I can see that the ratings for this film aren't all that high for this film, so I must be in the minority for liking this film so much. Well, I am right and everyone else is wrong (just kidding). I guess I like it because I am a psychology teacher and I really liked the brooding character played by Ryan. While he truly is dangerous as well as VERY menacing, you can't exactly hate him because he is clearly mentally ill and probably suffering from some sort of brain trauma. And wow did Ryan do a really good job portraying this man! You really find yourself feeling for Ida Lupino as he destroys her life. So with such intense acting and menace, why is the movie rated relatively low? Well, probably because it isn't exactly believable,...but boy is it entertaining and creative. Give it a try and don't believe the score of 6.4--it's a lot better than that!
62 Reviews
Don't beware this film, it's lovely!
funkyfry3 October 2002
Intense domestic suspense with the mistress of the house (Lupino, excellent as always) threatened by a psychotic migrant housecleaner (Ryan). The 2 masters of the genre are at their heady, erotic best as they match wits, emotions, and wills in a bizarre hostage situation right out of the Saturday Evening Post. Richly hued B & W photography with an unusual amount of close-up head shots. The young girl who teases Ryan is really well directed here. Improbable, but satisfying suburban melodrama.
Schizophrenia
bkoganbing10 November 2009
Beware My Lovely originated from a play written by Mel Dinelli who apparently liked writing about frightened women. His first and best effort was the screenplay for The Spiral Staircase. He also did a Loretta Young suspense thriller Cause For Alarm a couple of years earlier. The play Dinelli wrote was originally entitled The Man and it ran for 92 performances on Broadway during the 1950 season. It was Dinelli's only effort on Broadway and it starred Dorothy Gish and Richard Boone.
The roles that Gish and Boone played are taken by Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. For whatever reason RKO thought to eliminate the age difference. Dinelli himself rewrote his play for the screen so I'm wondering what he thought about that. Certainly the frailty issue was eliminated completely from the story.
That wasn't the only thing that was eliminated. The people are all wearing period clothing from around World War I yet there's no reference at all to the time this story takes place in. I thought that strange and later on when the telephone company repairman comes to Ida Lupino's residence, I noticed his truck was a vintage one of the same era.
The film is almost entirely set within Ida Lupino's home where she's hired an itinerant stranger in Robert Ryan as a handyman. The film is a great object lesson in not hiring strangers without reference. It turns out that Ryan is a schizophrenic who imprisons Lupino in her home for about a day.
Both the leads do fine jobs even with the changes made. Films like Beware My Lovely are the stuff that a small studio like RKO did best. If this were done at MGM or Paramount the glossy trappings would have overwhelmed a solid story.
The roles that Gish and Boone played are taken by Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. For whatever reason RKO thought to eliminate the age difference. Dinelli himself rewrote his play for the screen so I'm wondering what he thought about that. Certainly the frailty issue was eliminated completely from the story.
That wasn't the only thing that was eliminated. The people are all wearing period clothing from around World War I yet there's no reference at all to the time this story takes place in. I thought that strange and later on when the telephone company repairman comes to Ida Lupino's residence, I noticed his truck was a vintage one of the same era.
The film is almost entirely set within Ida Lupino's home where she's hired an itinerant stranger in Robert Ryan as a handyman. The film is a great object lesson in not hiring strangers without reference. It turns out that Ryan is a schizophrenic who imprisons Lupino in her home for about a day.
Both the leads do fine jobs even with the changes made. Films like Beware My Lovely are the stuff that a small studio like RKO did best. If this were done at MGM or Paramount the glossy trappings would have overwhelmed a solid story.
Ida Lupino a homely widow?
oversplayer27 November 2012
I saw this film yesterday for the first time, and I guess it shows that one's opinions of beauty (and the caliber of acting) really are in the "eyes of the beholder." I decided to write this "review" for one primary reason: The writer of the first review referred to Ida Lupino's role as that of "a homely widow." Homely? If Ida was "homely" in this film, then my taste in women must be flat ass backwards. I thought she was gorgeous, quite possibly the best I've ever seen her look. The other reviewers with whom I strongly disagree are those who criticized the acting. Say what you will about the film (it undeniably had it's flaws as well as its strengths), IMHO, the acting of the two principals was absolutely spectacular. Robert Ryan's expressions changed almost by the second as he slipped into, and out of, reality. And Ida was magnificent from beginning to end. I agree that the ending was a major disappointment. My immediate reaction to it was to say to myself, "THAT'S the end?" Nevertheless, the experience of watching those two performers play off each other for an hour and a half is definitely one that I would strongly recommend.
Don't Place That Ad
dougdoepke22 November 2007
The movie with its single set, minimal cast, and straightforward photography (except for a couple of brief special effects) reminds me of one of those old 60 minute playhouse dramas so popular during TV's early years. Nonetheless, the suspense hangs heavy over poor war widow Ida Lupino as she tries to deal with her semi-psychotic handyman Robert Ryan before one of his mood-swings kills her. And who better to play the troubled part than that great actor Ryan. He wasn't very versatile-- watching him essay comedy is almost painful. But no one was better at wounded idealism (On Dangerous Ground) or the psychic pain of this movie. Few actors could express as much with their eyes as this lean and towering figure.
