Wife Wanted *** (1946, Kay Francis, Paul Cavanagh, Robert Shayne, Veda Ann Borg) Classic Movie Review 13,980

Kay Francis stars in her final feature film, the gripping 1946 film noir crime thriller Wife Wanted, as an aging movie star unwittingly drawn into a matrimonial racket and blackmail ring.

Director Phil Karlson’s 1946 film noir crime thriller Wife Wanted is based on the novel by Robert E Callahan, and stars Kay Francis, Paul Cavanagh, Robert Shayne, and Veda Ann Borg. It is Kay Francis’s final film, going out with a little bang after a busy 17-year career.

Newspaper reporter William Tyler (Robert Shayne) saves the aging famous movie actress Carole Raymond (Kay Francis) when she gets accidentally embroiled in her real estate partner Jeff Caldwell (Paul Cavanagh)’s blackmailing plots via his lonelyhearts scheme. When Carole buys in a real estate plan with Caldwell, she doesn’t know he is really running an illegitimate matrimonial service.

Aging movie star Carole Raymond (Kay Francis) becomes real estate partner of Jeff Caldwell (Paul Cavanagh), who also runs an illegitimate matrimonial bureau, aided by his secretary Nola Reed (Veda Ann Borg) and his associate Lee Kirby (John Gallaudet), defrauding and blackmailing many lonely people. Carole is unwittingly used as bait for one of their victims, Walter Desmond (Barton Yarborough), who apparently commits suicide. Reporter William Tyler (Robert Shayne) poses as a rich rancher and contacts Carole in an attempt to break the racket.

Caldwell is blackmailing Carole, forcing her to persuade Tyler to invest in a fraudulent oil deal. Also trying to break the racket, Carole uncovers Mildred Hayes (Teala Loring), another innocent victim. Carole and Tyler decide to combine forces and fall in love.

Dissatisfied with the script, Kay Francis and Phil Karlson got it re-written, and she became a producer on the film.

It was shot was from mid-June to early July 1946, and released on November 2, 1946 by Monogram Pictures.

Runtime: 73 minutes.

Shadow of Blackmail is the UK title.

Cast: Kay Francis as Carole Raymond, Paul Cavanagh as Jeffrey Caldwell, Robert Shayne as Bill Tyler, Veda Ann Borg as Nola Reed, Teala Loring as Mildred Kayes, Jonathan Hale as Philip Conway, Tim Ryan as Bartender, Barton Yarborough as Walter Desmond, Edgar Hayes, John Gallaudet, Selmer Jackson, Bert Roach, John Hamilton, Anthony Warde, Sara Berner, Will Stanton.

Wife Wanted [Shadow of Blackmail] is directed by Phil Karlson, runs 73 minutes, is made and released by Monogram Pictures, is written by Caryl Coleman and Sidney Sutherland, based on the novel Wife Wanted by Robert E Callahan, is shot in black and white by Harry Neumann, is produced by Kay Francis and Jeffrey Bernerd, and is scored by Edward J Kay.

© Derek Winnert 2026 Classic Movie Review 13,980

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