''Among the Living'' is a 1941 American film noir directed by Stuart Heisler and starring

Albert Dekker Thomas Albert Ecke Van Dekker (December 20, 1905 – May 5, 1968) was an American character actor and politician best known for his roles in ''Dr. Cyclops'', ''The Killers (1946 film), The Killers'' (1946), ''Kiss Me Deadly'', and ''The Wild Bun ...

, Susan Hayward,

Harry Carey Harry Carey may refer to: *Harry Carey (actor) (1878–1947), American actor * Harry Carey Jr. (1921–2012), American actor * Harry Carey (footballer) (1916–1991), Australian rules footballer See also * Henry Carey (disambiguation) * Harry Car ...

and Frances Farmer. The film is a mix of social drama, horror film, and suspense thriller.

Premise

Albert Dekker plays twin brothers, John and Paul. Paul supposedly died when he was 10, but actually went insane and was kept in a secret room in his parents' mansion.

Cast

as John Raden / Paul Raden * Susan Hayward as Millie Pickens *

as Dr. Ben Saunders * Frances Farmer as Elaine Raden * Gordon Jones as Bill Oakley * Jean Phillips as Peggy Nolan * Ernest Whitman as Pompey *

Maude Eburne Maude Eburne (born Maud Eburne Riggs, November 10, 1875 – October 15, 1960) was a Canadian character actress of stage and screen, known for playing eccentric roles. Early years Eburne was born the daughter of John and Mary Riggs, in Bront ...

as Mrs. Pickens *

Frank M. Thomas Frank Marion Thomas (July 13, 1889 – November 25, 1989) was an American character actor of stage, screen and television. He and his wife, actress Mona Bruns, both lived to 100 years old. He died the day before her 90th birthday; she died 11 y ...

as Sheriff *

Harlan Briggs Harlan Briggs (August 17, 1879 – January 26, 1952) was an American actor and Vaudeville performer who was active from the 1930s until his death in 1952. During the course of his career he appeared on Broadway, in over 100 films, as well a ...

as Judge *

Archie Twitchell Archie Raymond Twitchell (November 28, 1906 – January 31, 1957) was a pilot for over three decades between the 1920s and the 1950s. He also had a second profession as a movie actor. He was a captain in the US Army Air Force. He was killed ...

as Tom Reilly *

Dorothy Sebastian Dorothy Sebastian (born Stella Dorothy Sabiston; April 26, 1903The book ''Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory'' gives Sebastian's date of birth as April 26, 1907. – April 8, 1957) was an American film and stage actress. Ear ...

as Woman in Cafe * William Stack as Minister

Reception

'' Time Out Paris'' called the film "a gripping piece of

Southern Gothic Southern Gothic is an artistic subgenre of fiction, country music, film and television that are heavily influenced by Gothic elements and the American South. Common themes of Southern Gothic include storytelling of deeply flawed, disturbing or ...

". Ted Shen of the '' Chicago Reader'' wrote, "The cinematography is gloomy and noirish but the psychology is simplistic".

References

External links

* * * *
''Among the Living''
at FilmFanatic * {{Stuart Heisler 1941 films 1941 horror films American horror thriller films American black-and-white films Film noir Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Stuart Heisler 1940s English-language films 1940s horror thriller films Films with screenplays by Garrett Fort Films about twin brothers 1940s American films