Take My Life

1947
6.9| 1h19m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 30 May 1947 Released
Producted By: J. Arthur Rank Organisation
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Info

When her husband is wrongly accused of murder, an opera singer sets out to find the real culprit.

Genre

Drama, Thriller, Crime

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Take My Life (1947) is currently not available on any services.

Director

Ronald Neame

Production Companies

J. Arthur Rank Organisation

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Take My Life Audience Reviews

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever
Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast
Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Alex da Silva .especially if you are married to someone else! What on earth was rich layabout Hugh Williams (Nick) thinking? I say layabout but he's actually the manager of his talented operatic singer wife Greta Gynt (Phillipa). She's the one with the talent, so, yep, he's probably a layabout feeding off her success. Anyway, his ex is violin player Rosalie Crutchley (Liz) and she ends up dead which is bad news for layabout boy. He's in the dock for murder and heading for the afterlife courtesy of the death penalty. Cue sharp-witted Greta to go out and prove his innocence.This film travels along at a good pace and is basically a thriller. The mystery element is taken away near the beginning of the film as the killer is revealed. This doesn't matter and takes nothing away from the enjoyment of the film as Gynt goes after the truth and puts herself in danger. Real danger! The film starts with an interesting voice-over from lawyer Frances L. Sullivan as he puts his case forward for the prosecution in court. Just sit back and let the film carry you along. There are some light touches thrown in along with moments of suspense. The shop-keeper and his opening times is quite amusing – don't open till 9:00 am – ha ha. The film is nothing special but it is enjoyable as you watch it.
clanciai Brilliant thriller with a musical touch to it, the key to the solution being a tiny melody putting the primadonna Greta Gynt on the track. This to me unknown actress dominates the film with a vengeance, never giving up on her lonely and heroic quest to clear her husband, wrongly accused of murder because of unfortunate circumstances speaking against him. The other great female part is Rosalie Crutchley, here very young but already deeply fascinating with her demonic suavity. Francis Sullivan is domineering as usual as the prosecutor and as perfectly objective as the lawyer Jaggers in "Great Expectations" the previous year, but the most interesting part is Marius Goring. He always makes overly intelligent parts risking to run amuck, but here you get closer to his hidden menace than ever. It was Ronald Neame's debut as a director, and it matches more than well any sustained thriller by Hitchcock or Anthony Asquith. It's brilliantly written, flattering the audience by always letting them know more than the actors, and the finale is a cliffhanger with a surprise to it. It was a long time since you last saw such a clever thriller.
RogerTheMovieManiac88 As I scrolled down a list of Ronald Neame's movie credits prior to compiling this little review, I was struck again by the unbridled excellence of his filmography. Ebullient successes such as 'Major Barbara' and 'Blithe Spirit' were photographed by him, and he would go on to direct such involving and memorable movies as 'The Man Who Never Was' and 'Gambit'. Having honed his skills behind the camera while working with the cream of British movie-making talent, Neame made the transition to the director's chair in 1947 with 'Take My Life'.And what a brilliant first-up effort it proves to be! This fast-paced and deftly-directed thriller sees Greta Gynt travelling to Scotland in an attempt to clear her husband, Hugh Williams, of the murder of an old flame of his. With Neame directing and Guy Green photographing the movie, it is a real triumph pictorially. As a prestige production of GFD/Cineguild, one would expect the polished feel that is evident. The movie is further elevated, however, by a stylish and imaginative script and uniformly excellent performances. Gynt and Williams offer refreshing sparkle on-screen and imbue their characters with admirable depth. Marius Goring, as the killer, is brooding and calculated and he fills the screen with a sense of foreboding menace. Some of the later suspense-filled scenes in the school call to mind Neame's background in cinematography. Several wonderfully expressionistic scenes are realised as Gynt searches for evidence of the dead girl, and engages in a game of cat-and-mouse with Goring amongst the deserted corridors and rooms of the empty school and then on the train back to England. The sense of moody desperation evoked in the last reel deserves special praise.This confident and consistently exciting thriller shows what a fantastic film-maker Ronald Neame was. He demonstrates a smooth narrative style and expertly ramps up a thrilling level of suspense, despite the fact that the murderer is known to the audience from an early stage. 'Take My Life' is a movie that I wholeheartedly recommend.
bob the moo Nicholas Talbot is the husband and manager of wealthy opera singer Phillipa Shelley. Tensions in the marriage are raised when Nicholas meets Elizabeth, an old flame, after a show. Hours later Elizabeth is killed at her flat with Nicholas not having an alibi. On trial for murder he looks to be heading for certain imprisonment – but Phillipa starts following her own clues in an attempt to uncover the truth.I didn't have a clue what this was about until I watched it – so I had no preconceptions about it. It seemed to start well enough as the stall was laid out and clues were shown. However it quickly became dull and only really got better when the wife started looking for clues herself. However the thing that actually helps her find the real killer is such an absurd plot twist that it's more silly than anything else. The final 10 minutes are good but can't make this anything more than a dull mystery.The cast are quite good but don't really have any character. I thought the fat lawyer character would play a bigger role and potentially have character a la Charles Laughton in Witness for the Prosecution, however he didn't. Similarly the accused and his wife are quite cardboard.Overall it's not terrible but it has nothing whatsoever that will stay in your memory. Not really worth watching.