, Joan Bennett, Robert Ryan, Charles Bickford) – Classic Movie Review 10,328

The 1947 film The Woman on the Beach is a hothouse film noir romantic drama from Jean Renoir with a strange trio of characters embroiled in a love triangle – older blind artist Tod (Charles Bickford), his sexy younger wife Peggy (Joan Bennett), and disturbed war veteran Scott (Robert Ryan), who falls for the lovely lady.

There is a welter of steamy emotions that fail to cohere, but there is plenty to enjoy, not least the fascinating performances and Renoir’s unerring eye for the bizarrely beautiful. Frank Davis and Jean Renoir’s screenplay is based on Mitchell Wilson’s novel None So Blind. It is also notable for Leo Tover and Harry Wild’s black and white cinematography and Hanns Eisler’s score.

It is Renoir’s final American film.

Also in the cast are Nan Leslie, Walter Sande, Irene Ryan, Frank Darien, Jay Norris, Glenn Vernon, Hugh Chapman, Carl Faulkner, Marie Dodd, Harry Harvey, Charles Pawley, Harry Tyler and Bill Shannon.

The Woman on the Beach is directed by Jean Renoir, runs 71 minutes, is made by RKO Radio Pictures, is released by RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (US), is written by Frank Davis and Jean Renoir, with adaptation by Michael Hogan, based on Mitchell Wilson’s novel None So Blind, is shot in black and white by Leo Tover and Harry J Wild, is produced by Jack J Gross (executive producer) and Will Price (associate producer), is scored by Hanns Eisler and is designed by Albert S D’Agostino and Walter E Keller.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,328

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