The Dark Mirror (1946) User Reviews

Intrigue , suspense , and murder in this classic of noir cinema

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 4 February 2009]

A murder is committed , and identical twin sisters , Ruth and Terry (Olivia de Havilland) are suspects . A prominent psychologist (Lew Ayres) and a detective (Thomas Mitchell) investigate the deeds to determine which good-bad siblings killed the mysterious corpse , because one of whom is a psycho and nutty woman .

This noir film contains suspense , tensions , psychological drama , a love story and is quite entertaining . Excellent actress Olivia De Havilland gives a completely convincing tour-de-force as a dual role as good and bad girl . Good and fine support cast as Lew Ayres , Thomas Mitchell, Gary Owen and Richard Long . Startling finale climax with an amazing plot twist . Nice special effects perfectly adapted , enabling De Havilland to play two diverse characters , FX are stunningly made by Deveraux Jennins . This psychological thriller has an interesting screenplay brilliantly written by Nunnally Johnson , also producer. Atmospheric musical score by Dimitri Tiomkin based on classic music and evocative cinematography in lights and shades by Milton Krasner . This was first film produced by the new joint venture Universal Pictures-International Pictures . The motion picture was well directed by German director Robert Siodmak who realized his best films during the 40s . His movies reflect a world of desperation , of dark , of threat and killing . The Siodmak's best films are¨ Phantom Lady¨, ¨The spiral staircase¨ and especially : ¨Criss Cross and ¨The killers¨-both starred by Burt Lancaster-, now acknowledged as a classic noir films in which Robert Siodmak set the pattern of the rest of his Hollywood's work, and of course ¨Dark mirror¨.

"Not even nature can duplicate character, not even in twins"

[ackstasis · 7/10 · 9 January 2009]

Psychology is a dubious science as it is, but, when a Hollywood screenwriter gets his hands on it, anything even closely resembling fact is thrown out the window. In the mid-1940s, Freudian psychology reached the peak of its popularity, and films such as Hitchcock's 'Spellbound (1945)' and Lang's 'Secret Beyond the Door… (1947)' utilised their own versions of psychoanalysis to provide easy answers for their characters' delusions. Robert Siodmak's 'The Dark Mirror (1946)' is no different, in that we are offered a half-baked pseudo-scientific dissertation on why even identical twins can be anything but identical when it comes to personality traits. In fact, screenwriter Nunnally Johnson (who also wrote and directed 'The Three Faces of Eve (1957)') actively pumps the familiar but questionable notion that twins respectively represent the good and evil sides of man. This duality is similar to that explored in the earlier versions of 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920/1931/1941),' though the two sides of the human coin are here separated from their mutual shell and allowed to behave as independent entities.

Olivia de Havilland excels in dual roles as Terry and Ruth Collins, twin sisters who might just have pulled off the perfect crime, even if only one knows it. When the sisters' shared boyfriend is murdered in cold blood, two witnesses place one of the twins at the scene of the crime, while three more provide a solid alibi for the other. The only problem is that nobody can tell the pair apart. A police detective (Thomas Mitchell) is torn apart by the case: how can he charge either woman with murder if he can't decide which of the sisters is, in fact, a murderess? Only through Hollywood's good friend Dr. Freud can the true nature of the crime be exposed. The distinction between the "good" and "insane" twin is clearly drawn early in the film, with de Havilland playing one sister, Terry, as a cocky dominator, and the other, Ruth, as more softly-spoken, with eyes always downcast and hands delicately clasped together. Clarifying the dual relationship is some convenient symbolism used in the film's climax: Terry is dressed in black, and Ruth in white.

Convincing optical effects and the use of body doubles are employed successfully to create the illusion of two Olivia de Havillands. The actress does well as both characters, perhaps channelling her dislike of sister Joan Fontaine to portray the snarling, psychotic and homicidally jealous "evil sister." Though they start out perfectly alike, it doesn't take long for the two Collins sisters to develop distinct personalities in the eyes of the audience, and Siodmak should quickly have dispensed with the obvious name-tags (either a necklace or a single letter pin) added to ensure that the audience could follow who was who. Perhaps misguidedly, the presence of twins is at first played largely for laughs, with composer Dimitri Tiomkin keeping the atmosphere surprisingly light and fluffy. Fortunately, however, the mood darkens substantially in the film's second half, as the hatred simmering slowly within the darker twin threatens to spill over into reality. Though the unlikely psychology behind 'The Dark Mirror' tests one's credulity at regular intervals, the strong acting and unique storyline make this one worth seeking out.

dead ringers

[RanchoTuVu · 8/10 · 9 March 2006]

The film is a little bit light, with a bumbling detective played by Thomas Mitchell and vintage Freudian psychoanalysis presented by Lew Ayres, but the twin sister role, one a good girl the other very bad, played by Olivia De Havilland has its moments. Her soft voice can go either direction, sweet and innocent or cold and devious, and the scenes where she is playing both parts, essentially talking to herself, convey a split personality, which might not have been such a bad idea, instead of making two distinct persons. It reaches a zenith in one scene in their dark bedroom with the innocent twin tormented by the mean one, who's telling her to take her sleep medication, and who in fact would like to see her overdose. Freudianism and bungling detective work win out in the end, making this all seem too convenient, and dodging a lot of the possibilities, but the central part, or parts, is DeHavilland at her best.

