The Unfaithful
Mrs. Chris Hunter rushes into the house as she receives a call from her husband, Bob, who is out of town. He informs her he is coming home the next day--a week early. She insists on meeting him at the…
The Unfaithful
Mrs. Chris Hunter rushes into the house as she receives a call from her husband, Bob, who is out of town. He informs her he is coming home the next day--a week early. She insists on meeting him at the airport even though he is arriving at a very early hour. She says it will give her an excuse to leave early the party she will be attending that night. The party turns out to be a divorce party given by Paula. Paula's now ex-husband, Roger, barges into the party and makes a scene. Larry Hannaford, Paula's attorney, takes Roger home. As Chris arrives home, there is a stranger lurking in the bushes. He forces her inside, and they struggle violently. Then, the house goes dark. The next day Bob Hunter arrives at the airport and is looking for Chris who is not there. He phones home and is told there has been an accident. He rushes home in a taxi. Reporters accost him as he goes to his front door. At the door, he is greeted by Detective Reynolds who uncovers a dead body in the living room before he gets a chance to see Chris. He informs Bob that Chris had killed the man the night before. Bob says he has never seen the man before. The Detective shows him the dagger with which the dead man was stabbed. He said he recognized the dagger. He then goes upstairs to see Chris. The housekeeper informs the police that she heard a scream during the night and ran downstairs as did the other servants. They said when they entered the room Mrs. Hunter was cowering in the corner with her dress torn and covered with blood. She fainted shortly thereafter. Larry Hannaford is also present as the couple's attorney. Detective Reynolds questions Mr. Hannaford about the relationship between Chris and Bob. Larry tells him that they had an extremely good relationship and that Bob builds houses for a living which is why he was out of town. The police are still waiting to speak to Chris who is recuperating upstairs in her bedroom. Larry goes into the bedroom to tell Chris and Bob that the police are waiting to talk to her. At first Bob objects but Larry convinces them it's best she talk to the police. She goes down into the parlor. The police ask her to tell them what happened. She said she really doesn't remember but tries. She says as she was going in to house, the man came up behind her and forced her inside. She said he told her not to make any trouble and asked for her jewelry. She said he had no gun which surprises Detective Reynolds. He surmises the victim had known Mr. Hunter was away which is why he would try a robbery without a gun. He pressures her with questions. She breaks down in tears. She said she tried to run away from the man but he caught up with her. She said there was a struggle and that she screamed. During the struggle she was pushed up against the desk, and her hand touched the dagger. She grabbed it and killed him afraid he was going to kill her. Larry tells the Detective Reynolds it sounds like justifiable homicide. Detective Reynolds tells Larry the victim's name is Michael Tanner. Chris says she had never seen the man before. He tells Mr. and Mrs. Hunter to come down to the station later to sign a statement. After the police and Larry leave, Chris is visibly upset. Bob attempts to console her. On a bus, a young woman reads the story of Michael Tanner's death. She is visibly upset, rushes off the bus at the next stop, and goes to the police station. Bob and Chris arrive at the police station with Larry while Detective Reynolds is interviewing the young woman from the bus who turns out to be the victim's wife, Mrs. Tanner. The receptionist calls Detective Reynolds and tells him the Hunters have arrived. He tells her to send them in. The Detective continues questioning Mrs. Tanner to determine Michael's motive for attacking Chris. She tells them he often stayed away from home for days, but they were not having financial difficulties. When the Hunters enter the office, Detective Reynolds introduces them to Mrs. Tanner. Chris is shaken. They ask Mrs. Hunter to clarify the incident. She says the man told her to give him her jewelry. Mrs. Tanner jumps and yells, "She's lying. She killed him!" They lead her from the room yelling, "You murdered him!" Detective Reynolds says that since the man wasn't having any difficulty financially, there is no clear reason for the attack. He asks her if she can add anything more. She says she doesn't remember anymore. Someone comes in and says something to Detective Reynolds. He informs them