The Lost Moment
| The Lost Moment | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Martin Gabel |
| Produced by | Walter Wanger |
| Written by |
Henry James (novel) Leonardo Bercovici |
| Starring |
Robert Cummings Susan Hayward |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
| Cinematography | Hal Mohr |
| Edited by | Milton Carruth |
|
Production
company |
Walter Wanger Productions
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,313,775 |
| Box office | $734,357 |
The Lost Moment is a 1947 film noir psychological thriller film with elements of horror directed by Martin Gabel and starring Robert Cummings, Susan Hayward and Agnes Moorehead.
A publisher, Lewis Venable, travels from New York to Venice, seeking to buy the 19th Century love letters of the late poet Jeffrey Ashton (whose portrait looks suspiciously like Percy Bysshe Shelley) to a woman named Juliana Bordereau. He learns from a living poet, Charles Russell, that, amazingly, Juliana is still alive at 105.
Lewis assumes a false identity, not immediately announcing his intent. He is given lodging by Juliana and meets great-niece Tina, a pianist.
In time, he discovers that Juliana is in dire need of money, even offering to sell him a valuable painting. He also learns that Tina has a schizophrenic personality, at times deluding herself into believing that she is Juliana, and that Ashton's letters were written to her.
Charles tries to blackmail Lewis, revealing his true identity and purpose. Lewis comes to believe that Ashton was murdered and buried in the garden. Chaos ensues as he begins to leave, the house catching fire. He manages to save Juliana from the blaze, but the precious letters are lost, as is the old woman's will to live.
The film was produced at Universal Pictures by Walter Wanger, from a screenplay by Leonardo Bercovici based on the novella The Aspern Papers by Henry James. The music score was by Daniele Amfitheatrof and the cinematography was by Hal Mohr. The film stars Robert Cummings and Susan Hayward with Agnes Moorehead, Joan Lorring, Eduardo Ciannelli and Minerva Urecal.
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