Lemon Drops and Dopplegangers.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 17 September 2013]

The Dark Mirror is directed by Robert Siodmak and adapted to screenplay by Nunnally Johnson from a story by Vladimir Pozner. It stars Olivia de Havilland, Lew Ayres, Thomas Mitchell, Richard Long and Charles Evans. Music is by Dimitri Tiomkin and cinematography by Milton Krasner.

A man appears to have been murdered by one of the identical twin Collins sisters, but both of whom have an alibi. The police and the psychiatrist have their work cut out...

Straight out of the corner of postwar Hollywood that began to take fascination with mental illness, The Dark Mirror triumphs more as a technical exercise than as anything resembling thought provoking analysis. The simplistic Freudian elements aside, film is impressively mounted and performed by Siodmak and de Havilland respectively. Story follows the trajectory of a cat-and-mouse game, with the makers nicely putting us the viewers into the same struggle the authorities have in sussing out which sister is the damaged killer.

Siodmak's (The Spiral Staircase) attention to detail and grasp of mood setting really lifts the piece to greater heights. Aided by the considerable photographic skills of Krasner (The Set-Up), Siodmak creates a world of psychological disturbance, a place aligned with suspense and symbolism. Right from the doozy of an opening scene to the denouement, Siodmak manages to keep the contrivances to the rear of the play and let de Havilland and the visual textures be the prime focus.

The effects work is very good, with de Havilland having to quite often play off against herself. Sure in today's age of High Definition et al, you don't have to stretch your viewing experience to see how the effects were done, but why would you? Just enjoy de Havillland's riveting performances in the dual roles (see also her excellence in The Snake Pit two years later), her skillful little subtleties as she deftly plays out the respective psychological traits of sibling rivalry gone astray.

Is it a gimmick movie? Well no not really, it's honest about what it wants to achieve in terms of psychiatric observations and treatments. Yet lesser lights than Siodmak, Krasner and de Havilland would have struggled to make it work, especially as the romance angle in the screenplay nearly derails the requisite mood come the finale. Thankfully, in spite of some obvious negatives, it's still well worthy of viewing investment. 7/10

Just Say The First Thing That Enters Your Mind.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 3 November 2013]

It's an entertaining mystery. Olivia De Havilland plays identical twins, one of whom is guilty of murder. But, you know identical twins. It's hard to tell them apart. It's driving the Chief Detective, Thomas Mitchell, nuts. Either Ruth was walking in Jefferson park while Terry was stabbing a swain to death -- or the other way round. A psychologist who happens to specialize in twin research, Lew Ayres, is called into the case and manages to unravel it.

The burden of the film falls on De Havilland, and it's a heavy one. She doesn't only have to play two slightly different characters; she has to play three, because one of the two is covering up a psychotic personality. She does her best to pull off the psychotic monster when it emerges at the end, but it's obviously a strain on her talent because she pops her eyes out and goes through more mental contortions than Humphrey Bogart's Captain Queeg on the witness stand.

Olivia De Havilland is simply too nice a lady. She's no longer the spring chicken of the Errol Flynn movies of ten years earlier but she remains beautiful -- and more than that; delicate, vulnerable, winsome, and edible. It would be a sin to think of her legs. In fact, though, she can be pretty bawdy. In a later interview she described some trouble that Errol Flynn was having with his tights during a kissing scene in "Robin Hood." That's what being schooled in a convent will do to you.

Thomas Mitchell is the exasperated cop; Lew Ayres with a thin mustache is the psychologist who examines the twin sisters. Actually, he shows them a couple of Rorschach ink blots and at least one of them is from the real Rorschach series and showing them in a movie today would be a justiciable offense. The murderous twin's answers are rather revealing too, in a subtle way. Tainted without being obvious. The writer must have done his homework. I speak to you as your psychologist. That will be ten cents.

It's always tricky to pull off a twin movie successfully. It involves a lot of clever work on the part of the visual effects team when the two identical characters appear on the screen at the same time. They've done a splendid job here.

It must be said that without the twin angle there's nothing special about the movie. It's a routine B murder mystery. But with the talent exercised by the writer, the director, and especially De Havilland, it's a neater job than you might expect.

Olivia vs Olivia

[GManfred · 12 August 2012]

As stated in everyone's write-ups, this is a story of a murder with a twist; the perp is one of two identical twins. One alibis for the other, and since both can't be prosecuted for the crime, the guilty one walks. This does not sit well with Insp. Thomas Mitchell, who tries to think of a way to implicate the guilty one - whichever one that is. And so he enlists the help of psychiatrist Lew Ayres.

At first, the murder is presented as an unsolvable conundrum and in a light-hearted vein, but things get serious thereafter and, unfortunately, the plot begins to bog down over some technical psychological data. But Olivia DeHavilland saves the day and the movie with a splendid performance (or two) as the twins. Gradually there appear personality differences so that even the audience can tell the difference between the two. Not many actresses could have pulled off the layered performances of the twins, but not many actresses are as proficient or as skilled as DeHavilland.

This is another neglected gem from Universal's cobwebbed movie vaults that needs to be put into circulation by that comatose studio. It is one of Ms. DeHavilland's best performances and raises an average, talky movie to classic status.

Olivia is twins!

[jem132 · 7/10 · 24 April 2008]

Olivia is twins! This is an entertaining noir/thriller coated with very fashionable mid-40's Freudian elements. Olivia de Havilland plays identical twins, one good (Ruth) and one bad (Terry). One has committed a murder. But how will dogged detective Thomas Mitchell and psychiatrist Lew Awyres nail the right sister?

From the outset, it's pretty obvious that Terry is our murderess, and that Ayres will inevitably fall in love with the good de Havilland, Ruth. However, the fun is in getting there! Olivia de Havilland puts in some very memorable work as the twins, making Terry cold, calculating yet very much in control, and Ruth sweeter and more submissive yet still individual. The identical twins angle is an obvious gimmick, and the first time I saw two de Havilland's on screen I chuckled, yet it becomes very convincing as the film goes on, in large part due to Olivia de Havilland. And the technology is still impressive. Siodmak has lots of fun with the doubling, and creates many trademark noir moments of shadow and intrigue. Lew Awyres is quite interesting in his part. Sixteen years on from his beautiful performance in "All Quiet On The Western Front" he is very lithe, moustached and full of reassuring class. The film is pure melodrama but it's served up very well.

Olivia de Havilland's role of her life

[Petey-10 · 9/10 · 13 November 2006]

A man is murdered, and a woman called Ruth Collins is seen at the scene of the crime.The case gets tricky, when is found out that Ruth has a twin sister, Terry.They both have to then go see a psychiatrist, Dr.Scott Elliott.The doc falls for the normal sister, but which is which? The other one of them is capable of committing a cold blooded murder, but which one? Robert Siodmak's Film-Noir The Dark Mirror (1946) takes some Freudian turns as it goes on.Olivia de Havilland shines in a dual role.She's terrific as the psychotic sister as well as the normal one.Lew Ayres is great as the Shrink.Character actor Thomas Mitchell does very fine job as Lt.Stevenson.This movie was very fascinating to watch.It gave some challenge finding out which one did it.60 years has done no harm to this film.

One of these twins is not like the other.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 26 January 2013]

Olivia de Havilland gives one of her greatest performances in a dual role as twin sisters, one of them a psychopathic murderess. At first glance, these two ladies (who alternate working at a newspaper stand, one pretending to be the other) seem so much alike, so at first her performance is difficult to make heads or tails of which character she is playing. But everything is not as it seems, and when detective Thomas Mitchell (her co-star from "Gone With the Wind") and psychiatrist Lew Ayres get involved, it will only be a matter of time before the psycho is exposed. In the meantime, the innocent one shows signs of mental illness herself and a clever scheme ends up exposing the truth, resulting in a truly shocking ending.

DeHavilland is one of those actresses who as she aged became "grander and grander", bringing in qualities of Melanie Wilkes into many of her performances with breathy lady-like qualities that made her sometimes too good to be true. But this performance is one exception, even though the manners and politeness are still there, qualities of the butterfly who spits acid are slowly revealed inside both characters. In a sense, this is close to her truly only other performance of this nature, the evil cousin in "Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte" who seemed all cream and sugar on the outside, but was filled with venom when all was said and done.

The slow road to revealing the truth about both personalities is worth the wait, the examinations of Ayres' psychiatrist revealing the neurotic nature of one and psychotic manners of the other. Then, you end up confused for a bit, not knowing which one is whom as the trail leads to the end of the road for one and heartbreak for the other. The result is pleasantly perplexing, concluding in a manner that is never melodramatic in spite of its tragic circumstances. Watching the guilty party slowly being trapped and revealed will have you on the edge of your seat.

While the analogy of what twins are supposedly like (mirror images the same in all but mentality) is implausible, this does reveal some pondering ideas of the intensity of their relationships. This was one of several melodramas about twins released during this time, the others being the camp "Cobra Woman" with Maria Montez and the Bette Davis melodrama "A Stolen Life", all about one good sister and one bad, but connected with the other so tightly that the result could only be destruction for one and a difficult journey for the other. Daytime soaps have also dealt with the same issue ("Days of Our Lives'" Marlena and Sam; "All My Children's" Stuart and Adam, etc), so obviously, films like this made some impression on the writers who created those characters.

Intriguing Film-Noir

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 12 November 2009]

When Dr. Frank Peralta is found stabbed to death straight to the heart in his apartment, two neighbors swear to the veteran Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell), who is charge of the investigation, that they saw Ruth Collins (Olivia de Havilland) leaving his apartment late night. The detective interrogates Ruth and she has the alibi of three witnesses that she was walking around in the Jefferson Park during the night. Then he visits Ruth in her apartment and discovers that she has an identical twin sister called Terry. Lt. Stevenson does not know who the killer is and the prosecutor does not accept to open the case. The sisters can not find a job and Dr. Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), who is a specialist in twins that had been contacted by Lt. Steenson and has a crush on Ruth, offers a reasonable allowance to the sisters to be submitted to a series of tests for his research of personalities of twins. Scott finds through the results that Terry is a psychotic woman and Ruth might be in danger.

"The Dark Mirror" is a tense psychological film-noir with an intriguing story that has excellent beginning and conclusion. The impressive performance of Olivia de Havilland in a dual role is top-notch, using different attitudes for each sister; and the direction of Robert Siodmak is tight as usual. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Espelho d'Alma" ("Mirror of the Soul")

Psychological Film Noir with Highly Convincing Central Performance(s)

[l_rawjalaurence · 7/10 · 11 May 2014]

THE DARK MIRROR is a lesser-known entry into the canon of films noir that dominated Hollywood in the mid-Forties. Directed by Robert Siodmak (THE KILLERS), it is a psychological thriller focusing on the attempts of Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) and psychiatrist Dr. Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres) to discover the killer of a well=established doctor. The only snag is that the chief suspects are a pair of identical twins, Ruth and Terry Collins, both played by Olivia de Havilland, who refuse to divulge any further information. Siodmak's narrative focuses in detail on the twins' psychology, by deliberately frustrating our desire to find out who is the 'good' and the 'bad' twin. The costume-designs apparently make this process of distinguishing quite straightforward - one wears white, the other black as the film unfolds - but the twins' responses to Elliott's psychological tests challenge our preconceptions. De Havilland has a rare chance to play the role of a 'bad' woman and grasps it with both hands; her Chicago accent is both harsh yet beguiling. It's clear that, as the 'bad' twin, she can seduce anyone she likes, even those men who proclaim their ability to see through any psychological games. Nunnally Johnson's script is taut and fast-moving (in the print I saw, the film lasts only eighty-one minutes), while Siodmak makes clever use of atmospheric lighting, especially shadows projected on the back will behind the twins, to suggest that they are somehow pursued by internal demons. THE DARK MIRROR might not be as celebrated as other films of similar genre, but it nonetheless captures some of the emotional uncertainties and moral that characterized the material of that period; its ending is particularly cleverly structured.

very tough to believe,...but it still is wonderful

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 18 May 2006]

Okay, with my background as an ex-therapist and psychology teacher, I was quick to notice that there was a lot of psychological mumbo-jumbo in this film. The whole notion of a "nice twin" and an "evil twin" just seems like a silly cliché.

However, if you ignore the improbability of the film, you will be rewarded with a pretty exciting and original film. Olivia DeHavilland plays identical twins and the split screen and other tricks were done pretty seamlessly. Her acting, as usual, was lovely to watch. The film also starred Thomas Mitchell as the cop and Lew Ayers as the psychologist--and both were at about their best.

The story excels in regard to how it portrayed the sociopathic sister. She was pretty realistic, as she was a good example of an Antisocial Personality Disorder--having no conscience and being highly manipulative.

Some other things that I found interesting were the excellent plot twists and suspense elements. Also, I was surprised when I noticed that at least some of the Rorschach cards (for the "ink blot test") were real cards--these are NOT supposed to be shown to the general public and are to only be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. And the responses the women gave were pretty realistic. I guess someone slipped up, huh?

Double Trouble

[Lejink · 6/10 · 14 September 2019]

Not sure myself how much use a dark mirror would be to anyone, but anyway here's a hoary old Hollywood melodrama / noir with Olivia De Havilland working twice as hard for the money as single twins Ruth and Terry who still live together and conveniently often do that twinny thing of wearing the same clothes. Director Robert Siodmak helpfully has them wear either a huge pin or necklace bearing their names, you know just in case either one of them wakens up thinking they're the other one but more obviously to help the viewer identify which is which until it is plain enough through characterisation.

You see, there's been a violent murder attributed to one of the two but back in the days before DNA, each sister is the other's alibi and of course the guilty one isn't going to confess. It seems that one of them suffers from extreme jealousy of the other's more amiable personality, especially when it comes to attracting men, while the good one suffers from a guilt complex secretly built up by the manipulative bad one.

For all the talk of the significance of mirrors as the narrative unfolds we're never actually told why they trigger the reaction they do in them both as I kept waiting for an explanatory flashback like for instance in "Spellbound". Still Siodmak often has one or both Olivias positioned in front of one reinforcing the idea of split personalities and one being the evil reflection of the other. It must be said that he handles the split-screen photography deftly and you're actually more aware when he does resort to the artificial use of a back facing double as at other times you're so convinced there are two separate presences of the sisters when they both fill the screen.

While the plot is cliched and far-fetched right up to the somewhat predictable climax, it's undoubtedly stylishly directed and carried off in the main by De Havilland even if she goes slightly overboard near the end. Lew Ayres convinces as the smooth psycho-analyst who becomes the women's next battleground and Thomas Mitchell is fun as the one-step-behind detective cold on the sisters' trail.

In the end I probably enjoyed the set ups and special effects more than the acting or story but as twin-flix go, this was still pretty enjoyable.

One's A Murderer, The Other's An Accomplice

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 19 July 2009]

Back in the day, the dual role of twins that Olivia DeHavilland did for The Dark Mirror was something she could never get Jack Warner to assign her. At Warner Brothers the pecking order was first Bette Davis and then Ida Lupino. It wasn't a question of settling for crumbs, all Olivia got from Warner Brothers were the wife and girl friend of the hero, mostly Errol Flynn. According to the Citadel film series book the Films of Olivia DeHavilland, she wasn't even behind the other two actresses because Jack Warner couldn't see her in these parts.

With a whole lot to prove and now free of Warner Brothers, Olivia did this independent film for the short lived International Pictures before it merged with Universal. This is a player's delight, twins, one good and one evil. Her friend and friendly rival at Warner Brothers, Bette Davis was doing a twin role in A Stolen Life the same year.

Olivia was entering the high point of her career, she would be nominated for three Best Actress nominations resulting in two Oscars in the next three years. The Dark Mirror proved to be quite the appetizer for what was coming up.

A doctor in a medical building filled with doctors winds up a homicide victim and it turns out he's been dating the girl over at the news stand for some time. But when Thomas Mitchell as the assigned homicide cop investigates he discovers there are two twins who occasionally spell the other at the stand, a kind of private joke only available to twins. One's got an alibi, one's really circumstantially close to the scene of the crime, but which is which.

As Mitchell says he hates the thought of one of these women beating the rap. But as it turns out in that same medical building there is a psychiatrist played by Lew Ayres who's done research into twins. Ayres becomes a police consultant, but he gets compromised himself by falling for whom he feels is the good Olivia.

Not to take anything away from Olivia DeHavilland who did a marvelous job in both parts. She said that this was the most taxing role of her career, especially the homicidal twin. But there are two problems. I don't think the law would have been that squeamish then, both would have been arrested, one is clearly covering for the other after the fact. A smart prosecutor would have convicted them, but for the fact Lew Ayres's testimony would have been tainted in any trial by his involvement.

Ayres is fine as well as the tweedy psychiatrist. The role is a dress rehearsal for the part of the doctor he played in 1948 opposite Jane Wyman in Johnny Belinda.

DeHavilland does a great job, but the story which interestingly enough got an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Story for the screen which I can't understand since it is too much to swallow.

Compelling Acting Overshadows Foreseeable Plot

[Errington_92 · 6 August 2012]

A blend of suspense and dark romance, The Dark Mirror is a well acted film which at most showcases the impressive acting ability of Olivia De Havilland.

Starting as a darkly atmospheric piece after a murder is committed, the investigation quickly moves onto a suspect named Collins, a woman who was a known associate of the murder victim. However the apparently simple investigation goes into a tailspin when it's revealed Collins is one half of identical twins. It must have been a daunting task as a performer to take on the roles of protagonist and antagonist in the same film yet Olivia De Havilland pulls it off to great conviction. Playing the parts of Terry, a cunning and manipulative psychopath and Terry's twin Ruth, a shy and more naive woman. By changing her mannerisms, vocal tone and demeanour for both roles De Havilland showed to spectacular range of her acting ability.

Although the acting on show by De Havilland and others in The Dark Mirror was top standard, the same cannot be said for the narrative. It starts off well with the dilemma of identical twins causing The Dark Mirror to become a gripping mysterious piece along with the wise cracking dialogue between Detective Stevenson and Terry adding to the film's aura. Yet when the narrative shifts from thriller to dark romance with the introduction of Doctor Elliot, a man who falls for Ruth yet bitters Terry into jealously, The Dark Mirror becomes tedious due to its predictability. Although the acting throughout the romantic portion of the narrative makes for emotional involvement it also makes the actions of Terry, Ruth and Doctor Elliot predictable resulting in being able to know the narrative's outcome before its reached.

On a lighter note The Dark Mirror has a good amount of comic relief served up by Thomas Mitchell as Detective Stevenson, whose wise cracks create breathing space from the drama and earlier on has great chemistry with De Havilland as her more sinister character. Unfortunately this tense relationship is under developed due to relatively small role Mitchell plays here. The comic relief also comes in the revelation of Collins being an identical twin particularly for the witnesses who are dazed by this fact resulting in a few laughs on the audience's part.

Although story wise The Dark Mirror is not the most superb of films, it does not get in the way of the fine acting on display which for a time entices us into the narrative.

Mystery UNsolved.

[daviuquintultimate · 7/10 · 28 April 2022]

At the beginning, we (the audience) come to know that one of the two twin sister is (could be) the murderer, but we can't tell which.

