Inner Santum (1948)
Director – Lew Landers
The Plot
A train speeds through the California night. In the club car, a mysterious old man strikes up a conversation with a young woman. He claims to see the future and tells her a story seemingly set in the past, where a man gets off a train, commits a murder and hides out in a small town. And then the circle of life comes ‘round the bend.
Film Notes
Forgotten Child
If Detourand Shadow of a Doubt had a child that they gave up for adoption, and then forgot, it may have grown up to be Inner Sanctum. This obscure little movie once again proves that a small budget film with a good script, decent cast and a temporarily ambitious director could provide some first rate atmospheric entertainment.
Playing like a little William Inge nightmare that he mentioned in passing to Alfred Hitchcock, Inner Sanctum portrays a small town built alongside a newly swollen, polluted river of forbidden hetero- and homo- sexual subtext. A dirty big city unconscious is about to flood the morals of mid-American values.
Inner Sanctum is a truly must visit spot on your walk down Crime Street.
Ask Lew Landers
One of the most prolific directors in Hollywood history, Lew Landers began as a director of serials (Red Rider and Tailspin Tommy). His early effort – the 1935 The Raven – is probably his best and most famous film, but he worked in viritually every "B" movie and TV genre until his death in 1963. Among the many, his 1943 Return of the Vampire set during the London Blitz, sends Bela Lugosi spnning right out of his grave and into an interesting WWII twist on the legendary neck man.
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary
Mainly a "B" movie actress, Mary Beth Hughes never achieved stardom during her prime time, however, she has become quite the minor cult figure in the days since. If you've never seen her, one would wonder how and why her starlight is on the increase. But one glimpse of her in Inner Sanctum and it's obvious; her image flies off the screen leaving the other actors in her Milky Wake. Post-viewing, you'll instead wonder how Hollywood missed its chance to take better advantage her extraordiinary bad girl lips and eyes, to say nothing of true acting talent.
And I Quote...
"When you tell a woman over 40 she's beautiful, you're not a liar, you're a philanthopist."
"Mike and I got pretty friendly last night."
"You're pretty when your lips aren't moving."
"Some women get what they're looking for, but you can't kill a kid. You're pretty awful. You're even too bad for me."
Inner Trivia
- Fritz Leiber, Sr. a noted Shakespearean actor of the early 1900s, made his film debut in 1916 in Romeo and Juliet. He was the father of Fritz Leiber, Jr., a prolific fantasy/science ficiton writer whose career stretched from the 30s unitl the early 90s.
- Was there ever an uglier cinematic juvenile than Dale Belding (Mike) in this film?
- Mary Beth Hughes had a starring role in Last of the Wild Horses, the lone directorial effort of Alameda film legend - Robert L. Lippert.
-- Ed Schneider
Cast & Production Credits
| Charles Russell | Harold Dunlap |
| Mary Beth Hughes | Jean Maxwell |
| Dale Belding | Mike Bennett |
| Billy House | McFee |
| Fritz Leiber | Dr. Valonius |
| Nana Bryant | Thelma Mitchell |
| Lee Patrick | Ruth Bennet |
| Roscoe Ates | Willy |
| Eddie Parks | Barney |
| Eve Miller | Marie Kember |
| Produced by M.R.S Pictures | |
| Robert B. Morros | Producer |
| Lew Landers | Director |
| J.T. Gollard | Screenwriter |
| Alan G. Siegler | Cinematographer |
| Leon Klatzkin | Composer |
| Fred Feitshans, Jr. | Editor |
| William Farrari | Art Director |
| Rudi Feld | Art Director |
| Joseph H. Nadel | Associate Producer |
| Maria P. Donovan | Costume Designer |
