Strange Confession (1945)

Who payed the critics

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Chemist Lon Chaney Jr (Jeff) develops cures for illnesses but it's his boss J. Carrol Naish (Graham) who proudly takes the credit. Chaney is OK with this as he is motivated by the desire to help mankind. However, he is just too nice and doesn't even ask for pay rises. Naish is ruthlessly committed to profit and is prepared to release unfinished products to the public and that's what he does. He comes into direct conflict with Chaney over this point and things escalate. Chaney wants something back.Well, I'm not sure Chaney needed to do what he does given his reasoning at the end of the film. It doesn't make any sense – he's babbling complete nonsense. However, we all sympathize with him. The film is a bit boring given the family situation - I couldn't care less for the family life sections and the kid and the irritating housekeeper.One thing is true about the film, it is indeed a strange confession. And there are loads of products on the market that are no good for you. What's in the bag – yes, you guessed right. No real mystery about this film, it's an obvious narrative.

"Strange Confession" may be a part of the "Inner Sanctum Mysteries" series, but it's really more of a tragedy than a mystery. It's well-made and polished, but also very slow and "civilized" and low-key; for most of its length any mystery or suspense elements are downplayed to the point of non-existence. And it's not that hard to guess what's inside the bag that Lon Chaney carries in the beginning which shocks the first man who sees it so much. Chaney continues to show his versatility in this series, by playing an entirely different character in each entry, much like Richard Dix in the concurrent "Whistler" series. As for Brenda Joyce, her role appears to be thankless for much of the running time, but she also has some powerful moments near the end. "Strange Confession" is worth seeing - but be forewarned about the genre it belongs to. **1/2 out of 4.

Lon Chaney, Brenda Joyce, J. Carroll Naish, and Lloyd Bridges star in this "Inner Sanctum" mystery entry. We see a distraught Lon Chaney, with a mysterious package in tow, visiting an ex-classmate, who's now a respected attorney, for his help. Lon begins his story. Flashback: Chaney is a scientist who's working on a cure for influenza. His boss - underplayed nicely by Naish, who usually likes to ham it up in supporting roles with accents - pays him for results and is anxious to put this latest pill on the shelves. Lon was going to ask for a raise, but, when they have a confrontation about Lon's slow but deliberate pace, his boss demands his notes. But Lon has them all in his mind and quits, when he feels he's being used for his brain and unappreciated. His wife Brenda Joyce is the supportive wife, to a point; she's tired of living with nothing to their name in a somewhat adequate apartment. He has her and a son to think of, if he doesn't want to blow his own horn for himself. Then, Lon discovers he needs a mold found in South America to complete the ingredients. Without it, not only does the vaccine not work on the patients, but it may be lethal. But, while he's there with co-worker Lloyd Bridges, the impatient boss markets it as is anyway.This was a bit different in its synopsis on the Inner Sanctum DVD collection, so I thought it seemed the least interesting. I put off watching it, until all the others were watched. But I was completely immersed in it, despite the fact there was no murder to solve from the beginning. All the suspense comes in the final five minutes of the film.In fact, all of the "Inner Sanctum" films were very good. Some of them better than others, but none of them were weak or badly made. In fact, I was very impressed with how well-written the dialogue was in all of them. They have an almost educated feel to them, like these were mysteries with a pedigree. I have reviewed others in the series, but maybe not all. If you get a chance to buy the "Inner Sanctum" DVD collection off Amazon, you won't be disappointed. Some of them are a little campy. Some are downright creepy. But all of them effective in their offbeat and methodical way. "Strange Confession" is just one sampling of a collection that will whet your appetite for more of the classic black-and-white murder mysteries.

Strange Confession (1945) *** (out of 4) Fifth in the Inner Sanctum series once again features Lon Chaney, Jr.. This time around he plays a brilliant scientist who's trying to find a cure for influenza. His greedy boss (J. Carrol Naish) puts the stuff out on the market before it has been proved to cure and this leads to a tragedy. This is probably the best of the series as it mixes some Frank Capra like quiet moments with some rather mean spirited stuff towards the end. Chaney gives a very good performance and Naish lends a very strong supporting performance.