Lupino's problem is that she's locked up in her house with a man who is kind and gentle one moment and raging the next. The suspense comes from her various ploys to keep him happy while trying to escape. It's a nail-biter all the way. This is not one of Lupino's many fine "soulful" parts that she was so good at. Instead, it's a role many lesser actresses could have handled well enough. My favorite scene is with Ryan and bratty teenager Margaret Whiting. Ryan's already having difficulty with his masculinity and what others are saying about him. Then when Whiting walks in and finds the attractive-looking Ryan scrubbing the floor, she starts getting coy, flirting with her budding sexuality. Sensing trouble, Ryan abruptly fends her off-- finesse is not his strong suit. Insulted, Whiting attacks his masculinity by calling his work "women's work". That does it. Up to that point he's been courteous and professional with Lupino, trying to set himself on a normal path. But Whiting has hit his raw nerve. Now there's heck to pay as Whiting bounces out the door, leaving Lupino to pay the price. It's a riveting scene, expertly done.
Anyway, this is one of the dozen or so films produced by Lupino and her husband at a time when audiences were moving away from these little black-and-whites in favor of wide-screen spectacles. Too bad. What a hugely talented figure she was both behind the camera and in front. She deserves at least an honorary Oscar from a movie industry to which she contributed so much.
Lupino's problem is that she's locked up in her house with a man who is kind and gentle one moment and raging the next. The suspense comes from her various ploys to keep him happy while trying to escape. It's a nail-biter all the way. This is not one of Lupino's many fine "soulful" parts that she was so good at. Instead, it's a role many lesser actresses could have handled well enough. My favorite scene is with Ryan and bratty teenager Margaret Whiting. Ryan's already having difficulty with his masculinity and what others are saying about him. Then when Whiting walks in and finds the attractive-looking Ryan scrubbing the floor, she starts getting coy, flirting with her budding sexuality. Sensing trouble, Ryan abruptly fends her off-- finesse is not his strong suit. Insulted, Whiting attacks his masculinity by calling his work "women's work". That does it. Up to that point he's been courteous and professional with Lupino, trying to set himself on a normal path. But Whiting has hit his raw nerve. Now there's heck to pay as Whiting bounces out the door, leaving Lupino to pay the price. It's a riveting scene, expertly done.
Anyway, this is one of the dozen or so films produced by Lupino and her husband at a time when audiences were moving away from these little black-and-whites in favor of wide-screen spectacles. Too bad. What a hugely talented figure she was both behind the camera and in front. She deserves at least an honorary Oscar from a movie industry to which she contributed so much.
The Man, The Play & The Actor.
hitchcockthelegend5 November 2009
We are in a small town, a homely widow (Ida Lupino) hires a handyman (Robert Ryan) to look after her house. She soon starts to regret it as Ryan grows erratic by the hour, it appears that she is host to a dangerous schizophrenic, and now she is unable to escape her house.
Beware, My Lovely is adapted from Mel Dinelli's (The Spiral Staircase) story and play called "The Man". Pretty much a one set movie and a two character driven piece, the film boasts two great central performances and offers up an interesting take on mental illness. One however shouldn't be fooled into thinking this is a violent and nerve shredding picture, because it isn't. It's clear from the get go that Ryan's Howard Wilton is a dangerously troubled man, but this is a different sort of "peril" movie, one that throws up another slant on psychosis and thus making it difficult to hate our dangerous protagonist.
Ryan and Lupino are a great combination, they had also done the excellent, and far better, On Dangerous Ground this same year. So with both actors clearly comfortable together, it brings out a finely tuned character story all based in the confines of one house or prison as it were. Ryan is particularly strong as his character flits in and out of madness, with some scenes powerful and at times inducing fear, while at others garnering deep sympathy. The direction from Harry Horner is safe (he in truth doesn't have to do much other than let his actors run with it) and George E. Diskant's cinematography contains some smart and impacting visual touches -with one involving Christmas tree baubles immensely memorable.
Falling some where in between being average and great, picture has enough about it to make it a recommendation to fans of borderline and easy to follow film noir. For fans of Robert Ryan, though, it's something of an essential viewing, oh yes, and then some. 7/10
Beware, My Lovely is adapted from Mel Dinelli's (The Spiral Staircase) story and play called "The Man". Pretty much a one set movie and a two character driven piece, the film boasts two great central performances and offers up an interesting take on mental illness. One however shouldn't be fooled into thinking this is a violent and nerve shredding picture, because it isn't. It's clear from the get go that Ryan's Howard Wilton is a dangerously troubled man, but this is a different sort of "peril" movie, one that throws up another slant on psychosis and thus making it difficult to hate our dangerous protagonist.
Ryan and Lupino are a great combination, they had also done the excellent, and far better, On Dangerous Ground this same year. So with both actors clearly comfortable together, it brings out a finely tuned character story all based in the confines of one house or prison as it were. Ryan is particularly strong as his character flits in and out of madness, with some scenes powerful and at times inducing fear, while at others garnering deep sympathy. The direction from Harry Horner is safe (he in truth doesn't have to do much other than let his actors run with it) and George E. Diskant's cinematography contains some smart and impacting visual touches -with one involving Christmas tree baubles immensely memorable.
