Deception (1946 film)
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Deception is a 1946 American film noir drama released by Warner Brothers and directed by Irving Rapper. The film is based on the 1927 play Monsieur Lamberthier by Louis Verneuil. The screenplay was written by John Collier and Joseph Than. It stars Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, who had also appeared together in the highly successful Now, Voyager (1942).<ref>Template:IMDb title.</ref>
Plot
Christine Radcliffe is seen running in the rain up the stairs of a large symphony hall in which a concert is already underway with a performance of the Haydn cello concerto in D. Her eyes fill with tears as she recognizes the cellist on stage: Karel Novak who spent the war trapped in neutral Sweden. After his performance, Novak is mobbed by well-wishers. He then returns to his dressing room and as the concert is heard resuming after intermission with Schubert's Unfinished Symphony Christine enters and their eyes meet in his mirror. The couple embraces while Christine cries, "I thought you were dead. I saw them kill you."
Karel and Christine return to her apartment. She has told him that she is living a financially precarious life as a pianist but this conflicts with what Karel sees in her apartment, such as a fur coat hanging in the closet and rare art on display. He makes assumptions and confronts her, but frightens himself with his own vehemence and apologizes, though says he is leaving. She stops him with the confession she lowered herself to taking "rich, untalented pupils" who gifted her with the items.
They marry, but the composer Alexander Hollenius makes a dramatic entrance at their wedding reception. It is evident he is jealous, and the stress leads him to squeeze until it shatters a wine glass he is holding. Hollenius soon gives Novak a manuscript score of his new cello concerto, which Novak agrees to perform at its premiere. It becomes apparent to Christine that a cellist in the orchestra, Bertram Gribble, is being tutored in the solo part by Hollenius. Suspecting the sabotage of her husband's career, she unsuccessfully attempts to bribe Gribble into not co-operating.
Friction develops between Novak and Hollenius, and the composer angrily breaks off a dress rehearsal on the grounds of Novak's temperamental behavior. He does, however, make it clear that he intends to have Novak play the concerto. On the evening of the premiere, Christine visits Hollenius, who threatens to allow Novak the joy of a successful performance only to destroy him by telling him about their love affair. Distraught, Christine shoots him dead.
Another conductor, Neilsen, takes the place of the absent Hollenius, and the performance is a great success. While well-wishers wait, Christine confesses everything to her husband, and they leave the concert hall together. As they walk out a lady says, "Oh, Christine, you must be the happiest woman in the world," which eventually elicits a wan smile from Christine.
Cast
- Bette Davis as Christine Radcliffe
- Paul Henreid as Karel Novak
- Claude Rains as Alexander Hollenius
- John Abbott as Bertram Gribble
- Benson Fong as Jimmy, Hollenius' servant
- Richard Erdman as Jerry Spencer, music student (uncredited)
- Einar Neilsen as Neilsen, orchestra conductor (uncredited)
