Sleep, My Love

A romantic thriller, Sleep, My Love (1948) stars Claudette Colbert as Alison Courtland, a New York heiress who seems to be losing her grip (the film opens with Alison waking up in a panic on a train to Boston with no memory of how she got there). Robert Cummings costars as Bruce Elcott, a witty bachelor who appoints himself her champion. The script tips its hand early on, revealing an elaborate piece of theater secretly being staged around Alison, and soon enough we discover that her seemingly protective husband, Richard (Don Ameche), is behind the plot. A familiar story, the material is nevertheless elevated by engaging characters and offbeat detours, like a visit to a Chinese wedding where Bruce is the best man and honorary brother to the groom (Keye Luke of the Charlie Chan movies). Director Douglas Sirk would later become famous for his colorful melodramas infused with social commentary (such as All That Heaven Allows), but he's not particularly gifted in the mystery/suspense genre, although he is very good with the actors (Ameche is surprisingly effective as the scheming husband) and he creates interesting scenes. A modest but often entertaining low-key black-and-white thriller, this will appeal to fans of classic movies. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)