Crimes of Passion a Classic Film Noir in LA

Barbara Stanwyck Stars as Sociopathic Newlywed in Los Angeles

Aug 22, 2009 Christine Nyholm

Crimes of Passion, made in 1957, is a film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck, a sociopathic newlywed helping her policeman husband (Sterling Hayden) advance in the LAPD.

Crimes of Passion is a suspenseful film noir made in 1957 about a sociopathic woman who marries a policeman and becomes bored with their life. Crime of Passion stars Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, Royal Dano and Stuart Whitman.

Crimes of Passion Starts as a Love Story

Barbara Stanwyck portrays Kathy Ferguson, an aging San, Francisco newspaper advice columnist who falls in love with a Los Angeles policeman, Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden). After a whirlwind romance, even though they do not know each other well, the two get married and Kathy quits her career to be a LA suburban housewife.

Barbara Stanwyck Portrays Conniving Dame

An ambitious woman, Kathy is soon bored with life in Los Angeles and what she sees as the mundane concerns of her friends. Kathy starts to push her husband to advance to the police department, even if he has to change departments. She stops at nothing in her conniving, including having an affair with her husband’s boss, Tony Pope (Raymond Burr). The results are disastrous.

Stanwyck is superb as the sociopathic newlywed; lying, scheming and betraying her husband’s colleague. Even in the beginning of the movie, Kathy projects a coldness that keeps the viewer from relating to her completely. As the film progresses the viewer begins to understand that Kathy is a conniving woman without a conscience, but the characters in the movie continue to be deceived.

Sterling Hayden, as Bill Doyle, portrays an upstanding policeman who adores his new wife not seeing how manipulative she is. Tony Pope (Raymond Burr) acts on his attraction to Kathy, but comes to regret his actions.

Crimes of Passion is a movie that keeps the viewer guessing what will happen next, building suspense to the conclusion, in a thoughtful character study about a person that cannot be trusted and how that person can destroy lives.

Crimes of Passion, a film noir, shot in stark black and white, has a menacing quality that builds suspense right until the end of the movie.

Cast of Crimes of Passion

• Barbara Stanwyck as Kathy Ferguson Doyle
• Sterling Hayden as Bill Doyle
• Raymond Burr as Tony Pope
• Fay Wray as Alice Pope
• Virginia Grey as Sara Alidos
• Royal Dano as Charlie Alidos
• Stuart Whitman as the laboratory technician
• Director: Gerd Oswald
• Producer: Herman Cohen
• Screenplay: Joe Eisinger

Made in 1957, Crimes of Passion is a classic film noir that can sometimes be seen on Turner Movie Classics (TCM). Crimes of Passion can also be found on DVD.

Resources: Turner Movie Classics

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Barbara Stanwyck in Lady of Burlesque (1943)