Falling some where in between being average and great, picture has enough about it to make it a recommendation to fans of borderline and easy to follow film noir. For fans of Robert Ryan, though, it's something of an essential viewing, oh yes, and then some. 7/10
Impressive Visuals & Marvellous Performances
seymourblack-115 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This tense "woman-in-danger" thriller is a low budget offering from Ida Lupino and Collier Young's independent production company "The Filmmakers". Its brief running time and claustrophobic atmosphere contribute strongly to the intensity of the piece but its impressive visuals and the marvellous performances are what ultimately make it so enjoyable.
Howard Wilton (Robert Ryan), a handyman who never stays in one place too long, arrives at the small town boarding house run by teacher and war widow Helen Gordon (Ida Lupino) and is immediately hired to help clean the large property in readiness for the Christmas holiday. With no boarders currently in the house, Howard and Helen are alone in the place and it quickly becomes apparent that Howard's behaviour is a little unusual. He sees his previous dead employer's image in a bucket of water and anxiously asks for reassurance from Helen that his work is satisfactory. He works hard at cleaning the floors but is uncomfortable because he thinks Helen is always watching him.
Helen's flirtatious niece Ruth (Barbara Whiting) reacts badly when Howard doesn't appreciate her behaviour and taunts him for doing "a woman's job". This makes him furious and after she leaves he locks the doors of the house and keeps the keys in his pocket. He then becomes increasingly unstable and threatening as he effectively makes Helen his prisoner. His violent mood-swings become extreme and unpredictable and he also has alarming lapses of memory. On various occasions, he terrorises Helen in various ways including shutting her in the basement and threatening her with a pair of scissors. He even tries to kiss her after putting on her husband's military uniform-coat and tears the telephone lead out from the wall.
When Helen's nightmare finally comes to an end, it happens unexpectedly and in a way that's certainly not typical of this type of thriller.
Robert Ryan's facial expressions convey his character's anxiety, confusion and anger very convincingly and he's also similarly believable in showing how vulnerable, insecure and lonely Howard is at other times. Ida Lupino strikes a perfect balance in showing the combination of control and sheer terror that Helen experiences and in doing so, is very credible as an intelligent woman who tries to use different strategies to extricate herself from her ordeal.
The use of superimposed images seen during a train journey and in a bucket of water are very effective as are the use of mirror images (a favourite noir motif) to visually emphasis Howard's schizophrenia.
"Beware My Lovely" is typical of much of "The Filmmakers" work as its quality easily surpasses what would normally be expected of so modest a production.
Howard Wilton (Robert Ryan), a handyman who never stays in one place too long, arrives at the small town boarding house run by teacher and war widow Helen Gordon (Ida Lupino) and is immediately hired to help clean the large property in readiness for the Christmas holiday. With no boarders currently in the house, Howard and Helen are alone in the place and it quickly becomes apparent that Howard's behaviour is a little unusual. He sees his previous dead employer's image in a bucket of water and anxiously asks for reassurance from Helen that his work is satisfactory. He works hard at cleaning the floors but is uncomfortable because he thinks Helen is always watching him.
Helen's flirtatious niece Ruth (Barbara Whiting) reacts badly when Howard doesn't appreciate her behaviour and taunts him for doing "a woman's job". This makes him furious and after she leaves he locks the doors of the house and keeps the keys in his pocket. He then becomes increasingly unstable and threatening as he effectively makes Helen his prisoner. His violent mood-swings become extreme and unpredictable and he also has alarming lapses of memory. On various occasions, he terrorises Helen in various ways including shutting her in the basement and threatening her with a pair of scissors. He even tries to kiss her after putting on her husband's military uniform-coat and tears the telephone lead out from the wall.
When Helen's nightmare finally comes to an end, it happens unexpectedly and in a way that's certainly not typical of this type of thriller.
Robert Ryan's facial expressions convey his character's anxiety, confusion and anger very convincingly and he's also similarly believable in showing how vulnerable, insecure and lonely Howard is at other times. Ida Lupino strikes a perfect balance in showing the combination of control and sheer terror that Helen experiences and in doing so, is very credible as an intelligent woman who tries to use different strategies to extricate herself from her ordeal.
The use of superimposed images seen during a train journey and in a bucket of water are very effective as are the use of mirror images (a favourite noir motif) to visually emphasis Howard's schizophrenia.
"Beware My Lovely" is typical of much of "The Filmmakers" work as its quality easily surpasses what would normally be expected of so modest a production.
Beware, My Lovely
CinemaSerf7 December 2023
Robert Ryan is effectively menacing in this drama of a loner ("Wilton") who takes a job as a factotum at the home of the sympathetic, recently widowed "Helen" (Ida Lupino). He suffers from a paranoia that leads him to believe that everyone is against him - and given the suspicious-looking opening scenes of the movie, that includes the audience too. When she finds herself alone in the house with him, the doors and windows locked and the telephone ripped from it's socket - we all begin to fear for her safety. Ryan was frequently quite a wooden actor, but here he cleverly portrays the character with much more psychology to his sense of threat that just the sheer physical (though there is a little of that, too). Harry Horner manages to build the sense of peril really quite well, interspersed only by a few interruptions by visiting kids who might, or might not, offer her a route to safety from the prison that is her own home. The ending is also interesting - not quite what you might expect, either. Lupino and Ryan work well together, here - it's well worth the watch.