the person just told him some information about Mr. Tanner indicating he was a pretty shady character and that they can leave. After they leave, he calls for Mrs. Tanner to be brought back in. Paula and two friends are having lunch at a restaurant and discussing the story. Chris, Bob and Larry show up at the restaurant to have lunch. Paula and her friends are surprised to see them but go to their table to talk to them. Paula expresses concern to Chris and surprise that Chris is looking so well considering what happened. Paula tells her she doesn't believe any of the gossip going around about Chris' situation. The girlfriends leave. Bob wants to leave but Chris wants to stay. Larry gets a call from his office that a man with an accent called and said he had to talk to him about Michael's murder. Larry begs off lunch to go talk to the man but doesn't hint to Bob and Chris why. Chris says she will drop Bob off at the office. He protests that he's not going to leave her alone for the day, but she insists. The girlfriends are watching them from another table and whispering to one another. Bob tells Chris to ignore them. Larry goes to a pawn shop to talk to the man with the accent who had called his office and insisted on speaking to him. The shop owner is Martin Barrow. Mr. Barrow begins making small talk. Larry tells him to get to the point. Mr. Barrow shows him a bust of Mrs. Hunter. The bust is signed by M. Tanner. Mr. Barrow points out that obviously Mrs. Hunter lied about not knowing the victim as obviously she posed for the bust. He tells Mr. Hannaford to tell Mrs. Hunter he'll sell the bust to her for the special price of $10,000 as he's sure it will mean more to her than to the police. Larry tells the man that is blackmail and extortion and threatens to go to the police. He storms out of the shop. After Larry leaves, Mr. Barrow gets an idea. When Larry gets to his office, he calls Chris. Chris goes to Larry's office. Larry confronts Chris about her story. He tells her about the meeting with Mr. Barrow, the sculpture and the blackmail. He makes her admit that she knew the man she killed. He asks her for the truth. She breaks down and tells him about meeting Michael Tanner in Santa Barbara while spending the weekend there when Bob was overseas in the Army. She said she went back a few times to pose for the bust but stopped when Michael began getting too familiar. She said she saw him a couple of times after Bob came home but she soon stopped. She said she hadn't told the police the truth because she was afraid of what people would say. Larry is adamant about her telling the truth to Bob and the police. First, she insists they not bother Bob with the information but finally agrees to tell him when he gets home that night. She leaves Larry's office. But instead of going home, Chris goes to the pawnshop to buy the sculpture from Mr. Barrow. He informs her he gave the sculpture to Mrs. Tanner. Chris is dispirited as she returns home. As she walks in, she sees the spot where the body was lying and gets jittery. She is jumpy as the doorbell rings. It's Larry. Chris tells Larry to help her because Mrs. Tanner now has the bust. Larry figures out that Chris had no intention of telling Bob the truth and that she has something to hide. He discerns she had an affair with Michael Tanner, and tells her that because of all of her lies, she could be up for first degree murder. She admits to the affair and says she has lied about everything but the murder. He believes her again. She asks him to help her get the bust for Bob's sake. He tells her if she tells the police the truth now, she may lose Bob but if she doesn't, she could be risking her life. She says without Bob she has no life. Larry then gives her advice on dealing with Mrs. Tanner. When Bob comes in, Larry tells him the inquest is set in two days but does not tell Bob anything more. Bob is making plans for a vacation after the murder business is over. Chris agrees unenthusiastically. Mr. Barrow visits Mrs. Tanner to plan a blackmail scheme. Mrs. Tanner says she's going to turn the statue over to the police because she's not interested in the money; she just wants Mrs. Hunter to suffer for murdering her husband. Mr. Barrow convinces her to show the statue to Mr. Hunter to inflict maximum suffering on Mrs. Hunter. At his office, Bob receives a telegram from someone saying they have information on Mrs. Hunter and Michael Tanner. The next day, Chris calls Larry to see if had heard from Mr. Barrow or Mrs. Tanner. Neither of them have heard anything. She says she's going to talk to Mrs. Tanner. Larry says for her not to in case the police are watching; he says he'll go. He goes to Mr. Barrow's