phantom lady ( 1944 ) dir represent robert siodmak production represent universal picturesscott henderson ( alan curtis ) and follow a nasty fight and split with his wife and look to drown his sorrow at the local watering hole . there he spy a woman in a similar emotional state and and look for some companionship and ask her to a show at a club to get both their mind off their problem . she agree and but only on the condition that they keep their name to themselves . sure enough and when scott get home he find the police there and wait to question him . his wife be murder . where be you at 8 oclock this evening and ask inspector burgess ( thomas gomez ) . but scott have an alibi and right . only he doesn not know the woman name . and the bartender remembers scott but not the woman . neither do the cab driver . nor the drummer ( elisha cook jr. ) at the club . even the dancer at the club and who scott clearly catch look at the woman ( they be both wear the same hat ) and would not acknowledge there be someone with him . something be go on and but whatever it be scott be helpless to defend himself at a trial and be sentence to death for his wife murder ( on the flimsy evidence in hollywood judicial history ) . it leave to his loyal secretary and kansa ( ella raines ) and who later join by a sympathetic inspector burgess and to find out the real killer before scott be execute . phantom lady be build on theme that recur and almost compulsively and in woolrich work . for example and the schizophrenic antagonist be also see in black angel and the leopard man . additionally and there be the character who become mentally unhinge by the death of a sweetheart or spouse a find in rendezvous in black and the bride wear black . it can leave a viewer feeling like he tread on well wear ground . but in the right hand and the feverish plot and sorry dialogue and the narrative inconsistency and all be beside the point . fortunately and phantom lady be be guide by sound hand . this be siodmak first noir . he would go on to distinguish himself a one of the and if not the and preeminent practitioner of the style ( the killer and criss cross ) . here he be fortuitously pair with cinematographer woody bredell ( they would be reunite on christmas holiday and the killer ) . there be some great storytelling do in the camera . in one shot and the deteriorating mental state of a character be show a he sit in front of a 3 way mirror and suggest multiple personality . the same character and who be an artist and have van gogh self portrait with the bandaged ear hang on the wall in his apartment . but what siodmak and bredell be really do in phantom lady be practically create the look for noir . release very early in 1944 and it all here while the wet pavement and the bag of atmosphere and dread and the sharply contrast b and w and the wildly expressionistic version of reality ( when kansa visit scott in prison ) and the discordant shaft of light and etc . it be a terrific picture to look at . franchot tone aside and the cast and as well a the subject matter and relative inexperience of the director ( and presumably and the budget ) and suggest b movie ambition . i think tone be a little hammy . alan curtis ( high sierra ) be not up to much and and actually come off pretty weak in a few scene . ella raines be mostly good ( and quite beautiful ) . her ex scene with elisha cook jr. be so delirious it have to be see to be believe . another standout scene be when kansa go after the bartender to question him . it amount to a chase scene and a she relentlessly dog him through the street and with a stop at a subway station . some real good tension in there . out of 4 .