User reviews

Strange Illusion is directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and written by Fritz Rotter and Adele Comandini. It stars Jimmy Lydon, Warren William, Sally Eilers, Regis Toomey, George Reed and Jayne Hazard. Music is by Leo Erdody and cinematography by Phillip Tannura.

Adolescent Paul Cartwright (Lydon) is startled by a dream he has about his father's death. In the dream he comes to believe the death was not an accident, but murder, and there seems to be a shadowy figure moving in on his mother and sister. When the mysterious Brett Curtis (William) arrives in his mother's life, Paul begins to suspect his dream may be coming true...

It's a tricky one to recommend, for it's one of Ulmer's most divisive noir movies amongst his fans. It's hard to argue with some of the complaints put forward because undoubtedly the acting is poor, the villains weak (and revealed way too early), the score obtrusive and it's a good 15 minutes too long. Yet Ulmer could quite often make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, and here he manages to rise above the flaws to craft a most intriguing picture. A film in fact of many psychological pangs.

The framing device for the story is essentially that of a evil step- father, and since we know early on that Brett Curtis is indeed evil, it becomes a simple case of if young Paul can find the proof before harm comes to his mother and sister. He willingly checks into a mental health sanatorium as part of his investigation, while the clock ticks down elsewhere as the sinister Curtis homes in on his prey. There's a dastardly accomplice with Curtis and a good old family doctor aiding Paul from the sidelines. That's pretty much it for plotting.

However, analysis shows plenty to keep the film from sinking without trace. There's obviously the Freudian factor concerning dreams, the interpretation of such, but there's also oedipal overtones pulsing throughout. The relationship between Paul and his mother never feels natural, evident in the way he holds her or talks to her. Ulmer cannily keeps it bubbling under the surface, but it is there. Then there is Brett Curtis, a monstrous creation, a serial killer and sexual predator of young ladies, the latter of which is deftly handled by Ulmer as we pick up on his sordid ways only via aftermath clues and conversations.

It's also a moody picture visually, as you would expect from Ulmer. The budget of course is small, thus the production design is accordingly tight, but the director gets much atmosphere from such sparsity. It's filmed in shadowy black and white and this perfectly marries up with the psychological discord of Paul Cartwright, while dastardly conversations unfold in darkened rooms. One particular shot of Paul in the sanatorium standing in front of a huge barred window, the shadows stretched around him, is very striking and it makes you wish there was more shots like that, but Ulmer doesn't short change us for moody atmospherics.

From the hazy dream beginning to the denouement that plays out in a rickety old cabin, there is much to enjoy and pay attention to. Oh it's a mixed bag for sure, but the good far outweighs the bad in my humble opinion. 7/10

Its films like this that gave Edgar G. Ulmer his reputation as a director who could overcome the limitations of rapid lowbudget film making, even though STRANGE ILLUSION is actually an "A" picture by PRC standards. When Ulmer had interesting material to work with, the results were often good, as they are here. The story is fairly involving. Jimmy Lydon plays a college student who dreams of his late father being killed in a train/car wreck. In the dream he sees his widowed mother being seduced by a sinister but charming figure. Then the dream begins to come true, and Lydon has to convince others is was not all just a dream. The photography is low key and moody. The film is well paced and held my interest throughout. The dream sequences are well directed. My only complaint is that Jimmy Lydon's mother looks a bit to young to have a college age son.

Although I would hesitate to call it "film noir," Strange Illusion is a tightly woven, intriguing mystery. For a Poverty Row production, the writers and Ulmer paced the film well and kept it interesting. The acting, although amateurish at times, doesn't distract from a believable story. My only real complaint about the film is the music-- too much and too loud.

Brett's penchant for teenage girls is a refreshingly realistic perversion for a film of the '40s. It also stands in stark contrast to the "gee whiz" scenes which seem lifted straight out of "Leave It to Beaver."

I rate it 7/10.

****SPOILERS**** Having recurring dreams of his fathers Judge Cartwright tragic and deadly train accident every night Paul Cartwright,James Lydon, is convinced that his fathers death was no accident but a murder and the person who murdered his father is in his dream and in the shadows not being able to be recognized.

Being very protective of his mother Virginia,Sally Eilers,Paul gets very agitated and concerned when she gets engaged to marry a Mr. Brett Curtis, Warren Williams. Curtis comes across as a suave and sophisticated as well as well traveled gentleman who swept Virginia right off her feet. But Paul who feels that he's just not what he is and his background it's just too perfect to be real.

