IMDb > Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   2,743 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 12% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Max Ophüls
Writers:
Stefan Zweig (story) and
Howard Koch (screenplay)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Letter from an Unknown Woman on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 September 1948 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Drama | Romance more
Plot:
In Vienna, about 1900, a dashing man arrives at his flat, instructing his manservant that he will leave before morning: the man is Stefan Brand... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
Never have I seen such a masterpiece! more (32 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Joan Fontaine ... Lisa Berndle
Louis Jourdan ... Stefan Brand
Mady Christians ... Frau Berndle
Marcel Journet ... Johann Stauffer
Art Smith ... John
Carol Yorke ... Marie
Howard Freeman ... Herr Kastner
John Good ... Lt. Leopold von Kaltnegger
Leo B. Pessin ... Stefan Jr.
Erskine Sanford ... Porter
Otto Waldis ... Concierge
Sonja Bryden ... Frau Spitzer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patricia Alphin ... Pretty (uncredited)
Harry Anderson ... (uncredited)
Edit Angold ... Middle-Aged Woman (uncredited)
Lois Austin ... Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Polly Bailey ... Passenger (uncredited)
John T. Bambury ... Midget (uncredited)
George Blagoi ... (uncredited)
Betty Blythe ... Frau Kohner (uncredited)
Walter Bonn ... Colonel Kohner (uncredited)
Sven Hugo Borg ... Mover (uncredited)
Robert W. Brown ... First Officer (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns ... Concierge (uncredited)
Douglas Carter ... Man (uncredited)
Donald Chaffin ... Pedestrian (uncredited)
Gordon Clark ... Street Singer (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb ... Carriage Driver (uncredited)
Tom Costello ... Musician (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan ... Callow Youth (uncredited)
Helen Dickson ... Large Woman (uncredited)
Watson Downs ... Conductor (uncredited)
Tay Dunn ... Young Officer (uncredited)
Al Eben ... Waiter (uncredited)
John Elliott ... Flower Vendor (uncredited)
Edwin Fowler ... Dancing Master (uncredited)
Curt Furburg ... Butler (uncredited)
Lorraine Gale ... Girlfriend (uncredited)
Joe Garcia ... Collector (uncredited)
Jack Gargan ... Man (uncredited)
Jack George ... Opera Critic (uncredited)
Lisa Golm ... Musician (uncredited)
Roy Gordon ... Elderly Man in Uniform (uncredited)
William Gould ... The Bürgermeister (uncredited)
Ilka Grüning ... Ticket Taker (uncredited)
William Hall ... Mover (uncredited)
Ramsay Hill ... Col. Steindorf (uncredited)
Edna Holland ... Nun (uncredited)
Mauritz Hugo ... Young Man (uncredited)
Doretta Johnson ... Girlfriend (uncredited)
Joseph Kamaryt ... Bavarian Mountain Climber (uncredited)
Elizabeth Kerr ... (uncredited)
Rex Lease ... Station Attendant (uncredited)
William A. Lee ... Mover (uncredited)
Arthur Lovejoy ... Footman (uncredited)
Celia Lovsky ... Flower Vendor (uncredited)
Michael Mark ... Cafe Customer (uncredited)
John McCallum ... Store Helper (uncredited)
Betty McDonough ... (uncredited)
Hal Melone ... Waiter (uncredited)
Torben Meyer ... Carriage Driver (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell ... Man on Streetcar (uncredited)
Kay Morley ... Daughter (uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy ... Older Man (uncredited)
Fred Nurney ... Officer on Street (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien ... Footman (uncredited)
Blanche Obronska ... Young Woman (uncredited)
Manuel París ... Baron's Second (uncredited)
Joe Ploski ... Moving Man (uncredited)
Jean Ransome ... Maid (uncredited)
Peggy Remington ... (uncredited)
Bruce Riley ... Officer (uncredited)
Paul Rochin ... Bavarian Man (uncredited)
Countess Elektra Rozanska ... Elegant Lady (uncredited)
Shimen Ruskin ... Older Man (uncredited)
Norbert Schiller ... Stefan's Second (uncredited)
Bill Schroff ... Waiter (uncredited)
Irene Seidner ... Frau Mombert (uncredited)
Jameson Shade ... Musician (uncredited)
Lester Sharpe ... Critic (uncredited)
Guy L. Shaw ... Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Walter Soderling ... (uncredited)
Pietro Sosso ... Coachman (uncredited)
Helen Spring ... Middle-Aged Woman (uncredited)
Lotte Stein ... Musician (uncredited)
Hermine Sterler ... Mother Superior (uncredited)