pawn shop but it is not open. In the meantime, Bob goes to the meet with the mystery person who sent the telegram. The mystery person is Mr. Barrow who takes him to meet with Mrs. Tanner who shows him the bust. He is surprised but realizes what it means. He reacts by attacking Mr. Barrow. Mrs. Tanner intervenes. He leaves despondently. The police who were camped out in the lobby of Mrs. Tanner's apartment see him leave but do not stop him. He goes home and goes straight to the bar. When she hears him come in, Paula comes downstairs, greets him and asks him why he's home so early and is drinking. He angrily tells her about Mr. Barrow taking him to Mrs. Tanner's to see the bust. He tells her to deny the affair. She says she can't. He slaps her. She says she made a mistake and that it happened when he was overseas in the Army because she was lonely. She said she didn't tell the police the truth because she didn't want to hurt him. He is not mollified by her explanation. He tells her he'll buy the statue for her and then will divorce her when the mess is over. Larry comes to the house. She tells him that Bob knows and about his plan to buy the statue. She says now she wants to go to the police to tell the truth. Bob tells them that they are not going to go to the police because he doesn't want the rest of the world to know about the affair. The police show up at the house and arrest Chris for suspicion of murder. The reporters get the information, and it goes public. Mrs. Tanner and Mr. Barrow are arrested for conspiracy. The murder trial begins. Mrs. Tanner, Mr. Barrow, and Chris take the stand. Both the prosecutor and defense attorneys fervently try their sides of the case. The closing arguments are given. Bob shows up distraught at Paula's apartment. Paula tells him to stop feeling sorry for himself and to consider Chris' side. Larry calls and tells them Chris has been acquitted. Bob goes home. Larry is there. Larry tells Bob Chris is upstairs packing to leave town. Chris comes downstairs with her suitcase. Bob is trying to be generous to Chris and to stall her. She seems resigned to Bob wanting a divorce and acquiesces passively to his requests and comments. Larry recognizes Bob's hesitation and counsels them. Chris doesn't leave. They both decide to try to talk things out and try to move forward with their marriage.
The Unfaithful
Crime,Drama,Film-Noir
Film Details
Mrs. Chris Hunter rushes into the house as she receives a call from her husband, Bob, who is out of town. He informs her he is coming home the next day--a week early.
She insists on meeting him at the airport even though he is arriving at a very early hour. She says it will give her an excuse to leave early the party she will be attending that night. The party turns out to be a divorce party given by Paula.
Paula's now ex-husband, Roger, barges into the party and makes a scene. Larry Hannaford, Paula's attorney, takes Roger home. As Chris arrives home, there is a stranger lurking in the bushes.
He forces her inside, and they struggle violently. Then, the house goes dark. The next day Bob Hunter arrives at the airport and is looking for Chris who is not there.
He phones home and is told there has been an accident. He rushes home in a taxi. Reporters accost him as he goes to his front door.
At the door, he is greeted by Detective Reynolds who uncovers a dead body in the living room before he gets a chance to see Chris. He informs Bob that Chris had killed the man the night before. Bob says he has never seen the man before.
The Detective shows him the dagger with which the dead man was stabbed. He said he recognized the dagger. He then goes upstairs to see Chris.
The housekeeper informs the police that she heard a scream during the night and ran downstairs as did the other servants. They said when they entered the room Mrs. Hunter was cowering in the corner with her dress torn and covered with blood.
She fainted shortly thereafter. Larry Hannaford is also present as the couple's attorney. Detective Reynolds questions Mr.
Hannaford about the relationship between Chris and Bob. Larry tells him that they had an extremely good relationship and that Bob builds houses for a living which is why he was out of town. The police are still waiting to speak to Chris who is recuperating upstairs in her bedroom.
Larry goes into the bedroom to tell Chris and Bob that the police are waiting to talk to her. At first Bob objects but Larry convinces them it's best she talk to the police. She goes down into the parlor.
The police ask her to tell them what happened. She said she really doesn't remember but tries. She says as she was going in to house, the man came up behind her and forced her inside.