Beware Of Strangers
telegonus18 July 2001
Beware, My Lovely is an experimental studio film from the early fifties and was directed by a man, Harry Horner, better known for his set designs. Robert Ryan plays a handyman who is hired by Ida Lupino to do some housework for her. The problem is that he is a psychopathic murderer and doesn't know it. Miss Lupino is an empathetic soul and tries to win Ryan over, to little avail. He is not the sort of man compassion could help or cure. Thus we have an interesting situation of two people who basically mean well, but one of them can't do well because there is something wrong with him. He suffers periodic blackouts during which he commits acts of violence, which he later forgets.
Essentially the effect Ryan has on Lupino is that of the hunter and his prey, or in another sense a sadist. The audience finds out early on that Ryan is a mad killer, but it takes Lupino much longer. Thus we must live with this knowledge as we watch poor Miss Lupino try everything in her power to 'win' Ryan over in order to make things work, get the job done, get on with life. But getting on with things isn't in Ryan's makeup, as he is incapable of any but the most rudimentary forms of normality, and as soon as there is an opening his paranoia asserts itself.
As a study in mental illness the movie isn't too impressive. What it's superlative at is showing the effect of major mental illness, with dangerous psychopathology in the mix, and its effect on a normal person. In this regard the film is realistic and compassionate, though relentlessly logical in that we know Lupino can't 'fix' Ryan, yet we want her to. The result is that, if one is willing, one can get extremely involved in this film emotionally if one can put aside, so to speak, its melodramatic structure.
Horner shows us, gradually, the layout the Lupino house , a forbidding gothic monstrosity that never feels like a home. We become familiar with staircase, kitchen and pantry; and we come to know which windows Miss Lupino can use for an escape and which ones she can't.
Essentially the effect Ryan has on Lupino is that of the hunter and his prey, or in another sense a sadist. The audience finds out early on that Ryan is a mad killer, but it takes Lupino much longer. Thus we must live with this knowledge as we watch poor Miss Lupino try everything in her power to 'win' Ryan over in order to make things work, get the job done, get on with life. But getting on with things isn't in Ryan's makeup, as he is incapable of any but the most rudimentary forms of normality, and as soon as there is an opening his paranoia asserts itself.
As a study in mental illness the movie isn't too impressive. What it's superlative at is showing the effect of major mental illness, with dangerous psychopathology in the mix, and its effect on a normal person. In this regard the film is realistic and compassionate, though relentlessly logical in that we know Lupino can't 'fix' Ryan, yet we want her to. The result is that, if one is willing, one can get extremely involved in this film emotionally if one can put aside, so to speak, its melodramatic structure.
Horner shows us, gradually, the layout the Lupino house , a forbidding gothic monstrosity that never feels like a home. We become familiar with staircase, kitchen and pantry; and we come to know which windows Miss Lupino can use for an escape and which ones she can't.
Decent thriller on the whole
russjones-8088712 May 2020
Set in December 1918, a war widow hires a handyman to look after her house. She soon discovers he is a dangerous schizophrenic by which time she is his captive.
Based on a play, the story revolves around Ida Lupino as the widow and Robert Ryan as her captor. Allowing a complete stranger into the home is improbable and it is stagey at times but the performances make it watchable.
Based on a play, the story revolves around Ida Lupino as the widow and Robert Ryan as her captor. Allowing a complete stranger into the home is improbable and it is stagey at times but the performances make it watchable.
Early psycho-thriller
Leofwine_draca4 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
BEWARE, MY LOVELY is an interesting little psycho-thriller made before that genre even existed. It's essentially a two-hander (with a few peripheral characters for good measure) in which housewife Ida Lupino is menaced by handyman Robert Ryan. The latter is extremely good when playing up the quiet menace and madness of his character; he's typically cast as a hero but is just as effective on the other side. Lupino is assured and courageous throughout. The film's suspense is in short supply, and it suffers from a huge non-ending, but for fans of either star or those looking to trace the development of this sub-genre of film it's worth a look.
well-done....
MarieGabrielle23 June 2007
The subject is World War II and Robert Ryan is a rejected soldier whom Lupino hires as handyman. She is a war widow.
The set is limited but the acting makes up for this. Robert Ryan is conflicted: one moment he seems nice, then confused about where he lives. At first Lupino tries to help him. He seems troubled but nothing more dangerous. But how do we know? The suspense builds. I truly enjoy films like this, which rely on the human element for suspense. What is this man capable of?. There are some scenes with O.Z. Whitehead and Dee Pollock as an annoying grocery boy who sees something is wrong. We keep thinking she will be helped, then Ryan's personality turns again. He becomes like a Jekyll/Hyde character and eventually chases Lupino with a knife.
Worth watching for these two superb actors. 9/10.
