How often do we let strangers into our homes? We may think that doesn’t happen but in reality we do that on occasion. For instance, the man delivering our new bed or refrigerator, the plumber or electrician, maybe even someone hired to do some repair work around the house. We let these individuals into our homes because we believe they are altruistic and once their task is complete they will be on their way and back out of our lives again. But we know nothing about their personal lives nor whether they are safe to be around. They are hired to do a job and we trust that that is all they will do.
The film Beware, My Lovely looks at a situation such as this and asks, “What if the person hired to do work around the house is mentally unwell?” “What if they are dangerous?” That is a fascinating thought because all of us have been put in that position where someone we don’t know personally has been allowed into our safe haven like that. In this case it is Howard Wilton (Robert Ryan). Howard has been hired by Helen Gordon (Ida Lupino), a widow, to do some cleaning and repairing around her house. But Howard has some mental problems and eventually, pushed hard enough by those around him, he snaps and locks her inside the house, refusing to let her leave.
The film starts out with a bit of a mystery. We see Howard, at another residence, come across a woman who has been killed. In a panic, he flees, jumping on a passing train and disappearing. For a while we assume that he is running from someone who has committed that murder and to a degree that is the case. What we don’t learn until later is the person he is running from is himself.
Ida Lupino was one of those actresses who simply commanded the screen. She knew it, too, and took control of her career, even becoming one of the early female directors during a time when it was almost entirely an exclusively male-dominated field. She is in fine form here, put in a vulnerable position but not playing it entirely as a damsel in distress. Instead, she is figuring out ways to get out of her situation, using what she has to try and get the message out that she is being held captive. How that is eventually resolved is brilliant because it doesn’t go the way you would think it would. It breaks away from the tight reigns of the Hays Code just enough that the ending catches you a bit by surprise and leaves you feeling unease.
This is a taut thriller made all the more effective by the wonderful, nail-biting performances from Lupino and especially Ryan, who is absolutely chilling as the man who is both charming and unhinged. This film wouldn’t work without both characters being on point. It’s not perfect; a bratty young woman who will not leave Howard alone is played just a little too over-the-top and there is one too many scenes of children being allowed into the house after Howard takes Helen captive. But this is still a very well-made thriller that leaves you with a feeling of uneasiness as it comes to its conclusion. 1952 - 77 minutes
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