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Whirlpool

Play trailer Poster for Whirlpool 1949 1h 37m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Plagued by an overwhelming urge to shoplift, Ann Sutton (Gene Tierney) is helped out of a tight spot by David Korvo (Jose Ferrer). Unfortunately for Ann, Korvo is a conniving hypnotist who draws her into a web of deception and murder through his mind-altering abilities and frames her for his misdeeds. While Ann's psychiatrist husband, Bill (Richard Conte), believes that his wife didn't commit the crimes, Korvo's devious scheme makes proving her innocence quite difficult.

Critics Reviews

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Geoff Andrew Time Out 10/23/2007
It's a fine example of the way Preminger, on occasion, managed to deflect routine melodrama into something more personal and profound. Go to Full Review Bosley Crowther New York Times 10/23/2007
2/5
There is no doubt that people will do strange things under hypnotic spell and that the techniques of hypnotism may be villainously employed. But you don't catch this fairly rational corner believing for one minute the hocuspocus that goes on. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader 10/23/2007
Preminger's ambiguous relation to his characters and his sense of moral relativity have seldom been put to such haunting use. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia 08/06/2020
7/10
A film that keeps me hooked for an hour and a half by combining police film noir and psychological thriller with a twisted plot about hypnotism, blackmail and murder. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Josephine O'Neill Daily Telegraph (Australia) 03/25/2019
Jose Ferrer's insolent finesse turns a conventional melodrama into a fascinating; one-man show. Go to Full Review Christopher Machell CineVue 01/17/2017
5/5
Whirlpool's stand-out scene, in which a somnambulant Gene Tierney incriminates herself ... uses the conventions of horror cinema as much as that of noir. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Timothy C Jun 20 Believable until the scene in the police station where she’s signing a confession with not a lawyer anywhere to be found. Unbelievable See more nick s 08/06/2024 Fairly well acted and directed noir. The protagonist is a bit frustrating with her inability to communicate effectively, but plausible I guess. The blocking is bit stiff here and there. See more Steve D 04/03/2024 Entertaining but ridiculous. See more 08/01/2021 Now as you begin to relax, you will find a wave of comfort sweeping over you like eating mashed potatoes and meatloaf. When the credits roll, you will awaken and agree that you have seen a thrilling suspenseful movie and buy more cheap B-grade film noir. See more 09/28/2020 I love this film. It all feels very surreal to me, with her husband's lack of empathy almost as deadly as her blackmailer's intentions. Her first scene of shoplifting a brilliant fast start to a downfall. Tierney's beauty is sublime. See more deke p 07/19/2019 OTTO PREMINGER! 1949! SAW on tv 7.2019, all but last half hour. Good style. Tierney lovely. Ferrer sinister as hypnotist. Richard Conte a Gene's husband. Watched again 5.5.2022, uppin my RT rating from 3 "Meh", to 3 1/2 Good I recommend it. See more Read all reviews
Whirlpool

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Otto Preminger

Director

Gene Tierney

Ann Sutton

Richard Conte

Dr. William `'Bill'` Sutton

José Ferrer

David Korvo

Bruce Hamilton

Actor

Ben Hecht

Screenwriter

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Whirlpool

Whirlpool (1949) Whirlpool (1949) Whirlpool (1949) Whirlpool (1949) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Plagued by an overwhelming urge to shoplift, Ann Sutton (Gene Tierney) is helped out of a tight spot by David Korvo (Jose Ferrer). Unfortunately for Ann, Korvo is a conniving hypnotist who draws her into a web of deception and murder through his mind-altering abilities and frames her for his misdeeds. While Ann's psychiatrist husband, Bill (Richard Conte), believes that his wife didn't commit the crimes, Korvo's devious scheme makes proving her innocence quite difficult.
Director
Otto Preminger
Producer
Otto Preminger
Screenwriter
Ben Hecht, Andrew Solt
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 27, 2016
Runtime
1h 37m