For a poverty row film this really has some stars - Ralph Bellamy, Melvyn Douglas and Fay Wray. Fay Wray was very beautiful but not much of an actress. She was very lucky to appear in some "cult" movies and when she did appear in independents she was surrounded by dependable stars (Ralph Bellamy, Melvyn Douglas, Joel McCrea). She even had the advantage of having Dashiell Hammett write the story. Even though this was a "Commonwealth" production, it was filmed at the old Biograph Studios in New York.

John Bradley (Ralph Bellamy) has just been released from prison after serving time for killing a man in a fit of temper. He wants to escape the rat race and return to his cabin in the woods. He feels that by staying away from people he will be able to keep on the straight and narrow. Fay Wray makes a dramatic entrance as Louise Loring, clutching at her flimsy dress, who stumbles into his cabin in the dead of night. She is running from Tony Robson (Melvyn Douglas) who has followed her through the woods. Robson is the local playboy and Louise refuses to go with him. He gets his own back by telephoning Helen's parents and telling them exactly where she is. She was John's girl before he went to prison and has lost no time in trailing him to his mountain cabin. Helen's father bursts in and makes trouble, but John, heeding Louise's word, keeps his temper.

Louise then tells him how she met Tony. She was an aspiring musician and Tony believed in her enough to finance her career. When her first concert is an "artistic" success - in other words, a flop - Tony makes his true feelings known - he wants payment of the loan in only one way!!

After yet another altercation with Tony, in which his friend, Conroy, is left with a fractured skull, John, with Louise in tow, goes on the run - being out on parole, he can't afford to get into trouble.

This is a nifty little thriller - very claustrophobic, until about half way through, when they leave the cabin and go on the run. Before Ralph Bellamy became remembered for witless fiancée portrayals ( usually jilted by the heroine in favour of Cary Grant, Edward G. Robinson and even Fred Astaire) he took on a variety of roles, including a ruthless gangster in "The Secret Six" (1931).

For a film released after the code (which came about in July 1934) it was decidedly racy with lots of eyebrow raising scenes. Louise's flimsy dress that has a habit of coming off the shoulder. John's friends Tommy and Lil - Tommy later introduces Lil as his wife but the initial scenes show him trying to sneak out of her room while taking jewelry. Louise has a terrible reputation - although there is no reason to believe she is "one of those women". Also Kraus, the lawyer, is quick to book Louise and himself into a room as Mr. and Mrs. Smith. There was also a disrobing scene where Louise and John had to share a room. I don't know how it got past the censors at the end of 1934!!!

Recommended.

Out on parole, John Bradley (Ralph Bellamy) has no intention of returning to prison. His first night home, he is visited by Helen Grant (Nell O'Day) whose father is the sheriff. It was over Lil that John got into a brawl that ended in a man's death. John is encouraging her to leave when a woman, Louise Loring (Fay Wray) dressed in a white gown arrives at his house. She's hurt her ankle trying to get to the train station - and away from Tony Robson (Melvyn Douglas). Louise thought that Robson lent her money for her singing career - but it was an investment and he wants a return that isn't monetary.

Robson is there with a drunk friend (Reed Brown Jr.) who kills the dog that accompanied him (setting my teeth on edge), goes after Louise, is hit by John, and sustains a concussion, though John thinks he's dead. Tony informs the sheriff, and John and Louise go on the run to his cellmate Logan's (Roscoe Ates) place. It goes from there, with the police showing up yet again.

This is an okay movie, with the comedy coming from the visit at the Logan's -- he's an ex-jewel robber who is dying to get his hands on the jewels Robson gave Louise. Bellamy's career in films spanned 59 years, and his stage career spanned thirty. Here he's 30 years old, playing a somewhat laconic role, though flirtatious with Louise - his sonorous voice making him instantly recognizable.

Fay Wray was supremely beautiful and does a good job as Louise - though why anyone would walk in total darkness through what looked like woods to get to a train station is beyond me. I've seen too much true crime, I guess.

There was nothing special about this film, it was just nice to see the beautiful Wray and handsome Bellamy as a young man.

"Woman In The Dark" holds a certain curiosity value: a bunch of big-name actors appear in an obviously penny-pinching production. Fay Wray is soooooooo gorgeous - you can't take your eyes off her, and you don't want to, either. She and the other actors certainly invest more into this film than the producers did. ** out of 4.