Women have always had to put up with the bad behavior of men who do not understand the concept of the word “no”. That is illustrated to perfection in 1949’s The Accused, a story about a science professor, Dr. Wilma Tuttle, who is being energetically pursued by one of her students, Bill Perry (Douglas Dick). When his advances become violent, she fights back, killing him in the process. It is telling that she, despite being entirely in the right, feels that she must try and hide what happened lest she face prosecution for his death. And she is right to assume that. This is a man’s world and the police are doggedly looking for a murderer, not a woman who defended herself.
Thus begins the meat of the plot, which stays focused on Tuttle while the police circle around her, eventually accusing her of murder. Meanwhile, she has begun to form a romantic bond with San Francisco attorney Warren Ford (Robert Cummings), who had acted as Bill’s guardian and knew he was an impetuous woman chaser with a dark streak to him. This budding relationship adds a level of humanity to the proceedings, as does Wilma’s very real fears that her reaction to the assault and the aftermath will be seen as unsympathetic in this eyes of the men around her.
The Accused has a lot to say about gender politics and a woman’s rights to defend herself. It’s also refreshing to see a fully fleshed-out female character who is not a damsel in distress nor a femme fatale. Wilma is a very realistic depiction of a woman from this post-war era, professional and competent but living in a world where she will still be viewed as lesser and her motivations in this situation disbelieved. Warren doesn’t see her that way, but the police and the others conducting the investigation do. The film does eventually bring Wilma to trial, but by then, it has spoken its peace on this mindset, and Warren rightfully predicts that a jury, when given the true facts of the case, won’t possibly convict Wilma for her actions. By being fully privy to the assault, neither will we. 1949 - 100 minutes
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