Directed by Martin Gabel in his only directorial effort, The Lost Moment is a moody psychological thriller based loosely on Henry James’s novella The Aspern Papers. Produced by Walter Wanger and released by Universal Pictures, the film blends literary obsession, dissociative identity, and eerie atmosphere in a Venetian setting.
Plot Summary
Lewis Venable (Robert Cummings), a New York publisher, travels to Venice under a false identity to obtain the long-lost love letters of 19th-century poet Jeffrey Ashton, believed to be in the possession of Juliana Bordereau (Agnes Moorehead), Ashton’s aged former lover. Juliana lives in a decaying palazzo with her reclusive niece Tina (Susan Hayward), who exhibits signs of dissociative identity disorder—sometimes believing she is Juliana herself.
As Lewis grows closer to Tina, he uncovers secrets about Ashton’s fate and the true nature of the letters. The climax involves a fire, a death, and the destruction of the precious documents, leaving Lewis and Tina to confront the past and embrace a new beginning.
Cast Highlights
- Robert Cummings as Lewis Venable
- Susan Hayward as Tina Bordereau
- Agnes Moorehead as Juliana Bordereau
- Joan Lorring, Eduardo Ciannelli, and John Archer in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was a free adaptation of The Aspern Papers, adding elements like split personality, murder, and a house fire not present in James’s original story
- Agnes Moorehead’s transformation into the 105-year-old Juliana required extensive makeup, making her nearly unrecognizable
- The miniature portrait shown in the film is of Percy Bysshe Shelley, subtly linking Ashton to the Romantic poet
- The story was later adapted for the stage by Michael Redgrave, and revived in the 1980s with Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Reeve
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