Wives Under Suspicion (1938)
“He sent men to die — until the urge came for him.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
James Whale's atmospheric crime drama follows a coldly ambitious DA prosecuting a cuckolded killer, only to find his own jealousy mirroring the defendant's. A remake of Whale's own 1933 The Kiss Before the Mirror, it carries shadowy, almost expressionist touches. Warren William anchors it as the self-assured prosecutor.
Cast
About the Director
James Whale — James Whale remade his earlier The Kiss Before the Mirror with a darker, more clinical edge, opening with imagery of electric-chair execution reminiscent of his Frankenstein. He builds dread from the parallel between prosecutor and accused.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
The film entered the US public domain in 1966 when the copyright claimants did not renew the registration in the 28th year after its 1938 publication. The lapse covers the Universal film as an audiovisual work.
Behind the Scenes
Wives Under Suspicion is a 1938 Universal remake of Whale's 1933 The Kiss Before the Mirror, both derived from a 1932 Ladislas Fodor play. It is regarded as an above-average Universal programmer of its year.
Did You Know?
- The DA keeps miniature human skulls to tally the death sentences he has won.
- It is a direct remake of director James Whale's own 1933 film The Kiss Before the Mirror.
- Early scenes evoke Whale's Frankenstein in their emphasis on deadly electricity.
Reception & Legacy
Reviewers found it a creaky but stylish and diverting melodrama, elevated by Warren William's cocksure performance and Whale's atmosphere. It is valued today as a moody noir-adjacent entry in Whale's career.
Sinners in Paradise
Letter of Introduction
Bird of Paradise
Behind Office Doors