| Vintage Pulp | Mar 23 2022 |
Who was that masked woman? Nobody knows.
Above: a striking Yugoslavian poster in the Croatian language for Žena Fantom, better known as Phantom Lady. Again we see how Yugoslavian artists thought differently about promos. Adding a mask to the dark central figure gives the image, painted by Sasa Nikolic, just the feel of mystery it needs for a movie about a woman who can't be found but holds the key to the hero's redemption. There's no exact release date known for Phantom Lady in Yugoslavia, but the poster is dated 1969. See what we wrote about the movie here.
| Vintage Pulp | Jan 28 2022 |
Everyone says she isn't real but could a figment of his imagination cause this many problems?
Secretaries make a habit of saving the boss's ass. It's in the job description. In Phantom Lady, which premiered in the U.S. today in 1944, the ass saving is literal, as Ella Raines finds herself the only person who believes her employer Alan Curtis didn't kill his wife. Curtis's alibi is as weak as they come—he spent the evening with a woman he never met before, whose name he never got, who he can only describe as wearing a strange hat, and who nobody can find to confirm his story. She's the phantom lady of the title—doesn't exist, at least as far as everyone besides Curtis is concerned. So after a quick trial, off to the death house he goes, where he sinks into a state of dismal acceptance of his own oblivion. That's when Raines decides to work her secretarial krav maga and crack the case. You think shorthand is hard? Try unraveling a vast conspiracy.
Phantom Lady also stars the great Franchot Tone, Elisha Cook, Jr., and one-ethnicity-fits-all character actor Thomas Gomez. As performers, the top end of the cast ranges from good to great, but the script isn't the best clay with which to mold. There are positives, though. The direction by Robert Siodmak is interesting, the set design is eye-catching in places, particularly in Tone's wacky bachelor pad with its odd concrete bed, and there's a great bit set in a jazz cellar that plays like something out of Reefer Madness without the drugs. It'll teach you that jazz music is crazy enough to bend reality all by itself. You'll also learn that in case of murder it's good to have someone in your corner. Preferably someone with a winning smile, a nice figure, and excellent investigative skills.
Phantom LadyElla RainesFranchot ToneAlan CurtisThomas GomezElisha Cook. Jr.Robert Siodmakposter artcinemafilm noirmovie review
| Femmes Fatales | Feb 11 2021 |
You know what else is bad for your health? Telling me for like the 10,000th time I should quit smoking.
U.S. actress Ella Raines gives the camera a look that could flash freeze an espresso macchiato in this promo image made for her film noir Phantom Lady. She has also been known to smile, for instance here. And to make funny faces, for example here. With that kind of range you can be sure she'll be seen here again before long.
| Hollywoodland | Dec 1 2019 |
Who says it never Raines in L.A?
You can't tell with her face all scrunched up, but the person in the above photo is actress Ella Raines, who appeared in such films as Brute Force, The Web, and Phantom Lady. Here she makes a July 1943 cameo in the pool at the Town House Hotel in Los Angeles, which was famous for its water nymphs that frolicked as guests in the hotel bar watched through plate glass. We've featured the Town House pool before, and those shots are worth a look. Just click the keywords below and scroll.
| Femmes Fatales | Jul 24 2018 |
I always appreciate attention from a handsome lifeguard, but I think someone's drowning over there.
Above, U.S. born actress Ella Raines lounges in her bathing suit in this summery image from 1943 made in Los Angeles at the Town House Hotel. Later she'd take a dip in the pool. Raines appeared in such films as Phantom Lady, Impact, and Brute Force, before transitioning to television in the 1950s. We talked about her 1947 film noir The Web a few years ago and you can read about that here.
