La deuxième femme

Intriguing psychological thriller which reflects the forties zeitgeist when psychonanalysis was the craze (see "spellbound" " the dark mirror" "secret beyond the door"...)Because he feels responsible for the death of his fiancée in a car crash ,Jeff is brooding .And he's a victim of strange incidents (he has to shoot his horse whose front leg is broken, his dog is poisoned ) ;"it cannot be a coincidence " says Helen (who plays the role of Ingrid Bergman in "spellbound" although she's not a shrink ) .When the unfortunate man's house is burnt , all coincidence must be ruled out:

Is it a self-inflicted retribution ("he wants to be punished for what he's done) ,as the friendly doctor says , warning Helen and her aunt who accomodates him after the fire against a man who may become dangerous :he destroys everything he likes , and he loves you!

Or is there a criminal mind behind these strange events : hence a whodunit side: is it Ben,the late fiancée's father who treats Jeff like his own son?Keith the philanderer? Or the doctor himself ?

The screenplay sustains suspense throughout and the ending makes sense ; Robert Young as a brooding wistful man down on his luck and Betsy Drake, as headstrong energetic Helen come up to scratch.