Hedy Lamarr
Jenny Hager
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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
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
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.
- Hedy Lamarr — Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain
- George Sanders — 20th Century Fox · Public domain
- Louis Hayward — Trailer screenshot (Warner Bros.) · Public domain
- Gene Lockhart — RKO Radio Pictures · Public domain