At the end we come to know that one of the twin sisters, Terry, is "crazy", but we altogether cannot tell which one is the murderer!

A certain doctor Peralta has been killed, one night, as he was in company of his lover, Terry. Terry tells her twin sister Ruth that she has been with him that night, but has not killed him. Ruth believes her. The sisters don't want the police to know that Terry was with Peralta in the night of the murder, which could be at least embarassing to them. They are undistinguishable twins, so they concert a sort of tricky cross-alibi by which no one of them can legally be charged.

The only person who can tell Terry from Ruth is psychologist Dr. Scott Elliott, and he tells us (the audience) and the police, that, following his celebrated studies on twins, one of the two sisters is "crazy" (schizofrenic, I don't remember the word...) but, again, one cannot tell which. What a pity! We would have liked to have come by ourselves at the same conclusion, if only a chance had been given us. But no, the psychologist has spoiled it.

Yes, Terry's behaviour has been depicted, in the movie, as more and more strange and suspicious, letting us know that she must have been the "crazy" one. Double pity! We are once more deprived of our own endeavour of judging by ourselves, in presence of facts. No. Again, someone (the psychologist, the great spoiler) had to suggest us the (probably) right answer. That's the opposite of what a crime/mystery plot should do.

At the end, in a series of convincing scenes, we see, without doubts, that Terry is the "crazy" one. A white-clad paramedic is behind her, and the police all around. We still don't see while a "crazy" person should be a murderer. We have as little evidence as we had at the beginning. And the film ends here.

7 stars: it's quite entertaining. I don't see what a dark mirror has to do with the whole thing.

Entertaining, but not noir

[user-35583 · 7/10 · 18 January 2020]

This was an entertaining whodunnit. But was far to light - almost Disney light at times that I struggled with the tone of the film. Olivia de Havilland is very good at playing twins. One has committed murder and the other is a dupe. Nice Sunday morning mystery movie but not film noir.

The Dark Mirror reflects well

[st-shot · 7/10 · 1 November 2020]

Olivia de Havilland stars along side herself playing twins in this entertaining murder mystery. Dark in both title and genre it is more a light cat and mouse with Olivia confounding both brains (Lew Ayres) and brawn (Thomas Mitchell) with one of her trying to stay a step ahead of the hangman.

One of the Collins twins, (Ruth an Terry) has knocked off the other's boyfriend doctor. Detective Stephens (Mitchell) has witnesses finger her but then discovers she has a twin. Ruth the more take charge of the two frustrates the case so the detective enlists Dr. Elliot (Ayres) to get the goods on her but he finds himself falling for one of them.

de Havilland has a field day in the dual role, breezily playing both roles with confidence and authority. The added mystery of having the twins in the same shot at the same time adds to the enjoyment and while we may figure it out before the sleuths on screen do, director Robert Siodmak does an adept job at placing doubt in the audience's mind before the jig is finally up.

In the Freudian vein.

[dbdumonteil · 8/10 · 27 November 2004]

Those were the days.Every director had his Freudian movie during the glorious forties:Hitchcock had " spellbound",Lang "secret beyond the door" Tourneur "cat people".... and Siodmak "the dark mirror".and it stood the test of time quite well ,almost as much as the three works I mention above.Of course ,the film owes a lot to Olivia de Havilland's sensational rendition,well half a century before Jeremy Irons' "dead ringers" or Keaton's "multiplicity".We run the whole gamut, as Siodmak brought out all his equipment :inkblood test, lie detector,mirror,and the whole kit.But De Havilland's charisma -at a time when actresses mastered their audience-survives and remains intact.We often feel ill-at-ease when we do not know who we're watching anymore(she plays twin sisters who are suspects in a criminal affair).De Havilland was perfect when it came to portraying ambiguous women (see also "My cousin Rachel")

Robert Siodmak had an eventful career:after his debut in Germany,he made some works in France ("Pièges" (1939) is the best and deserves to be watched)then came to America where he made remarkable thrillers ("the spiral staircase";"the killers").His career ended in Europa with interesting -but difficult to see- movies about Nazism ,but the only one of those late movies we can see now is "Katia" (1959),pure schmaltz

Double de Havilland and Dollar-Book Freud

[bmacv · 6/10 · 3 July 2001]

The postwar interest in Freudianism (probably precipitated by returning veterans suffering from shell-shock) was, in Hollywood, put to facile and often sinister ends. The Dark Mirror is no exception, despite the talents of scriptwriter Nunnally Johnson and director Robert Siodmak. Simply put, De Havilland plays a woman and her "evil" twin (though they use the word "insane"). When it's first revealed, in the investigation of a murder, that the two (Ruth and Terry) are dead ringers, the orchestral score chortles with little musical jokes at the expense of police detective Thomas Mitchell (who is wasted). Luckily the tone darkens towards the middle of the movie and De Havilland rises from blandness to effective histrionics -- could she scowl! -- at least in her evil incarnation. Inadvertently amusing are the name-necklaces and monogram pins the twins sport, undoubtedly to orient the audience. These big-city dames traipse around like high-school girls, lugging huge "T"s and "R"s on their tailored suits.

