Undercurrent is a 1946 American film noir drama directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Katharine Hepburn, Robert Taylor, and Robert Mitchum. The screenplay was written by Edward Chodorov, based on the story "You Were There'" by Thelma Strabel, and allegedly contained uncredited contributions from Marguerite Roberts.
Plot
Ann Hamilton, a young woman from a middle class family, meets wealthy businessman Alan Garroway when he comes to visit her scientist father. Ann and Alan soon fall in love and get married.
In the days following their marriage, Ann meets Alan's high society friends. Mrs. Foster, Alan's neighbor, mentions Alan's brother Michael. When Ann asks him about Michael, Alan tells her they became estranged and lost contact. Ann gradually discovers evidence of Michael's character contrary to Alan's description; rather than a party animal and a thief, Michael was a quiet and thoughtful man with an appreciation of art. One of Michael's former friends convinces Ann that Alan murdered Michael.
Ann visits Michael's former ranch house in California. She encounters Michael, who pretends to be a groundskeeper. They go on a romantic walk through the woods.
Alan follows Ann to the ranch and becomes agitated with her prying behavior. They return to his family home in Virginia. Michael follows them. He confronts Alan privately, and accuses him of murdering the original inventor of the device that made Alan his fortune. Michael promises to keep quiet as long as Alan tells Ann the truth. Ann finds one of Michael's lit cigarettes, and she realizes he is still alive.
The following morning, Ann confesses to Alan that she thought he killed Michael, and that she would have left Alan if he was a murderer. She admits she has become obsessed with Michael. Alan enters a jealous rage, and decides to keep Ann trapped and isolated in their Virginia mansion. Mrs. Foster, unsuspecting, visits on horseback and suggests that Ann and Alan go on a ride with her. Alan mounts a large and unruly horse. The three of them ride through the forest, but Alan manages to separate Ann from Mrs. Foster. Alan attempts to kill Ann, who falls off her horse. After Alan dismounts to finish her off, his wild horse rears up and fatally kicks him in the head.
Weeks later, Ann is recovering from her injuries in the mansion, having inherited Alan's estate. She invites Michael to visit, and the two begin a budding romance.
Cast
Katharine Hepburn as Ann Hamilton
Robert Taylor as Alan Garroway
Robert Mitchum as Michael Garroway
Edmund Gwenn as Prof. "Dink" Hamilton
Marjorie Main as Lucy
Jayne Meadows as Sylvia Lea Burton
Clinton Sundberg as Mr. Warmsley
Dan Tobin as Prof. Joseph Bangs
Kathryn Card as Mrs. Foster
Leigh Whipper as George
Charles Trowbridge as Justice Putnam
James Westerfield as Henry Gilson
Billy McClain as Uncle Ben
Milton Kibbee as Minister
Jean Andren as Mrs. Davenport
Forbes Murray as Senator Edwards
Gordon Richards as Headwaiter
Cast notes: Undercurrent marked Robert Taylor's screen return after spending three years in the Navy. Jayne Meadows made her film debut in this film. "Rommy", the dog, was trained by Hollywood's most prestigious dog trainers, the Rudd Weatherwax family.
Production
Undercurrent was only director Vincente Minnelli's second dramatic film, the first being The Clock, which starred his wife at the time, Judy Garland. Minnelli's specialty was in directing the kind of glossy musicals that M-G-M's Arthur Freed unit turned out. Because he trusted producer Pandro S. Berman's judgement in regard to the film's star, Katharine Hepburn – who had already signed on to do the film – Minnelli accepted the assignment; Berman had produced Alice Adams and Stage Door with Hepburn when they both worked for RKO Pictures. Berman and Minnelli would go on to make Madame Bovary (1949), Father of the Bride (1950), and other successful films together.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer paid David O. Selznick $25,000 and RKO $75,000 for the use of Robert Mitchum. Mitchum was working on two other films at the same time, Desire Me (1947) and The Locket (1946), which prompted director Vincente Minnelli to wonder if that was how Mitchum maintained his sleepy-eyed look.