Ida Lupino (Deborah Chandler Clark), Howard Duff (Keith Ramsey), Stephen McNally (Seldon Clark), Peggy Dow (Patricia Monahan), John Litel (John Chandler), Taylor Holmes (Lucius Maury), Peggy Castle (waitress), Michael Gordon (man with locker key), Irving Bacon (Pop), Don Beddoe, Joe Besser (salesmen), Stanford Jolley.Director: MICHAEL GORDON. Screenplay: Oscar Saul. Adapted by Roy Huggins from a magazine serial by James R. Webb. Photography: William Daniels. Film editor: Milton Carruth. Music: Frank Skinner. Art directors: Bernie Herzbrun, Robert Clatworthy. Producer: Michel Kraike.Copyright 17 March 1950 by Universal. New York opening at Criterion: 22 February. U.K. release: 27 February. Aust.: 27 October. 92 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Bride flees her murderous husband. COMMENT: Photographed by master illusionist William Daniels in true film noir style (reflected even in the movie's still photos), Woman in Hiding is an oddly neglected little masterpiece. True, director Michael Gordon does not rate highly with current cineastes, but his thrillers are all worthy of attention and this one rates as his best. Action highs are staged in a most imaginative manner, and all the players come across brilliantly.

In 1949 Ida Lupino had collaborated on an original story "Not Wanted" but things didn't go to plan, the director became sick and Ida stepped in to finish it herself. After that she was happy to go over to Universal-International for the suspenser "Woman in Hiding" taken from a Saturday Evening Post serial "Fugitive From Terror" by James R. Webb. She also met Howard Duff, a radio ("Sam Spade") and stage actor who had been in movies since 1946. He had replaced Ronald Reagan who had fractured his thigh and he also became Ida's new husband.This thriller gets off to a top gear start over the credits when Ida Lupino as Deborah Clarke, attempts to drive down a steep mountain road in a car whose brakes have been disabled. When the car plunges into the river and all seems lost Deborah's voice over begins a flashback as she accuses the seemingly grieving husband, Seldon Clark (Stephen McNally) of murder!!!Deborah is going to New York as she is fed up with Seldon's inattentiveness and her father has no time for him either, he says he comes from a long line of people he has no reason to be proud of. But Seldon has a determined mania to build up his once prosperous family name and make it great again. On the morning of her departure word comes that her father has had a fatal fall from the factory and, not surprisingly, Seldon is there to pick up the pieces. When the couple arrive at their honeymoon cabin they are met by Patricia (Peggy Dow), Seldon's cast off mistress and the way he attacks her should make Deborah have second thoughts. It is a highly dramatic scene as she tells Deborah a few home truths about her upstanding husband, like why he had been inattentive to her early on and even raising suspicions about her father's death. Deborah manages to run to the car but almost too late she realises she is soon to become Seldon's second victim.Ida Lupino's intense displays of fright and fear really carry this movie off. There is a splendid scene in a stairwell. Deborah has met Keith Ramsey (Duff), a college man working at a magazine counter, and really begins to trust again. Unfortunately Keith has seen an ad in the paper where her husband is begging for information about his "poor deranged wife" and Deborah's erratic behaviour has Keith believing in Seldon's story. He telephones Seldon giving him Deborah's location and suddenly Seldon is there, in the middle of a salesmen's convention, cornering her in a lonely stairwell. It is really a thrilling scene as McNally proved in "Johnny Belinda" he could be an unspeakable villain and he really lets all stops out when he is trying to throw Deborah down the stairs. Another great scene involves the climax which takes place at night in her father's factory. Deborah is fleeing an ambulance which has been ordered to take her to the local mental hospital. She hopes that with Patricia's help (after all she did witness Seldon's treatment of her in the cabin) she will have enough evidence to put Seldon in prison, but Patricia is still not over her infatuation of him.Although Ida puts both McNally and Duff in the shade, beautiful Peggy Dow makes the most of her scenes as the deluded Patricia. Dow could have been a major star, she was beautiful and sultry and proved in this movie, only her second, that she could handle dramatic scenes with verve but within a year she had retired for married life.

This film is wound a bit too tight for its own good. Mostly because of the incredibly intense performance from Ida Lupino who manages to almost melt the screen. It is a relentless one-note onslaught of jangled nerves and jitters.What's needed here is a contrasting scene or two to let things settle a little. There are some good moments but the anxious anxiety quickly destroys the drama and we are off to the races once again. The hotel convention scene is almost unbearable in its loud and ridiculous rendering of a confrontational setup that is suppose to be suspenseful and claustrophobic.The ending looks ominous enough and the factory setting has a film-noir feel that is missing in most of the film and the subtlety of shadows would have been a welcome relief from the persistent, pulsating, and predictable performances.

This review is replete with spoilers. The plot-line of this movie is ridiculous. It begins with the car going into the drink, and the voice-over saying something like, "They think I'm dead. I'll have to stay 'dead'". Why? Why not come forward and tell everyone what has happened? She thinks they won't believe her? A quick examination of the car will reveal that it's been tampered with.Another major plot hole is where she flees to another town and then acts like Richard Kimble. She hasn't committed any crime, so why is she so afraid of everyone, especially the police? Then, the husband manages to convince the fellow who's been dogging her that she is "ill". Why is Duff so ready to believe that she is "ill"? I suppose it's understandable, since no one has ever murdered a spouse for gain.Then, when the husband finally gets his clutches on her, he informs her that he is going to put her in an institution, because she is "ill". It can't be that easy to put someone in an institution just because it is to someone else's benefit.The whole thing is a crock.