In his awakening state of mind Paul sees the events in his dream accruing over and over in real life which convinces him that there's something very strange and sinister about the very debonair and smooth talking Brett Curtis. Paul also has a grudging feeling that Brett is the man in the shadows in his dream who was responsible for his fathers death and also wants to keep his mother from marrying him.

Early cinematic psychological study about the mind and it's deepest secrets and how they come to the surface when we least expect them to Which makes the movie "Strange illusions" a unique movie for it's time, 1945, and as far as I know has never been duplicated since.

Things in the film like Brett's strange behavior in regards to Paul whom he senses is somehow on to him and his intentions has him lose his cool from time to time and almost expose himself as the psychotic that he really is.

Paul has tapped into something real and deadly through his subconscious, his dreams, but unknowing to Paul Brett is working with Professor Muhlbach,Charles Arnt, who runs the Restview Sanitarium where Paul will soon be staying at. Looking into his late fathers files, that he kept locked in his study, Paul finds out about a mysterious Mr. Claude Barrington who Paul's father was very interested in.

Judge Cartwright felt that Barrington committed a string of crimes from murder and rape to embezzlement dating back to 1932 when he was married to the former miss. Cecilia Gordon who was found drowned some six months after their marriage.

Barrington seemed to have vanished and then popped up and commit crimes almost at will all across the American Southwest. Barrington has a talent to disappear and resurface after each crime with a new and bogus identity and successfully avoided being fingerprinted or photographed. It was Judge Cartwright's closing in on him and being about to expose him and have him arrested, and made to pay for his crimes, that led to his unfortunate "accident".

Paul also feels that Barrington faked his own death and is now back to eliminate those who may be able to expose him as still being alive by being in the position of finding Judge Cartwright secret files; the Judge's family. Paul is sure that the late Claude Barrington is the very alive Brett Curtis.

Having to get rid of Paul but not until Brett is legally married to Virginia Brett and Professor Muhlbach plan to have Paul committed in his sanitarium and then have an "Accident" that will put his searching for the truth, about his dead father, to an end once in for all.

With Brett married to Virginia he can offer her sympathy comfort and understanding for the loss of her son and his step-son until the time is right for her to have an "Accident" too. With that Brett can get his hands on the Cartwright estate, and all the evidence that the judge gathered on him, and have it destroyed with no one who can be in the position to know about it, the Judge's files, or get their hands on them. Mind twisting movie with a surprise ending that will more then just surprise.

For a PRC film Strange Illusion is a top drawer item. It's on a PRC shoe string budget to be sure, but Edgar Ullmer is a director who works good with low budgets and in this case some offbeat casting.

James Lydon who most people will know as the radio and film Henry Aldrich is far from the goofy juvenile persona of that role. He's a rather serious student who is deeply concerned about Warren William who has been paying court to his mother Sally Eilers. Lydon's father was killed six months earlier, among other things he was the former Lieutenant Governor of California. His father was also a criminologist who interested himself in the case of a psychopathic killer who is believed dead, but Lydon thinks William's the guy.

What's really creepy in this film is that William in fact has been a patient at a sanitarium under the care of psychiatrist Charles Arnt. No mystery here, we learn early on that Arnt has William working for him. Psychiatrists intimidate people because they are students of the mind and know what makes people tick. Having one with a killer at his beck and call is a frightening concept unto itself. And William has his own agenda.

The lucky break for Lydon is that he also has a psychiatrist at his beck and call, his uncle on his mother's side Regis Toomey.

Strange Illusion is a film that will scare you far more than some blood and gore things because it explores things we don't like to think about. And that other worldly ending is a truly unique experience. I can't say any more about it.

This is one you have to see for yourself.

It is told that STRANGE ILLUSION was made in little over two weeks with very, very limited funds and fading star power. But director Edgar G. Ulmer had full reins to do what he could with what he had. Still a decent B-movie with plenty of intrigue. The opening "allusive dream" of college lad Paul Cartwright(Jimmy Lydon)is to set up the story line. His well respected father dies mysteriously in a train/car accident which leads to haunting nightmares in which his father warns him of oncoming danger to his mother(Sally Eilers)caused by a mysterious stranger that wants to cause harm to the family. Inter the mystery man Brett Curtis(Warren William)introduced as the widow Cartwright's suitor. Lydon's character becomes a little obsessed with Curtis wooing his mother and making disturbing advances toward his younger sister. Seeking help sorting out circumstances and illusions, Paul turns to a friend of the family Dr. Vincent(Regis Toomey). Next comes maneuvering in and out of a sanitarium and the revelation of false identity and the reason for the unfinished plot to cause destruction of the Cartwright family. This is an enjoyable little psychological melodrama. Also in the cast are: Charles Ant and George Reed.

