Woman in the Dark (also released as Woman in the Shadows) is a 1934 American crime drama film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Fay Wray and Ralph Bellamy. It was written by Sada Cowan and Charles Williams based on a 1933 short story by Dashiell Hammett. It was filmed at Biograph Studios by Select Pictures and released by RKO Radio Pictures.
Released from prison on parole, John Bradley plans to live alone quietly in a cabin in the country. He is visited there by the sheriff's daughter, Helen Grant, on whose account he had got into a fight and accidentally killed a man in the past. While he is trying to persuade her to leave, a beautiful disheveled woman in evening dress bursts in. This is Louise Loring, who has run away on foot from her rich "protector", Tony Robson.
With his sidekick Conroy, Robson pursues Louise, and Conroy shoots Bradley's dog. Bradley knocks out Conroy, who falls and seriously injures his head. Robson reports this to the local sheriff, who wants Bradley back in jail. Tipped off by Helen, Bradley and Louise flee to the New York flat of Bradley's old cellmate, Tommy Logan, and while staying there they fall in love.
Traced by the police, Bradley narrowly escapes but with a bullet in his shoulder. Meanwhile, Robson has accused Louise of theft in order to trace her, and then tries to persuade her to go back to him. Since she suspects he is of a vindictive nature and is trying to harm Bradley further, she agrees. Bradley arrives with Tommy Logan for a showdown, just as Robson has decided to murder Conroy so as to worsen the apparent case against Bradley. The two burst in and expose his plot at the last moment.
Cast
Fay Wray as Louise Loring
Ralph Bellamy as John Bradley
Melvyn Douglas as Tony Robson
Roscoe Ates as Tommy Logan
Ruth Gillette as Lil Logan
Joe King as detective
Nell O'Day as Helen Grant
Frank Otto as Kraus
Reed Brown Jr. as Conroy
Granville Bates as Sheriff Grant
Charles Williams as clerk
Frank Shannon as prison warden
Cliff Dunstan as doctor
Directed by Phil Rosen
Written by Dashiell Hammett (story)
Sada Cowan (writer)
Charles Williams
Marcy Klauber (additional dialogue)
Produced by Burt Kelly (associate producer)
Starring
Fay Wray
Ralph Bellamy
Melvyn Douglas
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg
Sam Leavitt
Edited by William P. Thompson
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date
November 9, 1934
Running time 68 minutes
Country United States
Language English
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