Cy Stevens ... Man (uncredited)
Diane Stewart ... Girlfriend (uncredited)
Vera Stokes ... Girlfriend (uncredited)
Frieda Stoll ... Burgomeister's Wife (uncredited)
Paul Peter Szemere ... Mover (uncredited)
William Trenk ... Fritzel (uncredited)
Lisl Valetti ... Musician (uncredited)
Roland Varno ... Stefan's Second (uncredited)
William Vedder ... Street Singer (uncredited)
Erich von Schilling ... Usher (uncredited)
Max Willenz ... Baggage Man (uncredited)
Gabrielle Windsor ... Ballet Girl (uncredited)
Judith Woodbury ... Model (uncredited)
June Wood ... Cashier (uncredited)
Jack Worth ... Officer (uncredited)
Mary Worth ... Musician (uncredited)
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Directed by
Max Ophüls  (as Max Opuls)
 
Writing credits
Stefan Zweig (story)

Howard Koch  screenplay
Max Ophüls  uncredited

Produced by
John Houseman .... producer
William Dozier .... executive producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof 
 
Cinematography by
Franz Planer  (as Frank Planer)
 
Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent 
 
Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen 
 
Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman 
Ruby R. Levitt 
 
Costume Design by
Travis Banton (gowns)
 
Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo .... hair stylist
Bud Westmore .... makeup artist
Lou LaCava .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
E. Dobbs .... production manager (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Sherwood .... assistant director (as John F. Sherwood)
Mickey Bennett .... second assistant director (uncredited)
Les Warner .... second assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Wally Kirkpatrick .... props (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Glenn E. Anderson .... sound (as Glenn F. Anderson)
Leslie I. Carey .... sound
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Anderson .... still photographer (uncredited)
Tex Bellah .... best boy (uncredited)
Walter Blummie .... camera operator (uncredited)
Punk Smith .... key grip (uncredited)
Roland Smith .... grip (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Virginia Tutwiler .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Music Department
David Tamkin .... orchestrator
Jakob Gimpel .... musician: "Un Sospiro" (uncredited)
 
Other crew
William Dozier .... presenter
Paul Elbogen .... technical advisor
John Hambleton .... production coordinator
Adele Cannon .... script supervisor (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
86 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (MPAA rating: #12855) | UK:U | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:Btl
Company:
Rampart Productions (I) more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Joan Fontaine's favorite movie. more
Quotes:
Lisa Berndl: Oh, if only you could've recognized what was always yours, could've found what was never lost. If only... more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in La science des rêves (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Un sospiro more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
19 out of 24 people found the following comment useful.
Never have I seen such a masterpiece!, 31 December 2005
10/10
Author: Classic_Vintage_Beauty from United Kingdom

never have I seen such a masterpiece. Such a simple story, such a MASTERPIECE! Joan Fontaine plays Lisa, a woman who loves a man far too much. A the start, a man arrives home in order to find a letter written for him from a woman that he never knew. As he begins to read it, it unfolds the story of Lisa Bendl, first a teenager mesmerized by his music (he was a pianist of the finest kind) then a young woman, then a married woman in her 3o's. She encounters some men in her pressence but she reserves herself from him, even though he does not know her. When she has to move town when a teenager, she still thinks and wishes to be with him and with his mesmerizing music. So when a colorel proposes to her one day, she says no and runs away to her old town. He mets her and seems like the most perfect wonderful man for her. He has a child with her one night and promises to return to her in 2 weeks after his piano concert in Italy. He never returns and she gets married and still keeps him in mind as she is still in love with him. Their eyes meet 10yrs later in an opera. He meets her after she tries to run home(because she is still in love with him and wants to forget him) But he is convinced that he knows her of some sort (eventhough he never knows about his child) She.......... Please this is an undiscovered masterpiece, watch it!

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Release date for DVD? mookiemeister
great movie threeone
song played by female band? icblue02
Carol Yorke the unknown woman. bobjacqs
Rating... ainfean
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