The set is limited but the acting makes up for this. Robert Ryan is conflicted: one moment he seems nice, then confused about where he lives. At first Lupino tries to help him. He seems troubled but nothing more dangerous. But how do we know? The suspense builds. I truly enjoy films like this, which rely on the human element for suspense. What is this man capable of?. There are some scenes with O.Z. Whitehead and Dee Pollock as an annoying grocery boy who sees something is wrong. We keep thinking she will be helped, then Ryan's personality turns again. He becomes like a Jekyll/Hyde character and eventually chases Lupino with a knife.
Worth watching for these two superb actors. 9/10.
Don't be alone with the handyman
blanche-220 May 2006
Ida Lupino is trapped in her own home by crazy Robert Ryan in "Beware, My Lovely," a 1952 film from RKO. Lupino and Ryan did three films together and worked well as a team, both being consummate professionals and strong performers. In this film, based on a Broadway play called "The Man," Lupino is a World War I widow who rents out a room in her home. She's very active and well-liked in her community and though her husband has been dead for two years, she's not ready to move on. The man who rents her room goes on vacation, and Lupino hires Robert Ryan to help her with some heavy-duty cleaning in the house. He's friendly enough to start, but later terrorizes her, locking her in the house, and not allowing her to answer the phone or the door, as he grows violent and more out of touch with reality.
The character played by Ryan is shown in the beginning of the movie running away when he discovers a dead body in another house he's working in. It isn't clear whether or not he's the killer, since he seems surprised to see the body. He might be a split personality, as when his personality turns ugly toward Lupino, he seems to have no memory of his activities when he comes out of it. He doesn't know that he has the keys to Lupino's house in his pocket and doesn't know why he has tickets to a party that he bought from young children who came to the door.
"Beware, My Lovely," is a very suspenseful film, and the two leads give terrific performances. The tension builds to a very high level and ends in a way you're not expecting.
The character played by Ryan is shown in the beginning of the movie running away when he discovers a dead body in another house he's working in. It isn't clear whether or not he's the killer, since he seems surprised to see the body. He might be a split personality, as when his personality turns ugly toward Lupino, he seems to have no memory of his activities when he comes out of it. He doesn't know that he has the keys to Lupino's house in his pocket and doesn't know why he has tickets to a party that he bought from young children who came to the door.
"Beware, My Lovely," is a very suspenseful film, and the two leads give terrific performances. The tension builds to a very high level and ends in a way you're not expecting.
Actors: Pros, Story: Amateurish
bunnyisms24 June 2007
Warning: Spoilers
The only reason this movie is not given a 1 (awful) vote is that the acting of both Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan is superb. Ida Lupino who is lovely, as usual, becomes increasingly distraught as she tries various means to rid herself of a madman. Robert Ryan is terrifying as the menacing stranger whose character, guided only by his disturbed mind, changes from one minute to the next. Seemingly simple and docile, suddenly he becomes clever and threatening. Ms. Lupino's character was in more danger from that house she lived in and her own stupidity than by anyone who came along. She could not manage to get out of her of her own house: windows didn't open, both front and back doors locked and unlocked from the inside with a key. You could not have designed a worse fire-trap if you tried. She did not take the precaution of having even one extra key. Nor could she figure out how to summon help from nearby neighbors or get out of her own basement while she was locked in and out of sight of her captor. I don't know what war her husband was killed in, but if it was World War II, the furnishings in her house, the styles of the clothes, especially the children and the telephone company repairman's car are clearly anachronistic. I recommend watching this movie just to see what oddities you can find.
Proficient ,and gripping thriller
lorenellroy9 June 2003
Mel Dinelli , whose contributions to the movies include the intelligent scripts to the minor classics "The Window " and "The Spiral Staircase" wrote a play called "The Man " which ran on Broadway and provided the source material for this entertaining minor thriller . Ida Lupino plays a widow in small town middle America ,shortly after World War one ,who gives a job as house cleaner to a vagrant ,played by Robert Ryan ,unaware that he is a psychopath ,with a tendency to memory lapses ,and a history of killing his former employers as well as having a major persecution complex. It is not too long before she is being held prisoner in her own home and in mortal fear of her life .
Crisp direction from Harry Horner and two coiled spring performances by the estimable leads keep interest and tension high . Only a strident and conventional score ,replete with skittish strings and discordant brass ,plus a somewhat rushed ending mitigate against a higher rating.
Gripping and enjoyable all the same with both stars confirming how undervalued they still are.
Crisp direction from Harry Horner and two coiled spring performances by the estimable leads keep interest and tension high . Only a strident and conventional score ,replete with skittish strings and discordant brass ,plus a somewhat rushed ending mitigate against a higher rating.
Gripping and enjoyable all the same with both stars confirming how undervalued they still are.
Howard's not such a bad guy.He just has trouble remembering things thats all.
sol-kay12 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** Since her husband was killed in action on the Western Front war widow Helen Gordon, Ida Lupino, has been having a hard time keeping up and cleaning the Victorian style house her husband left her. It's when the handy man Howard Withon, Robert Ryan, showed up for work that Helen's housekeeping troubles were not only solved by the very eager to do a good job Howard he also put her safety and very life in danger as well.
Howard being the good and excellent worker that he is is very sensitive in what he thinks what people think of him and his work. He also has trouble remembering things like where he came from what he did and who he worked for previously as a handy man and most of all does he have a criminal record like assault & battery or even murder. Were shown that at his previous place of employment the lady of the house was found murdered by Howard and he just took off feeling that he while in some kind of self induced hypnotic trance murdered her.