She said he told her not to make any trouble and asked for her jewelry. She said he had no gun which surprises Detective Reynolds. He surmises the victim had known Mr.
Hunter was away which is why he would try a robbery without a gun. He pressures her with questions. She breaks down in tears.
She said she tried to run away from the man but he caught up with her. She said there was a struggle and that she screamed. During the struggle she was pushed up against the desk, and her hand touched the dagger.
She grabbed it and killed him afraid he was going to kill her. Larry tells the Detective Reynolds it sounds like justifiable homicide. Detective Reynolds tells Larry the victim's name is Michael Tanner.
Chris says she had never seen the man before. He tells Mr. and Mrs.
Hunter to come down to the station later to sign a statement. After the police and Larry leave, Chris is visibly upset. Bob attempts to console her.
On a bus, a young woman reads the story of Michael Tanner's death. She is visibly upset, rushes off the bus at the next stop, and goes to the police station. Bob and Chris arrive at the police station with Larry while Detective Reynolds is interviewing the young woman from the bus who turns out to be the victim's wife, Mrs.
Tanner. The receptionist calls Detective Reynolds and tells him the Hunters have arrived. He tells her to send them in.
The Detective continues questioning Mrs. Tanner to determine Michael's motive for attacking Chris. She tells them he often stayed away from home for days, but they were not having financial difficulties.
When the Hunters enter the office, Detective Reynolds introduces them to Mrs. Tanner. Chris is shaken.
They ask Mrs. Hunter to clarify the incident. She says the man told her to give him her jewelry.
Mrs. Tanner jumps and yells, "She's lying. She killed him!" They lead her from the room yelling, "You murdered him!" Detective Reynolds says that since the man wasn't having any difficulty financially, there is no clear reason for the attack.
He asks her if she can add anything more. She says she doesn't remember anymore. Someone comes in and says something to Detective Reynolds.
He informs them the person just told him some information about Mr. Tanner indicating he was a pretty shady character and that they can leave. After they leave, he calls for Mrs.
Tanner to be brought back in. Paula and two friends are having lunch at a restaurant and discussing the story. Chris, Bob and Larry show up at the restaurant to have lunch.
Paula and her friends are surprised to see them but go to their table to talk to them. Paula expresses concern to Chris and surprise that Chris is looking so well considering what happened. Paula tells her she doesn't believe any of the gossip going around about Chris' situation.
The girlfriends leave. Bob wants to leave but Chris wants to stay. Larry gets a call from his office that a man with an accent called and said he had to talk to him about Michael's murder.
Larry begs off lunch to go talk to the man but doesn't hint to Bob and Chris why. Chris says she will drop Bob off at the office. He protests that he's not going to leave her alone for the day, but she insists.
The girlfriends are watching them from another table and whispering to one another. Bob tells Chris to ignore them. Larry goes to a pawn shop to talk to the man with the accent who had called his office and insisted on speaking to him.
The shop owner is Martin Barrow. Mr. Barrow begins making small talk.
Larry tells him to get to the point. Mr. Barrow shows him a bust of Mrs.
Hunter. The bust is signed by M. Tanner.
Mr. Barrow points out that obviously Mrs. Hunter lied about not knowing the victim as obviously she posed for the bust.
He tells Mr. Hannaford to tell Mrs. Hunter he'll sell the bust to her for the special price of $10,000 as he's sure it will mean more to her than to the police.
Larry tells the man that is blackmail and extortion and threatens to go to the police. He storms out of the shop. After Larry leaves, Mr.
Barrow gets an idea. When Larry gets to his office, he calls Chris. Chris goes to Larry's office.
Larry confronts Chris about her story. He tells her about the meeting with Mr. Barrow, the sculpture and the blackmail.
He makes her admit that she knew the man she killed. He asks her for the truth. She breaks down and tells him about meeting Michael Tanner in Santa Barbara while spending the weekend there when Bob was overseas in the Army.
She said she went back a few times to pose for the bust but stopped when Michael began getting too familiar. She said she saw him a couple of times after Bob came home but she soon stopped. She said she hadn't told the police the truth because she was afraid of what people would say.
