The File on Thelma Jordon (1950)

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON is a semi well-known film noir outing with another turn for the memorable Barbara Stanwyck as a femme fatale. This one suffers a little from having a very slow, romantically-focused first half, but once the murder plot kicks in it gets going, finishing up as a suspenseful courtroom drama. Stanwyck stands accused of murdering her aunt, but complicating things is her love affair with assistant attorney Wendell Corey, the actor best known for his role as the disbelieving cop in REAR WINDOW. There are enough twists and turns to keep you watching here, and a typically great, thrilling ending that fans of the film noir genre will no doubt love.

Sure, there was Martha Ivers. But for quite some time after her electrifying performance in Double Indemnity, Barbara Stanwyck, as one of Hollywood's great femme fatales, became an actress in need of a suitable follow-up to Phyllis Dietrichson. This time, she's found it with Thelma Jordon, the title character of a picture where she is allowed to be even more dangerous and even more sinister than that earlier incarnation of evil. Miss Stanwyck's work as an up-to-no-good dame is first class, and audiences are in for quite a few jolts. Such a thrilling performance is guided by Robert Siodmak, whose direction is on par with Billy Wilder's best efforts.The File on Thelma Jordon is apparently a rather extensive one. In its most gripping moments, the film provides a powerful examination of the justice system-- a cautionary tale, if you will-- showing how someone can get away with murder and manipulate the system to her own ends. We see this when Miss Stanwyck's character is on trial, and it is rather clear she's not going to hang for her misdeeds. There is a long tracking shot as bad-girl number one is brought over from the jail to hear the verdict. Siodmak shows her marching along the street, up the steps and into the courtroom, almost as if it were a victory parade.All throughout this process, Stanwyck shows us the harder edges of the character while suggesting shades of humanity and vulnerability. Another benefit of this production is a special quality that Wendell Corey adds, expertly playing a pansy lawyer who gets sucked into her schemes to evade justice. The actors could easily chew the scenery in this one, but they wisely avoid the temptation to indulge in such theatricality. Thelma Jordon may be guilty of many things, but she is innocent of that.

From her first entrance, Stanwyck kept me captivated by her performance in this film. There is something about her that draws you in and holds you. You know there is more to her than meets the eye - but you're not sure what exactly. I have always admired Stanwyck. She was born Ruby Stevens, a Brooklyn girl that worked for a phone company and then became a chorus girl, before finally going to Hollywood to chase her dreams. She was nominated 4 times for an Oscar for Best Actress ("Stella Davis", "Ball of Fire", "Double Indemnity", "Sorry ,Wrong Number") but never won - except for an Honorary Oscar near the end of her life. She was considered a gem to work with for her serious but easy going attitude on the set (unlike many of her contemporary peers). This makes me like her even more!I thought the cinematography in this film was outstanding. I loved the elaborate sets and and set decorating.The plot kept me intrigued as well. Corey plays the perfect fall guy for Stanwyck. His average looks and dull exterior tend to make you feel sympathetic for this guy. Some have commented that they didn't have much chemistry together. I agree that they are an unlikely couple, but it helps you see how he could get so caught up in her and be willing to sacrifice so much. She was obviously outside his league.There are some nice twists and turns in the plot that will keep you interested - especially at the end. It's worth a watch.

Barbara Stanwyck, (Thelma Jordon) plays the role of a woman exactly like the one she played with Fred MacMurray in " Double Indemnity" where she has some very dark secrets in her past. Wendell Corey, (Cleve Marshall) plays the role as an Assistant District Attorney and Thelma meets up with Cleve in his office late at night and Cleve has been drinking a lot of booze because he has problems with his wife and he becomes very involved with Thelma who needs a lawyers assistance. Cleve gets romantically involved with Thelma even though he has a wife and children. Thelma's aunt who is very rich is murdered and she does not report her death right away and seeks Cleve's help in trying to take the blame off of her. Thelma complains to Cleve that she hated the room where her aunt was murdered and it smelled of death and she lost her sense of self-control. This film will keep you guessing how this film will eventually end and who actually committed these murders. This is a great mystery story from 1950.