This minor film noir has competent direction, good cinematography, solid production values, and an imaginative story line that makes it rise above the typical crime drama of that era.

Jimmy Lyndon is excellent as a gawky college student haunted by a bizarre precognitive dream of his family and dead father, who was a judge murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Sally Eilers delivers a nuanced performance as his mother, who has fallen under the spell of a suave conniving gigolo, perfectly played by Warren William with his rich, deep, mellifluous voice and sophisticated mannerisms.

The plot twists and turns when Lyndon is sent to a mental hospital to be treated for neurosis and hallucinations under the care of a villainous psychiatrist (Charles Arnt). During his confinement, Lyndon uncovers evidence that William is a serial killer in cahoots with the psychiatrist and is preparing to strike again...

Although the entire cast delivers good performances, Lyndon and William are outstanding and well worth the price of admission.

After his wealthy and influential father is killed in a suspicious accident, a teenager by the name of "Paul Cartwright" (James Lydon) begins to have nightmares about a mysterious man attempting to ingratiate himself with his widowed mother "Virginia Cartwright" (Sally Eilers) and sister "Dorothy Cartwright" (Jayne Hazard). When he tells his family physician and good friend "Dr. Vincent" (Regis Toomey) about it he is initially told not to worry too much about it. However, Paul becomes even more alarmed when a stranger by the name of "Brett Curtis" (Warren William) arrives at his home bearing an uncanny similarity to the man in his nightmares. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a decent grade-B crime-drama which featured solid acting and an imaginative plot. Admittedly, there were some scenes which were a bit unrealistic but this film was certainly worth the time spent to watch it and have rated it accordingly. Average.

Much has been made of Mr. Ulmer's talent, and here, he makes good use of it. While someone on the order of a brooding Farley Granger, for example, would have been preferable as the lead, James Lydon, nonetheless, turns in a commendable job as Paul Cartwright, a college student haunted by prophetic dreams. It's genuinely refreshing for a change, to look back upon a time, when teen-agers were still presented in a wholesome and appealing light. And, Mr. Lydon, movieland's "Henry Aldrich" certainly had the credentials for those traits. But, here, Lydon is caught in a story of deathly threats, with implications far more threatening, than the "Golly--Gee!" consequences of smashing his date's corsage for the Senior Prom.

As for the plot, Paul, manages to prevent his wealthy widowed mother from marrying a male gold-digger, with a string of unsolved murders in his past. Naturally, Paul has to undergo any number of travails before the violent denouement, including amateur "detective" work that triggers both a feigned and a near real nervous collapse. He is even "voluntarily" committed to an asylum where further sinister developments befall him. The ending, cleverly finds him lost in an unconscious dream state again, but now enjoying a vision of a liberated and happy future.

Mr. Lydon was "slumming" at PRC, on loan from Paramount, and preparatory to his turns with glamorous Elizabeth Taylor in "Life With Father" and "Cynthia" both glossy, expensive, mainline productions.

Nonetheless, this PRC production possesses relatively handsome art direction and production values, given that, based on production files with the American Film Institute, it was actually shot in just 15 days, (as opposed to the erroneous oft-cited 6 day schedule.) By the way, take a good, hard, look at the exteriors of the Lydon family chateau in this. Look familiar? Yes, it's the same house used as Robert Walker's home in "Strangers on a Train" and June Lockhart's in "Bury Me Dead."

All told, if you enjoy crime stories focused on young people trapped in traumatic circumstances, it's definately worth a look.

Many people compared it to "Hamlet " ,but actually the plot is not very shakespearian ; and anyway,from "the lion king" to "the stepfather" , lots of movies repeat the story of the widow-with-son-who-wants-to-marry-again. (and the newcomer is perhaps a murderer).

It belongs to the" psychoanalysis" craze of the forties , along with "spellbound" , "secret beyond the door" ,"the dark mirror" ......even more Freudian ,because the son hates his mom's fiancé ,in spite of his boy-next-door look .His youthful face displays a grown up kid ;the results are not perhaps as absorbing as the films I mention above ,but it's not devoid of qualities.