All throughout the movie Howard goes from hot to cold, and bad to good, in his feeling about what Helen thinks about him and especially his work cleaning up her house. Helen at first thought that Howard was a bit of an odd-ball but harmless. That's until he went nuts when he found out that the room he wanted to stay at that Helen was renting out to Mr. Armstrong, Taylor Holmes, was not available to him. It's when Howard did find out that in fact Armstrong's room was rented out to a Mr. Franks, O.Z Whitehead, without his knowing that he completely flipped his lid!
With Howard now completely out of control Helen tries to get help by calling the police only to have Howard pull out the telephone cord and locked her in the house as he tries to figure out his next move. With Howard having serious memory problems he keeps forgetting what he's doing making Helen's desperate situation, in her being a prisoner in her own house, far worse then it already is.
****SPOILERS**** Even though Howard isn't someone you'd want to invite home for dinner with the family he is at times very childlike in his behavior and entertaining even if a bit nuts! Howard soon himself realizes that he's a dangerous and possibly homicidal lunatic in the few lucid moments he has in the film. It's then when he decides to turn himself over to the telephone repair man Mr.Stevens,James Willmas, who drives him to the local hospital mental clinic to get him help. The kind of help that Howard needed his entire life which by now, with him possibly involved with a slew of murders of housekeepers in and around town, he just about ruined.
Howard being the good and excellent worker that he is is very sensitive in what he thinks what people think of him and his work. He also has trouble remembering things like where he came from what he did and who he worked for previously as a handy man and most of all does he have a criminal record like assault & battery or even murder. Were shown that at his previous place of employment the lady of the house was found murdered by Howard and he just took off feeling that he while in some kind of self induced hypnotic trance murdered her.
All throughout the movie Howard goes from hot to cold, and bad to good, in his feeling about what Helen thinks about him and especially his work cleaning up her house. Helen at first thought that Howard was a bit of an odd-ball but harmless. That's until he went nuts when he found out that the room he wanted to stay at that Helen was renting out to Mr. Armstrong, Taylor Holmes, was not available to him. It's when Howard did find out that in fact Armstrong's room was rented out to a Mr. Franks, O.Z Whitehead, without his knowing that he completely flipped his lid!
With Howard now completely out of control Helen tries to get help by calling the police only to have Howard pull out the telephone cord and locked her in the house as he tries to figure out his next move. With Howard having serious memory problems he keeps forgetting what he's doing making Helen's desperate situation, in her being a prisoner in her own house, far worse then it already is.
****SPOILERS**** Even though Howard isn't someone you'd want to invite home for dinner with the family he is at times very childlike in his behavior and entertaining even if a bit nuts! Howard soon himself realizes that he's a dangerous and possibly homicidal lunatic in the few lucid moments he has in the film. It's then when he decides to turn himself over to the telephone repair man Mr.Stevens,James Willmas, who drives him to the local hospital mental clinic to get him help. The kind of help that Howard needed his entire life which by now, with him possibly involved with a slew of murders of housekeepers in and around town, he just about ruined.
Not bad for an early 1950s psychology film
Marlburian28 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Others have already made all the comments I would like to make. I don't know much about psychology and psychiatry, but Ryan's character didn't strike me as psychopathic or completely beyond control - just very sad. He may get angry with Helen, and she's obviously very frightened by him, but he never threatens her with violence.
The ending was a bit of an anticlimax, and I remain just a little uncertain whether Howard had killed the woman in the opening sequence. A lesser film might have had the cops bursting into the house and saving Helen at the last moment, and then telling her that "we've been looking for this guy about a murder over in wherever".
I could sympathise with Helen for her ordeal, but it was Howard that I felt sorry for, which is a tribute to Ryan's acting against type.
The ending was a bit of an anticlimax, and I remain just a little uncertain whether Howard had killed the woman in the opening sequence. A lesser film might have had the cops bursting into the house and saving Helen at the last moment, and then telling her that "we've been looking for this guy about a murder over in wherever".
I could sympathise with Helen for her ordeal, but it was Howard that I felt sorry for, which is a tribute to Ryan's acting against type.
Should Have Used Checkatrade!
kalbimassey2 September 2020
Never allowing tradesmen into your home other than by recommendation appears to make perfect sense. Society in 1918 was more rustic, trusting and honorable. A world on the brink of modernity with the roaring '20's beckoning. Optimistic, but bearing the scars of The Great War.
Having lost her husband in the conflict, Ida Lupino personifies this mood. She has no qualms over hiring Robert Ryan as a handyman, blissfully unaware that he has rapidly distanced himself from a previous traumatic experience. Initially, 'Beware My Lovely' settles into a bland, comfortable groove. The dog is the first to discover that Ryan might just be two sandwiches short of a picnic. Steadily, his darker, more unstable side begins to appear. Lupino's niece (Barbara Whiting) fans the flames nicely by peppering him with a bag of potato crisps (No don't ask which flavour!) for his reticence to engage in a conversation.
