The 13th Letter
| The 13th Letter | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Otto Preminger |
| Produced by | Otto Preminger |
| Screenplay by | Howard Koch |
| Based on | the story "Le Corbeau" by Louis Chavance |
| Starring |
Linda Darnell Charles Boyer Michael Rennie Constance Smith Françoise Rosay |
| Music by | Alex North |
| Cinematography | Joseph LaShelle |
| Edited by | Louis R. Loeffler |
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Production
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| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
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Release date
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Running time
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85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The 13th Letter is a 1951 American drama film directed by Otto Preminger. The film is a remake of the French film Le Corbeau (The Raven, 1943) directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.
Doctor Pearson (Michael Rennie), who works at a Canadian hospital in the province of Quebec, receives a series of poison pen letters. More letters, all signed with the mysterious picture of a feather, are delivered to others in the small Canadian town. Cora Laurent (Constance Smith), the wife of the main doctor - Dr. Laurent (Charles Boyer) - at the hospital, receives a letter accusing her of having an affair with Pearson. Another letter informs a shell-shocked veteran Mr. Gauthier that he is dying of cancer, causing the distraught man to commit suicide. Quickly, the townsfolk begin pointing fingers at all possible suspects.
Channel 4's review of this film praised the cinematography and music score: "The movie is redolent with atmosphere: Joseph LaShelle's photography accentuates the black and shadows, and there's dark shading too in Alex North's music. The film is dominated by death and melancholy, and by Françoise Rosay as the matriarch responsible for the trouble."
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Wikipedia