The beginning is downright unsettling : the hero introduces himself and then we see him lost in horrible nightmares ;premonitory dreams in fact ; and to help him getting through the night (the fog ) ,there's a good doctor he almost considers his substitute father .When one meets the fiancé,not only he's an intruder but it also reminds the hero of elements of his dreams.Enter a shrink who urges the young man to be treated in his sanatorium as a "guest "; a strange hospital ,in which all patients are guests, but they are locked at night, a two-way mirror and binoculars who help the psychiatrist to spy on his patients.

On the other hand, the trick of the truck is too implausible and the ending is too hurried for comfort.

It's an honest film noir though.

Strangely good, and loosely based on Hamlet. Warren William is a cad who's trying to get Jimmy Lydon's mom (a recent widow) to marry him. Only he's not just anyone, he's an outpatient from the local sanitarium! What's more, Lydon has a recurring dream that seems to portend real-life events. Lydon himself is very good, and a long way off from playing Henry Aldrich.

Well, I feel this one was geared more towards the teenagers and young 20-somethings for the time era with a message of "don't take people at face value" (a conversation between Paul and his friend Dr. Vincent explains it fairly well). Even though it's geared for a younger audience of the 1940s it's still a pretty good film to watch - nothing special but fun to watch.

I will agree with others that the film's music is a bit too loud - it sometimes muffles the voices of actor's which is not good. There are times they do that in films as we are not suppose to hear what they are saying but in this case we are suppose to hear them and can but not as clearly as we should due to the music in a couple of scenes... but that does not spoil the plot/story.

I like this film for some reason - maybe even more than I should for personal reasons.

6.5/10

From PRC productions, "Strange Illusion" from 1945 is directed by Edgar Ulmer, a man known for making a low-budget film look it isn't. He succeeds.

Paul Cartwright is a young man still mourning the death of his father, who was once Lieutenant Governor of California. He died while looking into the drowning of a wealthy woman.

While away at school, Paul dreams that his mother (Sally Eilers) is in love with someone who is a danger to her; the dream also shows an image of his father's automobile accident that doesn't look like one.

After consulting a family friend, a psychiatrist (Regis Toomey) he decides to go home, especially after a couple of things happen similar to his dream. When he arrives, he realizes his dream was spot on -- his mother is in love with Brett Curtis (Warren William), and Paul is immediately suspicious of him.

Paul begs his mother to wait to get married. He wants to look into Curtis a little more. Curtis, however, a maniac living as an outpatient in a sanitarium, is in a big rush to get his hands on Virginia's inheritance. In cahoots with him is the doctor who runs the sanitarium.

This film is in the public domain, so I may have seen a heavily edited version. It may have been released as an A movie - hard to tell.

The story is compelling and holds interest, and one really cares about the characters. This is partly because Warren William is as oily as a gusher, and Sally Eilers seems to vacillate as to whether or not she will adhere to her son's wishes.

The dream sequences were very good and atmospheric. However, there were a couple of problems with the film. I'm not sure why Sally Eilers (born in 1922) was cast as the mother of Jimmy Lydon (born 1923) and Jayne Hazard (born in 1923). They were all pretty much the same age! I know Paul's father married a younger woman, but from looking at his portrait, she could have been in her forties.

Though the acting was okay, Jimmy Lydon is slightly miscast as the son. This is basically the plot of Hamlet, so someone a little less sunny would have been good and would have given the film more gravitas.

As it is, it's very good. Lydon, still alive as of this writing, acted through the '80s and helped create the series 77 Sunset Strip and M*A*S*H. He also produced the television adaptation of the film Mister Roberts.

I've recently seen "Strange Illusion". It's a film that I had been wanting to see for a while. Considering it came from the low-budget studio PRC, I didn't know if it would be one of their better, mediocre or worst films. It's not one of their worst, but it just about reaches the PRC level of mediocrity. It seemed like it had an interesting plot. Jimmy Lydon plays a young man who is convinced that his mother's new beau is a killer. He's enlists the aid of a doctor friend to help him solve the mystery which surrounds the household. Jimmy Lydon has had a memorable career as "Henry Aldrich" in the popular 1940's series. He was seen in many other films and in the classic "Life With Father". However, he is served with a somewhat juvenile script here and, at one point in the film, is given a few lines of 1940's teenage vernacular to speak! It is very strange to see him suddenly break away from his normal way of speaking and start using this vernacular on his girlfriend. He says things like "Hello, vixen. What's mixin'?" and "Are ya missin' my kissin'?"! Strange, indeed! I wonder what PRC was thinking! Warren William is good, as usual, portraying the mother's sinister new beau. It's unfortunate that a little more thought about plot, suspense and dialog didn't go into this film. It could have been a much better film. For it's brief length, it seems overlong and much too uneventful. I would suggest seeing this film only if you must, but you can certainly find much better low-budget thrillers out there!

