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When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Rosalind Russell (Valerie) plays an actress who is fed up of doing as she is told by mentor and romantic partner Leon Ames (Dunning). She wants to break free from comedic plays and tackle more serious parts. She also wants to end her romantic liaison with Ames and head off with architect Leo Genn (Morrell). She confronts Ames at the beginning of the film and a few minutes later we have a murder for detective Sydney Greenstreet (Danbury) to look into.It's a strange mix. We have a happy musical credit sequence at the beginning which leads into the dramatic confrontation and murder at the film's beginning. What's this about? Unfortunately, the acting is uninteresting with the women being fragile and therefore showing no interesting qualities. They are just resigned to their fate. Go to the bottom of the class Rosalind Russell and Claire Trevor who plays fellow actress and rival Marian. When Sydney Greenstreet appears, we get some hope in terms of storyline, and he adds comedy into the mix. He always manages to portray a sinister character. Does he know more than he lets on?The copy I watched had some pixel interference and the lip synching fell out of line so there were moments of unwanted hilarity of masterful ventriloquism. This would normally annoy the hell out of me but it actually scores the film a mark in this instance. Rosalind Russell is poor in the lead.

The Velvet Touch is a crime melodrama with Rosalind Russell as Valerie Stanton, a celebrated actress known for comedies whose career has been built up by producer Gordon Dunning.Dunning gets upset and chides Stanton when she tells him that she is going to marry Michael Morrell, an architect and by taking a break from comedies and tackle Hedda Gabler with another producer. Stanton ends up killing Dunning in a fit of anger with an award statue and another actress falls under suspicion for his death.The film is rather underwhelming and talkative almost like a stage play. Once Durning is killed early on in the film, we have flashbacks as to how Dunning and Stanton met and how later Stanton go involved with Morrell.The film livens up a bit when Sydney Greenstreet enters as a detective investigating the killing. However the acting is a bit starch, there is no mystery to the film as to even if the killer will get justice as it was made during the Hays Code era.

Rosalind Russell was one of Hollywood's most talented actresses and this movie puts her through all the emotions. She has witty lines, ala Auntie Mame and heart-wrenching scenes as when a cast member commits suicide. A very good and different script by Leo Rosten helps make for a plausible and entertaining film. All of the cast is great, including Claire Trevor who, if she hadn't won for "Key Largo" the same year, should have been nominated for her small but very effective part. But, it's Russell's film and she gives another great dramatic performance. Enjoy this highly underrated film. Like "Repeat Performance" from the same year, you won't forget this film.

ROSALIND RUSSELL is a stage actress who accidentally murders a lecherous producer (LEON AMES) in this melodramatic show biz story that has Russell trapped in a web of deception after killing Ames. Their stormy relationship is revealed in flashbacks as Russell thinks back on what led up to the murder.Unfortunately, Russell lends not a velvet touch to the proceedings, but an artificial one. Her stage actress is full of Russell's most studied mannerisms, including shifty-eyed side glances whenever pangs of guilt are displayed. She's all artifice, but because she's playing a stage actress I suppose it's forgivable. Still, a little less posturing and more real acting would have helped.CLAIRE TREVOR, as her rival on and off the stage, does a less mannered job as the hard-boiled other woman. LEO GENN is the architect who never goes to the theater and doesn't know Russell at all. It is he who comes between Ames and Russell once she decides she loves him.Some of the plot contrivances are not exactly believable. Genn's sudden interest in the actress is one of them, as is their quickly falling in love. Forty-five minutes into the story SYDENY GREENSTREET makes his appearance to investigate the case and from this point on interest in the outcome mounts steadily as the investigation goes forward.But the whole story is hardly handled with any subtlety. No melodramatic moment is overlooked by actress Russell or director John Gage. And that goes for the cat-and-mouse game Greenstreet plays with Russell. He plays his role with finesse, but it's the script that finally defeats everyone, especially Russell whose guilt complex is overplayed throughout.Summing up: Interesting with some good moments but obvious. Trevor and Greenstreet steal the show, but Genn is wasted and Russell is ultimately a disappointment.Trivia note: Expensive theater tickets were $4.80 in 1948.