Director: Gordon Douglas

Writer: Sydney Boehm

From a novel by: Howard Fast

Keywords: Drama

Name	Occupation	Birth	Death	Known for
Carroll Baker	Actor	28-May-1931		Baby Doll
Lloyd Bochner	Actor	29-Jul-1924	29-Oct-2005	It's a cookbook
Anthony Caruso	Actor	7-Apr-1916	4-Apr-2003	American character actor
Joanne Dru	Actor	31-Jan-1922	10-Sep-1996	She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
Peter Lawford	Actor	7-Sep-1923	24-Dec-1984	Rat Pack member
Viveca Lindfors	Actor	29-Dec-1920	25-Oct-1995	Night Unto Night
George Maharis	Actor	1-Sep-1928		Buzz Murdock on Route 66
Edmond O'Brien	Actor	10-Sep-1915	9-May-1985	The Great Imposter
Aldo Ray	Actor	25-Sep-1926	27-Mar-1991	The Green Berets
Ann Sothern	Actor	22-Jan-1909	15-Mar-2001	Private Secretary

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 25-Jun-2006)

The filmic trope of presenting a mystery woman to the viewer through the recollections of her friends and lovers has a long history. Perhaps "Laura" is the most famous. A much lesser-known one is the British "Woman in Question." "Sylvia" is in that tradition: a wealthy man wants to find out about the background of his fiancée, Sylvia, so hires a private detective to investigate. As the P.I. encounters people from Sylvia's past, the stories that they tell him are the flashback elements of the film. There's a very touching episode with Viveca Lindfors, as well as one with Ann Sothern. While the film is somewhat desultory in its pacing, it's got some great folks-Edmund O'Brien, Joanne Dru, etc.--and a suitably disengaged performance from Carroll Baker in the title role. It actually works well for the character, who throughout a series of tawdry experiences has kept a part of herself removed and untouched. We also get to see a well-toned George Maharis with his pajama top off--another reason to catch the film if it ever shows up. David Raksin, who composed the score for "Laura," some twenty years earlier, provides a nice score for "Sylvia" (note the use of the waltz from William Wyler's "Carrie"--also a Paramount film-- in the scene at the restaurant with Sothern and Maharis).

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