Boy detective has Hamlet-style dream and it all becomes true. How convenient. He also brilliantly checks himself into a loony bin to catch the murderers of his father. Not too bright. This plot is so lean that you will have to eat something while watching the film. Not recommended.

This is a textbook on how not to get away with a crime. All the people in this movie are preposterous. The efforts made by the bad guys are so over the top and convoluted and use so much energy to get what they want, things fizzle and go out long before the end of the movie. Then there's that stupid dream. Why did he have that dream? Did he have real mental problems? Lydon is so calculating. Why can't he give people a straight answer. This is really Oedipul as well. He does have fixation on his mother (the call her the Princess). The crook has a big face and a pencil thin mustache. Anyone could have told the widow that this is a bad combination. Finally, there's that stupid malt shop talk and the way the kids interact with one another. The funniest scene in the movie is when Jimmy is talking to his friend, the Doc, and his buddy is trying to tell him something. They didn't say anything about him being deaf in his right ear. Don't get me going.

This was a good acting role for James Lydon, as a mature young man protecting his mother. But, one wonders, is he too protective?

Paul Cartwright becomes weary when his mother starts dating again, one year after his fathers tragic death. The man is smooth and challenges Paul about his interest in criminology. Paul starts investigating, and comes up with interesting facts about Mr. Curtis. The story is a good one, as we unravel this mystery about the death of Paul's father. Don't miss this.

Many older movies, and by my count it seems those from the 30s and 40s especially, carry a directness and often a simpler form of entertainment that at times can understandably limit the appeal for some viewers. For whatever occasional instances of subtlety or nuance we see in one element or another, I feel like this is mostly true of 1945's 'Strange illusion,' as the flow of events from one moment to the next feels weirdly brusque. Why, just consider the scene about 25 minutes in, in which our hero very pointedly selects and reads aloud some information that will obviously bear fruit later in the narrative - a bit of exposition that is followed in short order with confirmation of our assumption. Beyond that, this picture goes a step further with the foundation of a plot point, protagonist Paul's dreams, that requires utmost active suspension of disbelief, and that is frankly hokey and ham-handed as it presents. I do think this is reasonably well made, with a duly compelling story - but it's hard not to think that this is a title that in some ways demands some measure of open-mindedness to get the most out of it.

I rather think that many aspects of the feature are just suitable, serving their purpose in advancing the story or building the whole, without doing much to make an impression. Whatever their depths or secrets, it's questionable how much believable personality characters possess, and except at its most dramatic, dialogue is scarcely any different. The overall narrative is a little predictable and distinctly straightforward, not caring to leave much to the imagination as it progresses, so any sense of thrills or mystery is dampened. Subjective faults aside it's fairly solid, with much to enjoy - only, again, there's not particularly anything to leap out as remarkable. I might argue the scene writing is strongest of all, with fine attention to how each component comes together to create the smaller beats that weave together into the tapestry of the production, and excessive neatness in the course of events is offset by some minor wit and repartee that characterizes some interactions. And on that note director Edgar G. Ulmer surely deserves some credit in tying all the parts together, while the assembled cast inject more heart and sincerity into their roles than I think was written into them in the first place. (Although, sometimes there's so much exuberance in the portrayals that it comes across as overacting.)

'Strange illusion' is a little odd. There's definite intelligence in the story and screenplay, yet it's as though the vibrant color that should be reflected in the most dynamic and engrossing of thrillers is dulled and muted, a shade of what it should be. The movie is entertaining, but doesn't really inspire any major reaction. Everything is here to make a complete, absorbing film - yet it mostly flows along while failing to truly grab us. I don't think that this is bad, and in fact I do like it; I just wish anything about it were more striking so as to spark meaningful enthusiasm. Despite myself, I don't know that there's a lot more to say. Maybe someone else will watch this and find it far more riveting, but as far as I'm concerned - if you come across 'Strange illusion' it's a decent way to pass 85 minutes. You don't need to go out of your way, however, and if you're seeking a feature that's substantially gripping, maybe look elsewhere and save this for a lazy day.