Murder, Mystery & Identical Twins

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 2 April 2011]

"The Dark Mirror" is an excellent psychological thriller about murder, jealousy, suspects who are identical twins and a psychologist who helps the police to identify a murderer. The atmosphere of the piece is, at times, rather unsettling and intense but it's also intriguing and extremely enjoyable to watch.

The 1940s was a period when there was a great deal of public awareness of psychoanalysis and Freudian psychology and so the methods used to identify the evil twin in this story would certainly have held a lot of interest and fascination for audiences at that time.

An investigation into the murder of a well known doctor seems to start off well for police Lieutenant Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) as he quickly has witnesses at his disposal who can positively identify the young woman who was seen coming out of the victim's apartment on the night of the murder. The woman in question works on a magazine stand in the medical building where the late doctor worked but Stevenson encounters a problem when she is able to provide compelling evidence that she was actually four miles away from the murder scene at the critical time.

Later, Stevenson discovers that the suspect is one of a pair of identical twins but then he confronts another problem as the two sisters are unwilling to cooperate and he is unable to make any further progress without any evidence to prove which one is the culprit. It's at this point that he calls in the assistance of Dr Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), a psychologist whose speciality is research into the characteristics of identical twins.

Dr Elliott carries out a number of tests involving "inkblots", "word association" and polygraphs from which he identifies which sister is capable of committing murder and he then works with Lieutenant Stevenson on a scheme to trap the evil twin into exposing her own guilt.

Robert Siodmak's style of direction is impressive and very effective in building up the suspense. There are some passages where the mood becomes quite sinister and the masterful use of light and shadow enhances this atmosphere enormously. Examples of this are the opening sequence during which the camera surveys the contents of a dark room before discovering the murder victim and a scene involving the twins in which one sister is almost entirely engulfed in shadow.

The techniques used to show both twins on screen simultaneously are totally convincing and Olivia De Havilland's performance in her dual role displays great subtlety and intelligence. The way she conveys the sisters' many similarities whilst also portraying their differences in an understated manner is very accomplished and best appreciated on repeat viewings. Thomas Mitchell is also entertaining as the competent, unassuming and good humoured detective who is often bewildered by what he discovers.

Fans of "Final Analysis" will notice some similarities with this movie; however, in a typical neo-noir subversion of expectations, in the 1992 film, both identity swapping sisters are actually evil.

"The Dark Mirror" is a stylish movie and the generally swift and natural manner in which the action unfolds contributes greatly to its overall appeal.

Unsettling psycho-drama

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 24 July 2015]

In its depiction of a pair of twins, one of whom is a psychotic killer, THE DARK MIRROR is a film very much ahead of its time. It's an engrossing period piece that benefits greatly from a fine performance from Olivia de Havilland playing the twins, Terry and Ruth Collins. Accompanied by some excellent back projection work (you won't see the seams!), you never stop believing for a second that both twins are separate people.

Elsewhere, the plotting is fairly ordinary for a film noir type thriller. There are the flat-footed policemen getting nowhere, a dedicated shrink who finds himself falling for the murder suspect(s) and some effectively grim, doom-laden atmosphere from director Robert Siodmak. It's the sort of film somebody like David Cronenberg would have been making had he been working during the 1940s. The twist ending is particularly strong.

There is Something About Twin Siblings

[theowinthrop · 8/10 · 17 August 2006]

One can possibly write a monograph or study regarding this subject: the good and bad in humanity as shown by twins in movies. It runs the gamut in films like A STOLEN LIFE, THE DARK MIRROR, THE CORSICAN BROTHERS, DEAD RINGER, COBRA WOMAN, even (watered down) in THE PRISONER OF ZENDA. In the last one, the King is a drunkard, while Rudolph Rassendyl is a brave, resourceful type (in the actual novel that is the sequel, RUPERT OF HENZAU, the King develops into a paranoid villain who loathes the distant cousin who rescued him).

As for the others, Bette Davis's good sister in A STOLEN LIFE watches her bad sister steal Glenn Ford from her. Douglas Fairbanks' wilder brother critically wounds his brother in a duel over a woman in THE CORSICAN BROTHERS. Maria Montez's good and bad sisters in COBRA WOMAN fight to the death for a royal crown. Davis good sister actually entraps herself killing the bad one in DEAD RINGER.

THE DARK MIRROR has the same split between good and bad siblings, but it makes a stab (in fitful, Freudian, Hollywood fashion) at psychoanalyzing the situation. A doctor has been murdered and the suspect is his fiancé, one Ruth Collins (Olivia De Haviland). While Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) is questioning Ruth, and seemingly about to close a relatively simple homicide case neatly and quickly, Ruth's identical twin sister Terry shows up. It turns out that one of the two sisters was seen by dozens that night, and the other cannot produce an alibi. But the problem for Stevenson is that the one who was seen never said what her name or identity was: it could have been either Ruth or Terry. Likewise the person who was last with the Victim could have been Ruth or Terry. As Mitchell later says to the psychiatrist, Dr. Scott Elliot (Lew Ayres), unless he happens to grab the girl just after she commits the crime, there is no way to identify the guilty sister from the innocent sister once they are both back in general circulation.

