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Greetings,

Weird Woman is easily my favorite among the Inner Sanctum sextet.

In another thread, I commented about how accurately the fierce politics at Monroe College were portrayed.  Somebody on the screenplay crew had some keen insights regarding how small schools operate.

In fact Anne Gwynne's character, Paula, is one of the more well-adjusted members of the extended faculty "family."

Elizabeth Russell's character drove her unambitious professor husband, "Millard Sawtelle," to crib a deceased former student's senior thesis for the basis of his book. Evelyn Ankers's character's chicanery led the distraught sociologist to take his own life rather than the ribbing he would surely receive from his own peers. Totally believable! Sociology is second to only Philosophy (well, maybe Art History) as a major field of study that leads to underemployment and a long-term lease on a parent's basement.

Lon Chaney, Junior is hilariously miscast as the "brilliant scholar" with a creditable book on his vitae as well as a throng of admiring "co-eds" on his doorstep.  Chaney was much more believable as Larry Talbot, telescope installer, than he ever was in any of the Inner Sanctum portrayals.

Paula may not even have been the "Weird Woman" given all the other wacky ladies in the cast.

Weird Women may have been a  more appropriate title.

I agree that it is a "gem" on many levels

Best regards,

Andy in Vancouver.
  

Dear Jay,

How could any guy resist Evelyn Ankers? I mean, really! She is lovely inside and out, especially as Gwen in The Wolf Man. Miss Ankers is my ideal 1940's woman. She is smart, tall, not-too-skinny, loyal, and funny. She was willing to forsake the banal Frank for Larry. But not because Larry was the heir apparent to Sir John's estate, but because Larry really needed her. Frank was just some eligible schmuck who was Gwen's social peer, if not, she was a step above.

Paula was another a hot 1940's babe. She had supernatural connections, but also a number of natural ones to boot!

Looking over the characters, I also admired "Grace Gunnison," Dean of Women, who not only bailed Norman out of jail after the Professor capped David Jennings, but fixed things up following "Margaret Mercer's" kerfuffle when her beloved Norman failed to reciprocate her overture for affection. Grace was the kind of woman who would be great as a battle partner. No B.S., compassionate, good-humored, and loyal.

Best regards,

Andy in Vancouver.

Greetings,

Thinking about the line-up of Monroe College's ladies, Weird WoMEN would also have been  descriptive title!

First, you have Evelyn Ankers. Her Ilona character should have submitted herself to analysis for carrying a torch for a moke like Chaney's baleful Professor Norman Reed. Surely, Monroe must have had a dashing, eligible History Professor who would be glad to have her annotate a bibliography or two in the back of the library stacks.

Next, you have Elizabeth Russell, also a real babe. Why she married an older man with no imagination is anybody's guess. Maybe she really wanted to pass Sociology 301 without studying "social stratification" too much.

Then, there is Paula. Another bona fide hottie who saw Norman as her ticket off the Island, and maybe a "daddy" situation. You may have noticed that Dr. and Mrs. Reed had separate sleeping accommodations, and Paula's was a single bed.

Margaret's character casts a bad light on all female scholars. She likes the schlumpy sophomore, moons over the "mental giant" Chaney's character represented, and then swears off men altogether. Intelligent, lettered women should be prized; my wife is one.

My personal favorite lady in Weird Woman was Elizabeth Risdon's turn as Grace, the pragmatic, realistic, and highly perceptive Grace. As Dean of Women at Monroe College, she was probably the true prize among the crew, but she scared off the shallow would-be suitors by whom she was surrounded.

Except Norman.  When Grace bailed Norman out of jail following the professor's arrest for assaulting David, the student who accosted him, there is a very nice moment in the car when the Dean dropped Chaney off at his house. The vibe between them suggested that if Reed were ten years older, or Grace were ten years younger, that a very sympathetic relationship might have come to fruition.

More and more, I really like this modest excursion to the Inner Sanctum.

Best regards,

Andy in Vancouver.