Larry is adamant about her telling the truth to Bob and the police. First, she insists they not bother Bob with the information but finally agrees to tell him when he gets home that night. She leaves Larry's office.
But instead of going home, Chris goes to the pawnshop to buy the sculpture from Mr. Barrow. He informs her he gave the sculpture to Mrs.
Tanner. Chris is dispirited as she returns home. As she walks in, she sees the spot where the body was lying and gets jittery.
She is jumpy as the doorbell rings. It's Larry. Chris tells Larry to help her because Mrs.
Tanner now has the bust. Larry figures out that Chris had no intention of telling Bob the truth and that she has something to hide. He discerns she had an affair with Michael Tanner, and tells her that because of all of her lies, she could be up for first degree murder.
She admits to the affair and says she has lied about everything but the murder. He believes her again. She asks him to help her get the bust for Bob's sake.
He tells her if she tells the police the truth now, she may lose Bob but if she doesn't, she could be risking her life. She says without Bob she has no life. Larry then gives her advice on dealing with Mrs.
Tanner. When Bob comes in, Larry tells him the inquest is set in two days but does not tell Bob anything more. Bob is making plans for a vacation after the murder business is over.
Chris agrees unenthusiastically. Mr. Barrow visits Mrs.
Tanner to plan a blackmail scheme. Mrs. Tanner says she's going to turn the statue over to the police because she's not interested in the money; she just wants Mrs.
Hunter to suffer for murdering her husband. Mr. Barrow convinces her to show the statue to Mr.
Hunter to inflict maximum suffering on Mrs. Hunter. At his office, Bob receives a telegram from someone saying they have information on Mrs.
Hunter and Michael Tanner. The next day, Chris calls Larry to see if had heard from Mr. Barrow or Mrs.
Tanner. Neither of them have heard anything. She says she's going to talk to Mrs.
Tanner. Larry says for her not to in case the police are watching; he says he'll go. He goes to Mr.
Barrow's pawn shop but it is not open. In the meantime, Bob goes to the meet with the mystery person who sent the telegram. The mystery person is Mr.
Barrow who takes him to meet with Mrs. Tanner who shows him the bust. He is surprised but realizes what it means.
He reacts by attacking Mr. Barrow. Mrs.
Tanner intervenes. He leaves despondently. The police who were camped out in the lobby of Mrs.
Tanner's apartment see him leave but do not stop him. He goes home and goes straight to the bar. When she hears him come in, Paula comes downstairs, greets him and asks him why he's home so early and is drinking.
He angrily tells her about Mr. Barrow taking him to Mrs. Tanner's to see the bust.
He tells her to deny the affair. She says she can't. He slaps her.
She says she made a mistake and that it happened when he was overseas in the Army because she was lonely. She said she didn't tell the police the truth because she didn't want to hurt him. He is not mollified by her explanation.
He tells her he'll buy the statue for her and then will divorce her when the mess is over. Larry comes to the house. She tells him that Bob knows and about his plan to buy the statue.
She says now she wants to go to the police to tell the truth. Bob tells them that they are not going to go to the police because he doesn't want the rest of the world to know about the affair. The police show up at the house and arrest Chris for suspicion of murder.
The reporters get the information, and it goes public. Mrs. Tanner and Mr.
Barrow are arrested for conspiracy. The murder trial begins. Mrs.
Tanner, Mr. Barrow, and Chris take the stand. Both the prosecutor and defense attorneys fervently try their sides of the case.
The closing arguments are given. Bob shows up distraught at Paula's apartment. Paula tells him to stop feeling sorry for himself and to consider Chris' side.
Larry calls and tells them Chris has been acquitted. Bob goes home. Larry is there.
Larry tells Bob Chris is upstairs packing to leave town. Chris comes downstairs with her suitcase. Bob is trying to be generous to Chris and to stall her.
She seems resigned to Bob wanting a divorce and acquiesces passively to his requests and comments. Larry recognizes Bob's hesitation and counsels them. Chris doesn't leave.
They both decide to try to talk things out and try to move forward with their marriage..