Portrait in Black (4 stars)

Portrait in Black, from 1960, is a suspenseful, slightly mysterious drama/film noir starring Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn, with Richard Basehart, Sandra Dee, John Saxon, and Lloyd Nolan taking on supporting roles.  (Net Flix categorizes this film as noir; however, it is in color, which most noirs are not.)  With February being Lana's birthday month, I decided a re-watch of this whodunit was in order, and even though I was aware of the surprise ending, I enjoyed the film as much as I did on my first viewing.

Wealthy shipping magnate Matthew Cabot (Lloyd Nolan), a demanding, unkind man, conducts his business from the bedroom of his mansion.  An invalid, Matthew is attended by his doctor, David Rivera (Anthony Quinn), and his attorney, Howard Mason (Richard Basehart), both of whom make regular visits to the Cabot home.  Also attending to Matthew is his beautiful, much-younger wife, Sheila (Lana Turner), and though it would appear that Sheila is devoted to her husband, in actuality, she is in love with and having an affair with Dr. Rivera. 

After having her chauffeur supposedly take her shopping, Sheila rendezvouses with the doctor, who begs her to leave Matthew and run away with him.  Knowing Matthew would never give her a divorce or custody of their young son, Sheila insists she cannot leave, which makes David more determined than ever to leave town himself.  Being near her and wanting her, he says, would make it so easy to pick up a syringe and inject Matthew with something completely untraceable.  With that thought spoken aloud between them igniting the plan into action, David and Sheila plot Matthew's murder, and since Matthew was ill anyway, no one is the wiser when he soon passes away...or so they think.

After Matthew's funeral, David insists that he and Sheila cannot see each other for awhile, so as not to arouse suspicions.  Soon, though, Sheila receives an anonymous letter congratulating her on the success of her murder, and although they realize the need to keep their relationship secret, David and Sheila begin meeting with one another regularly as they try to determine who it is who sent the letter...who it is who knows Matthew's death was not of natural causes.

Could it be Howard Mason?  He has told Sheila he wants to marry her, adding that he usually gets what he wants.  Could it be the chauffeur, who has begun asking if Mrs. Cabot has been upset by her mail?  Could it be the maid, who is also acting very strangely?  Whoever it is, the murderous pair intends to silence that person by committing yet another murder.  How it all plays out is the balance of this exciting film.

Portrait in Black is a very interesting movie, and the twist at the end will totally surprise you; truly, I NEVER saw that coming.  Lana Turner is simply beautiful here, and her wardrobe is stunning.  I know many people think she was a horrible actress, but I, however, am not one of those people.  I think she was a very good actress, and here, in Portrait in Black, I thought she was wonderful and quite believable...a bit melodramatic perhaps, but that was in keeping with her character and her crime...and it's what Lana could do so beautifully.  Anthony Quinn seemed a bit miscast for a romantic role, but he definitely worked.  I felt the chemistry between him and Lana was good---their illicit love seemed real, as did the tension between them when things began to unravel.

The film is out on DVD; I have it as part of a Lana Turner double feature, with Madame X...one of my five favorite movies of all time.  Additionally, it is available in its entirety on YouTube (HERE).   If you like Lana Turner, Sandra Dee (who portrays Dee's stepdaughter, Kathy), surprise endings, or beautiful clothing, I think you will enjoy Portrait in Black.

Happy viewing!!