Dr. Elliot is asked to examine both girls quietly. Mitchell and Elliot both are aware that this neat little alibi does not have to work permanently for the girls' advantage. You see, the innocent one does know the guilty one did it, and how long before the innocent one will crack or the guilty one will consider silencing the innocent one? Dr. Elliot studies the girls, dates both, and concludes, Ruth is normal but Terry is psychotic and jealous of her sister. Now they know who is more likely to have been the guilty one, and who the innocent one - but the innocent one still refuses to admit she is shielding the guilty one, and the guilty one (now seeing the innocent one as an impediment to her happiness with Dr. Elliot in the future) is considering how to push the innocent one over the edge into suicide.

The film as a mystery is fairly simplistic, and it's resolution is too fast. But De Haviland makes both sisters have really individual personalities that succeed as separate people. Ayres gives a decent performance trying to balance his professional detachment to his growing love and concern for Ruth. And Mitchell, although supposedly a bumbler at first, does demonstrate a crafty cat-and-mouse technique with Terry at the conclusion of the film.

An engaging, quirky noir from Robert Siodmak

[tomgillespie2002 · 7/10 · 13 April 2018]

There were few directors so suited to the film noir genre as Robert Siodmak, whose lengthy career produced everything from B-movie horrors (Son of Dracula) to exotic adventures (Cobra Woman) and forgotten westerns (Pyramid of the Sun God). However, he is best remembered for his work in the noir genre, which spawned tough, pretension-free crime dramas such as Phantom Lady, Cry of the City and Criss Cross. His movies often employed a kind of gimmick as a hook, with his finest film The Killers jumping back and forth in time to keep the audience guessing. One of Siodmak's lesser-known pulpy efforts, The Dark Mirror, leaned towards psychoanalysis as well as the more familiar sleuthing from a craggy-faced, weather-beaten detective. The advancements in mental health studies was all the rage with many screenwriters during the 1940s, and although much of what is said is utter nonsense, it helps give this lively noir a refreshing edge.

Quick-witted detective Lt. Stevenson (Thomas Mitchell) takes on the case of Dr. Frank Peralta, who is found dead in his apartment with a knife in his back. Investigations advance quickly, and after interviewing various witnesses, all the clues points to one woman alone: Peralta's lover Terry Collins (Olivia de Havilland). Many saw her leave the scene shortly after a loud thud was heard from the apartment, and the doctor's appointment book confirms a rendez-vous with the attractive young lady at the time of the murder. Yet when Stevenson corners Terry at her work after various witnesses make a positive identification, she has an alibi that cannot be disputed. Utterly perplexed at the mystery, the veteran dick visits her home to pose a few more questions, only to discover that Terry has, as you probably would have guessed by this point, and identical twin sister, named Ruth. One committed the crime and the other is innocent, but both exercise their right to keep their trap shut to avoid incriminating themselves.

Refusing to believe in such a thing as 'the perfect crime', Stevenson brings in Scott Elliott (Lew Ayres), a doctor who frequently encountered both women at their place of work, and who also happens to be an expert in the study of twins. The Dark Mirror doesn't convince when it comes to psychologically evaluating the sisters, but if you can suspend your disbelief and roll with the film's coincidence-reliant plot, this is one of the most engaging noirs the genre has to offer. It's also helped a great deal by the central performance of de Havilland, who takes great delight in playing with the siblings' differing personalities. Their interactions are made even more delightful thanks to some seamless visual effects. The use of clever split-screens make it seem that two different actresses are indeed speaking to one another, putting efforts to recreate the effect as recent as the 1990s completely to shame. There a noticeable tonal issues, particularly with some musical choices heard after Stevenson's wisecracks which grate with the film's darker moments, but The Dark Mirror is yet another of Siodmak's quirky noirs deserving of more recognition.

A load of psychological mumbo-jumbo

[MOscarbradley · 3/10 · 21 July 2018]

Olivia de Havilland is, or should that be are, identical twins, one of whom is a murderer in Robert Siodmak's noirish thriller "The Dark Mirror". It's something of a technical marvel in the way it places both Miss de Havillands in the same frame, (remember, this was made in 1946), and Olivia is excellent in the way she juggles the two personalities but it's also pretty daft, a load of psychological mumbo-jumbo as Dr Lew Ayres tries to figure out which of the sisters might be a killer. This certainly isn't one of Siodmak's better films; it's never quite as clever as it thinks it is and the only point of interest is the guessing game of which de Havilland is which, (both Ayres and a very miscast Thomas Mitchell as the investigating cop are totally lifeless). This is a movie in which the twist is basically the whole film and I got bored long before the half-way mark.