The 13th Letter

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The 13th Letter

1951,

1h 25m,

Mystery & Thriller

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Watchlist

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

33%

100+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

When Dr. Pearson (Michael Rennie) comes to a quiet Quebec town to set up his medical practice, he attracts the notice of Cora (Constance Smith), whose husband, Paul (Charles Boyer), is the town's other doctor, and Denise (Linda Darnell), the eldest daughter of the family in whose house he lodges. When an unknown person begins writing letters attacking Dr. Pearson and Cora for having an affair, a complex web of rumors, lies and accusations begins to ensnare nearly everyone in town.

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Oct 23, 2007

One of [Preminger's] best efforts of the period.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Oct 23, 2007

Well-made and with an offbeat location site, film is an interesting account of the effects of poison pen letters on a small Quebec village.

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Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

Oct 24, 2019

Notable for the "debut" of ex-lover Charles Boyer as an old man with side-whiskers and very little hair, this is an interesting yarn about an outbreak of scandalous anonymous letters...

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Derek Smith

Cinematic Reflections

Apr 2, 2004

3/4

'More than simply an Americanized [version of a] foreign film'

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Film4 Staff

Film4

Sep 16, 2003

The movie is redolent with atmosphere.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Apr 22, 2002

C

Though not a complete failure, Preminger's American version still managed to take most of the starch out of this bitter French chiller.

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Kylo L

Apr 13, 2018

Otto Preminger's remake of Henri-George Clouzot's Le Corbeau (1943) loses a lot of the bite and bitterness (and the abortion references) but still retains enough of its mystery to be interesting. A new young and handsome doctor (Michael Rennie) in a small town in Quebec begins to receive anonymous "poison pen" letters accusing him of having an affair with a senior doctor's young wife. The wife (Constance Smith) and the senior doctor (Charles Boyer, almost unrecognisable) also receive letters, as does most of the hospital staff and other people in the town. Some are ready to believe the doctor is guilty but soon suspicion falls on the wife's sister (Judith Evelyn), a nurse at the hospital. When a war hero patient commits suicide after receiving a letter, the nurse is arrested because she had had a recent conflict with the patient, as well as with her sister and the young doctor. But soon the letters continue... even as the young doctor falls for another patient (Linda Darnell). Filmed on location in Quebec, the film looks moody and provincial, with a bit of French spoken for good measure. Rennie is solid as the aloof young doctor who has secrets of his own. Still, I can't help recalling that Le Corbeau struck me harder - I'll have to rewatch it.

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Otto Preminger

Director

Charles Boyer

Dr. Paul Laurent

Linda Darnell

Denise Turner

Michael Rennie

Dr. Pearson

Constance Smith

Cora Laurent

Francoise Rosay

Mrs. Gauthier

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Synopsis

When Dr. Pearson (Michael Rennie) comes to a quiet Quebec town to set up his medical practice, he attracts the notice of Cora (Constance Smith), whose husband, Paul (Charles Boyer), is the town's other doctor, and Denise (Linda Darnell), the eldest daughter of the family in whose house he lodges. When an unknown person begins writing letters attacking Dr. Pearson and Cora for having an affair, a complex web of rumors, lies and accusations begins to ensnare nearly everyone in town.

Director: Otto Preminger
Screenwriter: Howard Koch
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 25m

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