Wives Under Suspicion (1938)
Directed by James Whale—best known for Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein—Wives Under Suspicion is a taut, cerebral crime drama that explores the psychological toll of suspicion within marriage. It’s a remake of Whale’s own 1933 film The Kiss Before the Mirror, both based on Ladislas Fodor’s 1932 play Der Kuss Vor Dem Spiegel, which premiered in Vienna.
Plot Summary
District Attorney Jim Stowell (Warren William) is prosecuting a man for murdering his wife in a jealous rage. As the trial unfolds, Jim begins to suspect that his own wife, Lucy (Gail Patrick), may be having an affair. The parallels between the case and his personal life grow disturbingly close: both men are neglectful husbands, both sense betrayal through a kiss before a mirror, and both are consumed by doubt.
Jim’s internal conflict escalates as he questions whether he’s capable of the same crime he’s condemning. The film builds toward a moral reckoning, where justice, love, and self-control are put to the test.
Cast Highlights
- Warren William as Jim Stowell
- Gail Patrick as Lucy Stowell
- Ralph Morgan as Professor MacAllen (brother of Frank Morgan, who starred in the original 1933 version)
- Constance Moore, William Lundigan, and Cecil Cunningham in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- Originally titled Suspicion, the film was retitled to avoid confusion with Hitchcock’s later thriller
- Shot on a $250,000 budget, it wrapped four days early and $30,000 under budget
- Warren William was the first actor to portray Perry Mason in a series of 1930s films
- Gail Patrick later became a producer of the Perry Mason TV series (1957–1966), making both leads deeply tied to the franchise’s legacy
- The film entered the public domain in 1966 due to a lapse in copyright renewal
