and Franchot Tone,
this film takes place in England, where Tone's character, Sir Allen Dearden, is slated to become the next attorney general. Sir Allen and his wife, Lady Helen (Loretta Young), host a formal dance in their home, and a man unknown to both of them crashes his way into the ballroom. As the stranger dances with Lady Dearden, he lets her know that he has in his possession, love letters which Allen had written to a former mistress; although the letters were written prior to Allen's marriage to Helen, since the woman was married to another man, they could prove damaging to his career. In order for Helen to get her hands on the love letters and, thus, keep her husband from scandal, the man demands a sum of money; anxious to keep Allen's political hopes alive, Helen meets the man's demands, without ever saying a word to Allen about the situation.
As Helen is making her way back from the money drop-off point, she is aware that a man and a woman are walking towards her on the cliff path, and hoping not to be seen, she hides behind a rock. Later that day, the newspaper reports that the man had pushed his wife from the cliff and had been charged with murder. Vehemently denying the accusation, and maintaining that his wife fell from the cliff, the man claims that he passed a woman on the path...a woman who could verify that he was far behind his wife...that he called to her to be careful on the cliffs. The police don't believe such a witness exists; in fact, they call her a phantom witness. The case is sent to trial, with none other than Allen Dearden trying it.
Helen is in a panic, for, knowing how much the attorney general appointment means to her husband, she doesn't want to do or say anything which might create a scandal. She realizes that to tell the truth would totally ruin Allen's career; yet to not tell the truth would send an innocent man to the gallows. In the midst of Helen's agony of conscience, Allen himself has a dilemma of his own, as the woman to whom he wrote the letters wants to try her hand at blackmail as well. How everything plays out is the balance of the film.
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Although not a spectacular film, The Unguarded Hour is very interesting and enjoyable, though I did feel it dragged just a tiny bit at one point...not enough to cause me to quit watching or to lower the rating, however. Loretta Young, always so elegant and classy, was definitely so in this role. Franchot Tone was dashing and handsome...even when wearing the white wig of an English barrister. They played well off one another and made a delightful couple.
The film is not out on DVD; however, TCM airs it fairly regularly. I've caught it on there at least twice in the last year. It may also be on YouTube. At least I've seen it there before, though I cannot find it now.
Happy viewing!!
