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Crime drama

The Tattered Dress (1957): Cast & Plot

The Tattered Dress (1957) movie poster

The Tattered Dress is a 1957 crime drama directed by Jack Arnold, starring Phillip Reed as Michael Reston, Charles Herbert and Todd Ferrell. It runs 1 hour 33 minutes.

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The Tattered Dress (1957) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 33m (93 min)
Director
Jack Arnold
Genres
Drama , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Tattered Dress About?

The premise of The Tattered Dress without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

After a wild night, wealthy Michael Reston’s adulterous wife Charleen returns home in a tattered dress, and a murder follows. New York defense attorney J.G. Blane, whose marriage is a façade, travels to Desert View, Nevada, where the townspeople and powerful Sheriff Hoak openly oppose the Restons. As he investigates, Blane realizes he’s been manipulated and learns how lethal a seemingly quiet desert community can become.

The Tattered Dress Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • sun bathing on a pool float
  • coupe convertible
  • woman wears a one piece swimsuit
  • motorized diving board
  • woman wears a slip
  • exposed underwear
  • high dive
  • woman sunbathes
  • swimming pool
  • psychotronic film
  • scene during opening credits
  • ripped dress
+38 more
  • shot in the back
  • passenger train
  • newspaper headline
  • picture on front page of newspaper
  • poker game
  • pipe smoking
  • diving into a pool
  • swimming under water
  • indoor outdoor pool
  • stopped by police
  • willys jeep
  • house in the desert
  • witness testimony
  • not guilty verdict
  • murder trial
  • celebration
  • cocktail party
  • breaking and entering
  • breaking a window
  • cigar smoking
  • passionate kiss
  • telling a joke
  • reference to clarence darrow
  • artist rendition
  • playing blackjack
  • las vegas nevada
  • forced off the road
  • flaming car crash
  • beaten up
  • outsmarted
  • public murder
  • speech
  • old man flirting with a young woman
  • bend down exposing cleavage
  • southern pacific railroad
  • seductive woman
  • corrupt cop
  • woman wears a nightgown
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Cast & crew

The Tattered Dress Cast & Characters

Phillip Reed leads the cast as Michael Reston, with Charles Herbert as Johnny Blane and Todd Ferrell as Timmy Blane (uncredited). Directed by Jack Arnold; 51 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Tattered Dress

· 47 more
Show all 51 cast members
From the director

More from Jack Arnold

More films directed by Jack Arnold, best-rated first: The Incredible Shrinking Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and Marilyn: The Untold Story.

Full filmography
Plot

The Tattered Dress Plot Summary

What happens in The Tattered Dress from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Set in a sun-drenched California resort town, the wealthy Michael Reston Phillip Reed is charged with the murder of a man he claims attacked his wife, Charleen Reston Elaine Stewart. To defend him, Reston hires James Gordon Blane Jeff Chandler, a high-priced lawyer known for doing anything to win a case. Blane’s sharp cross-examination of the local sheriff Nick Hoak Jack Carson is so effective that Reston is declared not guilty, a verdict that stings the community because the victim was popular while the Restons were not.

Full summary

The whole story of The Tattered Dress, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Tattered Dress Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Tattered Dress.

The Tattered Dress (1957) ORIGINAL TRAILER
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Tattered Dress?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is charged with the murder of a man he claims attacked his wife, Charleen?

Cars

Cars in The Tattered Dress

31 cars on screen, including the 1956 Chrysler New Yorker and the 1956 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country.

All 31 cars
  • 1956 Chrysler New Yorker in The Tattered Dress 1956 Chrysler New Yorker Important role
  • 1956 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country in The Tattered Dress 1956 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country Important role
  • 1954 Plymouth Belmont in The Tattered Dress 1954 Plymouth Belmont Important role
  • 1956 Plymouth Belvedere in The Tattered Dress 1956 Plymouth Belvedere Important role
Details

The Tattered Dress Also Known As

5 alternative titles, including “Das Kreuzverhör” and “Kreuzverhör”.

Also known as
  • Das Kreuzverhör
  • Kreuzverhör
  • Il vestito strappato
  • Epílogo de uma Sentença
  • Порванное платье

Seen The Tattered Dress?

FAQ

The Tattered Dress FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Tattered Dress, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Tattered Dress?

The Tattered Dress runs 1 hour 33 minutes (93 minutes).

When was The Tattered Dress released?

The Tattered Dress was released on March 14, 1957.

Who directed The Tattered Dress?

The Tattered Dress was directed by Jack Arnold.

More films by Jack Arnold

Who is in the cast of The Tattered Dress?

The Tattered Dress stars Phillip Reed as Michael Reston, Charles Herbert as Johnny Blane and Todd Ferrell as Timmy Blane (uncredited), among 51 credited actors.

Does The Tattered Dress have a post-credit scene?

No. The Tattered Dress has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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