The movie develops into an exploration of the alarming effect of being confined in one's home with an individual who is disturbed, unpredictable and potentially violent. A situation intensified by Lupino's obvious pride in home comforts.
The events occur just as the festive season launches into overdrive, not that B.M.L. could be regarded as a Christmas film. Don't expect it to appear on a double bill of festive family fun with Home Alone any time soon! Sporadically, Lupino has encounters with excited, expectant children which only serve to amplify her own harrowing plight.
Ryan and Lupino appeared together in the powerful On Dangerous Ground. Here they are different characters in a different setting and period, but similar themes of loss, loneliness, fear and isolation are evident.
Not a classic psycho-noir, but one which draws memorable performances from its two main stars.
Having lost her husband in the conflict, Ida Lupino personifies this mood. She has no qualms over hiring Robert Ryan as a handyman, blissfully unaware that he has rapidly distanced himself from a previous traumatic experience. Initially, 'Beware My Lovely' settles into a bland, comfortable groove. The dog is the first to discover that Ryan might just be two sandwiches short of a picnic. Steadily, his darker, more unstable side begins to appear. Lupino's niece (Barbara Whiting) fans the flames nicely by peppering him with a bag of potato crisps (No don't ask which flavour!) for his reticence to engage in a conversation.
The movie develops into an exploration of the alarming effect of being confined in one's home with an individual who is disturbed, unpredictable and potentially violent. A situation intensified by Lupino's obvious pride in home comforts.
The events occur just as the festive season launches into overdrive, not that B.M.L. could be regarded as a Christmas film. Don't expect it to appear on a double bill of festive family fun with Home Alone any time soon! Sporadically, Lupino has encounters with excited, expectant children which only serve to amplify her own harrowing plight.
Ryan and Lupino appeared together in the powerful On Dangerous Ground. Here they are different characters in a different setting and period, but similar themes of loss, loneliness, fear and isolation are evident.
Not a classic psycho-noir, but one which draws memorable performances from its two main stars.
Death might be your Santa Claus.
ulicknormanowen22 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It could have been filmed on stage, for almost everything happens in Lupino's house on Xmas' eve ; it's not gratuitous : children's joy , excited just before the coming of Santa Claus ,sharply contrasts with Ryan's fate who seems to come out of nowhere,bound to nowhere:the first scenes are particularly good; the cleaning-man 's scared face leads the viewer to believe he will play the role of the suspect,the fugitive ,chased by the police .
Although one is never told that Ryan is a murderer , one,little by little, begins to suspect him; "a cleaning -man who sweeps the floor , who polishes ,it's not a man's work !says the contemptuous nasty niece ;later one learns that this man was found wanting when he tried to enlist during WW2; this humiliation ('there was a room full of men and I was as strong as 'em")comes back to haunt him when he sees the photograph of Lupino's killed in action husband ; that he wants to don the late soldier's military coat verges on fetishism .
Ryan ,cast against type, works wonders as a world-weary man , who got a raw deal ; at first Lupino shows sympathy for this last ,lonely and wretched bum,but she realizes the danger : my favorite moment is when she sees her enemy's face reflected on the balls of the Xmas tree ;reflections are often used all along the movie :in water ,in mirrors , on the floor ,as though the character 's reflection was his conscience ,reminding him of what he had done.
Although one is never told that Ryan is a murderer , one,little by little, begins to suspect him; "a cleaning -man who sweeps the floor , who polishes ,it's not a man's work !says the contemptuous nasty niece ;later one learns that this man was found wanting when he tried to enlist during WW2; this humiliation ('there was a room full of men and I was as strong as 'em")comes back to haunt him when he sees the photograph of Lupino's killed in action husband ; that he wants to don the late soldier's military coat verges on fetishism .
Ryan ,cast against type, works wonders as a world-weary man , who got a raw deal ; at first Lupino shows sympathy for this last ,lonely and wretched bum,but she realizes the danger : my favorite moment is when she sees her enemy's face reflected on the balls of the Xmas tree ;reflections are often used all along the movie :in water ,in mirrors , on the floor ,as though the character 's reflection was his conscience ,reminding him of what he had done.
So True
imogen.chiv15 May 2002
When I first saw this film it was about 1956 and even though I saw it again recently I have not changed my mind about it. I think it was Robert Ryans best film, because he portrayed someone like my father, and he was a schizophrenic in real life,(my father) although he never murdered anyone but was affected more so during the second world war which made him worse. Having to humour him just to get by and get through the day was so apt. (My mother and brother had to do this)When I saw Robert Ryan portraying this type of man, it was a very good imitation of this type of individual, and I was impressed.
My logical brain destroyed my enjoyment
howardmorley18 January 2016
I think IMDb's rating of 6/10 is about right.Right from the start I was troubled by Howard turning on the tap which gradually filled the bucket, presumably overflowed, then promptly leaving the house where he has just killed the woman owner.I kept thinking the house must be flooding and would someone call attention to the authorities.We always take recommendations to check the credentials/references of any people we employ before hiring them.Consequently I was irritated by Ida Lupino's character which was very naïve & slack hiring someone unchecked and untested.The logical part of my brain wanted to yell out, "Don't do it".Another example of middle America's naivety was Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" but at least Uncle Charlie was related to the mother in that film.I would have dispensed with Howard's services after he stopped polishing the floor after only 1 minute of work.That is why I detest "soaps" on t.v. as characters never do a stroke of physical work yet have plenty of money for drinks etc.I always say to my wife (jokingly) "I would get a bull-whip and make them do the work!When the hired help starts talking about anything apart from the work for which they are paid/hired, that's when alarm bells should start ringing.
