Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 044

The Strange Woman

1946100 minUnited States
Film noirDrama
Video edition
YouTube
Original language
English
This copy runs
99:13
Subtitles
English

Languages and subtitles

Subtitles off by default

YouTube may apply your personal preferences. If needed, select your language under CC / Settings. YouTube controls playback availability, which may vary by region.

Synopsis

In nineteenth-century Maine, Jenny sees marriage to a wealthy older man as a way out of a violent childhood. The security she gains does not quiet her desire to control the people around her. Relationships with her husband's son and another man expose the distance between her public generosity and her private ambitions.

Cast

DirectorsEdgar G. Ulmer

Inspirations

Ben Ames Williams's novel supplies a nineteenth-century setting for a story of ambition and manipulation. Its period dress separates it visually from the urban crime films often associated with Edgar G. Ulmer, while retaining an interest in destructive desire.

Behind the scenes

Hedy Lamarr helped produce the film through a partnership with Jack Chertok. Douglas Sirk directed replacement material for the protagonist's childhood scenes without screen credit, adding another major filmmaker to the production's history.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

WikipediaInternet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.

Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection