The Locket (1946)

Directed by John Brahm; produced by Bert Granet

The happily anticipated wedding of a man (Gene Raymond) and woman (Laraine Day) is interrupted by the sudden arrival of a doctor (Brian Aherne) who, speaking confidentially with the groom, warns him that his bride is a malicious, lying thief, responsible for the destruction of several men. To the incredulous would-be husband, the stranger unfolds a tale of deceit, tragedy and death.

Driven by excellent performances, The Locket is an absorbing study of the devastation one person can wreak. Day’s character, Nancy Fuller, is a kleptomaniac; more than that, however, she is a thoroughly amoral woman who, while not incapable of affection, pivots her feelings on how or whether people support her and her lies.

The men in her life (including Robert Mitchum, as an initial boyfriend) are captivated by her vivacious personality, a quite charming, even warm, demeanour which, though not superficial or false, is nonetheless hollow, filled with selfishness, and a determination to sacrifice all others if necessary.

Those men, and other characters, are well delineated. Mitchum and Aherne, in particular, play two different types of men drawn to Nancy. Neither is gullible or unintelligent, but each is drawn deeply into their feelings for the woman, and thus are both easy prey to her self-centredness and correspondingly affected when they learn the truth.

The actors are up to the tasks given them by the well-rounded characters. Aherne may seem bland, but gives his character a depth that is hidden by the off-handedly amiable English facade. Mitchum’s artist is lightly unconventional, disdainful of the establishment, but honest enough to be grateful for a rich patron and moral enough to be astounded at Nancy’s crimes.

The movie revolves around Nancy Fuller, and if her portrayal were not convincing, the film would suffer severely. Day is very good in the role. Her emotional scenes are involving: her casual acceptance of some accusations are maddening, her indignation at others becomes outrageous. Day allows Nancy’s switches from anger to sorrow and back again, her sobbing displays for pity and her disregard of consequences for others, to be credible.

The story and script are good. Mitchum’s lines are especially suited to his character’s eventual cynicism. The origin of Nancy’s psychological problems may be simplistic, but is dramatically acceptable. The device of flashbacks within flashbacks does not lead to confusion so much as it does a question of whether the characters providing the narration are telling the truth. Since the audience is not meant to question the events of these memories, that is a difficulty for the story. However, it is the only really prominent problem.

The Locket is a tale of the horrendous damage a callous and supremely selfish individual can cause, a story of how casual evil can be a greater danger than calculated malice. Sometimes not caring about consequences can do more harm than arranging them. Through well-written characters excellently brought to life by fine performances, this movie both entertains and thrills.