A 1948 American drama film directed by Irving Pichel that has a Hollywood agent (Fred MacMurray) trying to drum up interest in a dead actress (Alida Valli) after her first and only movie.
The film also stars Frank Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, Charles Meredith, James Nolan, Philip Ahn, Frank Ferguson, Frank Wilcox, Dorothy Sebastian, Michael Raffetto, Harold Vermilyea, and Veronica Pataky.
It was released on March 16, 1948.
Tropes for the film:
- The Film of the Book: Based on Russell Janney's 1946 novel of the same name.
- The Narrator: Dunnigan narrates the film.
- Peking Duck Christmas: Bill Dunnigan meets Olga on Christmas Eve who's far away from friends and family, and offers to spend the evening with her. Naturally, the only place open is a Chinese restaurant, and they turn out to be the only two customers, so the kindly and wise proprietor welcomes them in and offers them sage advice and astonishingly appropriate fortune cookies.
- Saved by the Church Bell: The week-long death knell for Olga Treskovna is what catches the attention of the town and the world of this unknown actress' selfless love for her hometown. She had died making a movie to make everyone back home proud, and because of the bells, thousands pour into town and give money for the poor parish there and for a hospital to be built in the actress' honor.
