Lady Possessed is a 1952 American mystery film noir directed by William Spier and Roy Kellino and starring James Mason and June Havoc. Mason and his wife Pamela, Kellino's former wife, produced and wrote the film based on Pamela's novel Del Palma (originally published as A Lady Possessed in the United Kingdom in 1943).
The film's sets were designed by the art director Frank Arrigo.
Contents
Plot
While barely conscious, Jean Wilson, a patient in a London hospital, overhears Jimmy Del Palma berating hospital staff for their treatment of his wife, who dies shortly afterward. To recuperate following a miscarriage, Jean coincidentally rents the former country home of Del Palma, a famous pianist, and his wife. She falls in love with Del Palma and dreams of taking his dead wife's identity. With the encouragement of her friend Sybil, Jean arranges a séance with a medium in an attempt to contact the dead woman.
Cast
James Mason as Jimmy Del Palma
June Havoc as Jean Wilson
Stephen Dunne as Tom Wilson
Fay Compton as Mme. Brune
Pamela Mason as Sybil (as Pamela Kellino)
Steven Geray as Dr. Stepanek
Diana Graves as medium
Odette Myrtil as Mrs. Burrows
Eileen Erskine as Violet
John Monaghan as Dave
Vivian Bonnell as Calypso Singer (as Enid Mosier)
Judy Osborne as Secretary
Alma Lawton as Nurse
Reception
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther called the film "a bleak little drama of neuroses" and wrote: "This dreary and meaningless twaddle is based, we are candidly told, upon a novel entitled 'Del Palma,' by Pamela Kellino, who is Mr. Mason's wife. She also appears at odd moments in a pseudo-Noel Cowardish role. And since Miss Kellino and Mr. Mason take credit for writing the script, the much celebrated English couple have only themselves to blame. That goes double for Mr. Mason, who also produced the film."
Reviewer Herb Michelson of Variety wrote: "There's little indication in 'Lady Possessed' ... of the virtuoso acting skill that Mason has demonstrated in the past. He walks through the role with little animation and gets virtually no support from Miss Havoc in her superficial playing of a difficult part that would take the skill and sensitivity of the best dramatic actress films or legit could offer to make it believable."
The film was a box-office failure, losing the Masons much of the money that they had invested in it.