Tedious distress thriller...
moonspinner555 May 2007
Artificial melodrama with a screenplay adapted by Mel Dinelli from his play "The Man" concerns a boarding-house proprietress taking in a troubled handyman who may be homicidal. Despite solid work from Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan (both trying their best), this tedious yarn isn't very inventive within its one primary set (which quickly becomes visually dull) and underpopulated cast of characters (there is however a smart pooch who senses the worst!). Hokey and humorless, with a stilted direction from Harry Horner (perhaps Lupino should have directed?). Where's all the suspense promised by the ads? Dinelli also served as a co-producer. *1/2 from ****
Ida Lupino was a Great Actress & Director!
whpratt16 March 2004
Whenever Ida Lupino appeared or directed a film in the 30's,40's and 50's, you were guaranteed great entertainment even if the picture was black and white. Ida was able to capture audiences and keep them spellbound until the very end of her pictures. In this film as Mrs. Helen Gordon,"High Sierra",'41 along with Robert Ryan,(Howard Wilton),"Golden Gloves",'40 she keeps you guessing just how the relationship is going to turn out and just how poor Mrs. Gordon will be able to have a normal and happy marriage with love and real affection. If you liked Ida Lupino, who could play the roles as a criminal in a woman's prison and prison warden who was hated, this is the film for you to enjoy. I truly believe that Ida Lupino was not given the true credit she deserved for her great talents in the Movie Industry!!!
Two Great Stars In A Promising, Ultimately Disappointing, Noir
Handlinghandel7 November 2004
Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan are two of my favorite performers from the 1940s and 1950s. They're well matched, and this movie has none of the cloying nature of their "On Dangerous Ground."
I watched the beginning twice and still am not sure what Ryan did or didn't do before taking it on the lam and ending up in the town where Lupino is a war widow. He is a very troubled person, though. He's paranoid, insecure, and has occasional violent impulses.
The suspense in this essentially two-character drama builds. It is especially tense when the repairman comes to fix the phones Ryan has pulled out of the wall. Lupino asks if he will give Ryan a ride home -- not that we have any idea where his home is, nor, clearly does Ryan (though he initially acquiesces.)
Unbeknownst to Lupino, Ryan has left the repair van and returned to her house. But she asks the repairman to lock her in for her safety. Uh-oh! But then Ryan leaves of his own accord and she is safe in her home. The viewers when this was in theaters, surely on the edge of their seats at this point, were left to put on their coats and drive home, scratching their heads. We, looking at the video or watching it on TV, do the same today.
I watched the beginning twice and still am not sure what Ryan did or didn't do before taking it on the lam and ending up in the town where Lupino is a war widow. He is a very troubled person, though. He's paranoid, insecure, and has occasional violent impulses.
The suspense in this essentially two-character drama builds. It is especially tense when the repairman comes to fix the phones Ryan has pulled out of the wall. Lupino asks if he will give Ryan a ride home -- not that we have any idea where his home is, nor, clearly does Ryan (though he initially acquiesces.)
Unbeknownst to Lupino, Ryan has left the repair van and returned to her house. But she asks the repairman to lock her in for her safety. Uh-oh! But then Ryan leaves of his own accord and she is safe in her home. The viewers when this was in theaters, surely on the edge of their seats at this point, were left to put on their coats and drive home, scratching their heads. We, looking at the video or watching it on TV, do the same today.
Beware Of Misleading Reviews & Overrated Movies
ccthemovieman-11 December 2006
Wow, what an overrated movie this turned out to be! It was supposed to be "an extremely suspenseful tale of a crazed killer holding a woman hostage and in terror in her home." Well, I doubt it terrorized audiences in the early '50s and I know it would put today's audiences asleep.
"Sends shivers down the spine," proclaims the New York Times. No, the only shivers I get is that anyone is left on the planet who believes anything the N.Y. Times prints about anything.
Well, it was about a deranged man who held a woman hostage for a short time in her house but the man. "Howard Wilton" (Robert Ryan) was actually harmless and friendly. In fact, this was one of the nicest roles Ryan ever played! Yes, "Wilton" was nuts but he never harmed the woman and only wanted a friend to trust.
The film even turned boring after awhile with very little going on except a lot of yakking.
Beware, my reader.....this sucks.
"Sends shivers down the spine," proclaims the New York Times. No, the only shivers I get is that anyone is left on the planet who believes anything the N.Y. Times prints about anything.
Well, it was about a deranged man who held a woman hostage for a short time in her house but the man. "Howard Wilton" (Robert Ryan) was actually harmless and friendly. In fact, this was one of the nicest roles Ryan ever played! Yes, "Wilton" was nuts but he never harmed the woman and only wanted a friend to trust.
The film even turned boring after awhile with very little going on except a lot of yakking.
Beware, my reader.....this sucks.
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