The Second Face

Last updated
The Second Face
SECOND FACE poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jack Bernhard
Written by Eugene Vale
Produced byEdward Leven
Starring Ella Raines
Bruce Bennett
Rita Johnson
Cinematography Paul Ivano
Edited by Christian Nyby
Music by Raoul Kraushaar
Production
companies
EJL Productions, Inc.
Distributed by Eagle-Lion Classics
Release date
  • December 1, 1950 (1950-12-01)
Running time
77 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Second Face is a 1950 romantic drama [2] film directed by Jack Bernhard and starring Ella Raines as a plain woman whose life is drastically changed by plastic surgery. [3]

Contents

Plot

Claire Elwood runs to her car and speeds away. Phyllis Holmes chases after her in her own car, but crashes into a truck. She is taken to the hospital, where her head is heavily bandaged. Insurance claims adjustor Mr. West visits her to find out what happened, but she refuses to talk to him. A flashback ensues. [4]

Phyllis works as a secretary to Paul Curtis in Fresno, California. Paul is attracted to her, despite her plainness, but is afraid to risk another potentially disastrous marriage (he is divorced). Mrs. Lockridge, his longtime housekeeper, is unable to get him to change his mind. As Phyllis has just graduated from design school, Paul puts her in touch with Claire Elwood, who works in a fashionable Los Angeles dress shop; Claire's boss, Floyd Moran, is impressed by Phyllis's dress designs, and offers her a job as a salesperson, with a promotion to designer if she works out.

Claire arranges a double date for Phyllis before she arrives, but Jerry Allison, Phyllis's blind date, makes an excuse when he sees what she looks like. Moran, also put off by her looks, does not give her the promised job. When Phyllis is unable to find work, Claire has her fiancé, advertising man Allan Wesson, take her on as a secretary.

Jerry uses his contacts to get Phyllis's dresses manufactured, but under his name as the designer. A philanderer, he keeps her at a distance.

Meanwhile, Allan desperately needs to land the account of Mr. Hamilton. Jerry suggests he get to Hamilton through his attractive blonde daughter Lynn. Soon, Allan is seeing Lynn secretly, and he gets Hamilton as a client.

Paul has to stay in Los Angeles for several months for his work. He is soon a frequent visitor to the apartment Phyllis shares with Claire. She pretends she has been going out every night on dates, but he is not fooled. Jerry finally agrees to a date, but she accidentally overhears him telling Allan he intends to take her to a drive-in movie, where no one can see them together. She confronts him, then storms out. He goes to her apartment to make sure she is safe; suspecting that Jerry has done something to upset Phyllis, Paul punches him. When Phyllis returns, Paul asks her to return with him to Fresno, but she tells him he is the last person she could ever love. After he leaves, when questioned by Claire, she explains that she believes he does not love her, but is only interested in her because he believes her unattractiveness will ensure that she will not leave him, as his wife had done.

Allan arranges to fly to Honolulu with Lynn to get married. He sends Phyllis a telegram to ask her to break the news to Claire. Claire reads the telegram, grabs a pistol and drives away, pursued by Phyllis.

After the crash, plastic surgeon Dr. Vaughn is called in to repair Phyllis's face. He does a wonderful job, making her beautiful. Soon she is seeing wealthy men like Todd Williams. She also visits Moran, demands ten times the salary she was to receive when she was plain, and gets it.

She discovers that her hospital bills have been paid by an anonymous benefactor. Through Mr. West, she is surprised to learn that the last check was signed by Jerry. They become engaged, but Claire knows Jerry too well. She gets Mrs. Lockridge to admit that it was actually Paul who paid the bills. Phyllis rushes back to Fresno, but he says that he believes she is coming to him only out of gratitude for his financial assistance. He also admits that he fears that now that she is attractive, she might some day leave him. As she prepares to leave, he relents and they embrace.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>Ruthless People</i> 1986 film by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker

Ruthless People is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer. It stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman in a supporting role in his film debut. The film is the story of a couple who kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realize he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile, the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him, which also fails to go as planned.

<i>Mannequin</i> (1987 film) 1987 film by Michael Gottlieb

Mannequin is a 1987 American romantic comedy film directed by Michael Gottlieb in his directorial debut, and written by Edward Rugoff and Gottlieb. It stars Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty, James Spader, Meshach Taylor, and G. W. Bailey. The original music score was composed by Sylvester Levay. The film revolves around a chronically underemployed passionate artist named Jonathan Switcher who lands a job as a department-store window dresser and the mannequin he created which becomes inhabited by the spirit of a woman from Ancient Egypt, but only comes alive for Jonathan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Wesson</span> American mass murderer on death row

Marcus Delon Wesson is an American mass murderer and child rapist, convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder and 14 sex crimes, including the rape and molestation of his underage daughters. His victims were his children, fathered through incestuous sexual abuse of his daughters and nieces, as well as his wife's children.

<i>The Amazing Mr. X</i> 1948 film by Bernard Vorhaus

The Amazing Mr. X, also known as The Spiritualist, is a 1948 American horror thriller film noir directed by Bernard Vorhaus with cinematography by John Alton. The film tells the story of a phony spiritualist racket. The film is prominently featured in Alton's book on cinematography Painting with Light (1949).

<i>The Unholy Wife</i> 1957 American film by John Farrow

The Unholy Wife is a 1957 Technicolor film noir crime film produced and directed by John Farrow at RKO Radio Pictures, but released by Universal Pictures as RKO was in the process of ceasing its film activities. The film features Diana Dors, Rod Steiger, Tom Tryon and Beulah Bondi. The screenplay was written by William Durkee and Jonathan Latimer

<i>Tourist Trap</i> (film) 1979 American supernatural slasher film by David Schmoeller

Tourist Trap is a 1979 American supernatural slasher film directed by David Schmoeller and starring Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood, and Tanya Roberts. The film follows a group of young people who stumble upon a roadside museum run by a lonely eccentric, where an unknown killer with psychokinetic powers begins to murder them. Schmoeller co-wrote the script with J. Larry Carroll who served as producer for the film alongside Charles Band.

<i>I Was a Teenage Frankenstein</i> 1957 film by Herbert L. Strock

I Was a Teenage Frankenstein is a horror film starring Whit Bissell, Phyllis Coates and Gary Conway, released by American International Pictures (AIP) in November 1957 as a double feature with Blood of Dracula. It is the follow-up to AIP's box office hit I Was a Teenage Werewolf, released less than five months earlier. Both films later received a sequel in the crossover How to Make a Monster, released in July 1958. The film stars Whit Bissell, Phyllis Coates, Robert Burton, Gary Conway and George Lynn.

<i>Mooch Goes to Hollywood</i> 1971 American TV series or program

Mooch Goes to Hollywood is a 1971 51-minute television film was directed by Richard Erdman and co-written by Jim Backus, who also stars in the film as himself. The film chronicles the adventures of Mooch, an ambitious dog, and her attempts to become a canine star after befriending Zsa Zsa Gabor.

<i>Death Wish V: The Face of Death</i> 1994 American action thriller film by Allan A. Goldstein

Death Wish V: The Face of Death is a 1994 American vigilante action-thriller film and the fifth and final installment in the Death Wish film series, written and directed by Allan A. Goldstein. Charles Bronson reprises his role in both his final theatrical starring role and his final appearance as the character Paul Kersey. In the film, Kersey tries to protect his girlfriend, Olivia Regent from brutal mobsters that are threatening her fashion business.

<i>The Babe Ruth Story</i> 1948 film by Roy Del Ruth

The Babe Ruth Story is a 1948 American biographical film about professional baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948), who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. However, most of the film, except for the basic details of Ruth's life and career achievements, was fictionalized. Directed by Roy Del Ruth, the film stars William Bendix as the ballplayer and Claire Trevor as his wife Claire Merritt Hodgson. The film initially received positive reviews, however, modern-day critics faulted the film's heavy-handedness and direction, and it is said by many to be one of the worst films ever made.

<i>Shrimps for a Day</i> 1934 American film

Shrimps for a Day is a 1934 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Gus Meins. It was the 133rd Our Gang short to be released, The character of Mr. Crutch was the inspiration for Mr. Krupp in the Captain Underpants book series

"Twenty-One Guns" is the 22nd and final episode of the 12th season of American television series ER, and the 267th episode overall. Written by David Zabel and directed by Nelson McCormick, the episode originally aired on May 18, 2006 on NBC.

<i>The Stork Club</i> (film) 1945 film by Hal Walker

The Stork Club is a 1945 American musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Betty Hutton. The supporting cast features Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore and Robert Benchley.

<i>Flight Command</i> 1940 American film

Flight Command is a 1940 American U.S. Navy film from MGM, produced by Frank Borzage and directed by J. Walter Ruben and Frank Borzage (uncredited), starring Robert Taylor, Ruth Hussey, and Walter Pidgeon. It has the distinction of often being credited as the first Hollywood film glorifying the American military to be released after the outbreak of World War II in Europe, a year before the U.S. entered the conflict.

<i>The Woman Eater</i> 1958 British film by Charles Saunders

The Woman Eater is a low budget 1958 British horror film directed by Charles Saunders and starring George Coulouris and Vera Day. Produced by Guido Coen, the film recounts the story of a crazed scientist who feeds women to a flesh-eating tree in return for a serum that can bring the dead back to life. The film was released in the UK in 1958 by Eros Films on a double bill with the Swedish crime drama Blonde in Bondage (1957).

<i>The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe</i> 1942 film by Harry Lachman

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe is a 1942 American drama film directed by Harry Lachman, starring Linda Darnell and Shepperd Strudwick. The film is a cinematic biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines his romantic relationships with Sarah Elmira Royster and Virginia Clemm. The film presents a sympathetic and positive outline of Poe's life and career.

<i>Padlocked</i> 1926 film by Allan Dwan

Padlocked is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Rex Beach, Becky Gardiner, and James Shelley Hamilton. The film stars Lois Moran, Noah Beery Sr., Louise Dresser, Helen Jerome Eddy, Allan Simpson, Florence Turner, and Richard Arlen. The film was released on August 2, 1926, by Paramount Pictures.

<i>Seven Sundays</i> (2017 film) 2017 Filipino family comedy drama film

Seven Sundays is a 2017 Philippine family comedy-drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina. The screenplay written by Roumella Monge, Kiko Abrillo, and John Raphael Gonzaga was adapted from a story by Monge, Abrillo, and Vanessa R. Valdez. It stars Aga Muhlach, Ronaldo Valdez, Cristine Reyes, Dingdong Dantes and Enrique Gil.

References

  1. ↑ "The Second Face (1950)". Letterboxd . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Second Face (1950)". FilmAffinity . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  3. ↑ "The Second Face". Mubi . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (29 September 2015). Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965: Third Edition. Penguin. ISBN   978-0-698-19729-9 . Retrieved 31 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.