The Unfaithful 1947

Mystery

Thriller

Drama

Runtime

109 mins

Language

English

Made by

Warner Bros. Pictures

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The Unfaithful Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Unfaithful (1947). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

On a quiet night at home, Christine Hunter stabs a man named Tanner in what she insists was self-defense, while her husband Bob Hunter is away.

Art shop owner, Martin Barrow, contacts Chris’s lawyer and his good friend Larry Hannaford to discuss the aftermath of the incident. Barrow shows Hannaford a bust of Hunter’s head, signed by Tanner, and it becomes clear that Hunter had known Tanner, even as Christine had maintained she never knew the man.

Barrow then takes the bust to Tanner’s wife, Mrs. Tanner, who believes Christine had an affair and wants to punish her for murder. Barrow persuades her to relay this information to Bob Hunter(/actor/zachary-scott), hoping that the wronged husband would pay to avoid scandal. When Bob learns about the affair and sees the bust, he confronts Christine at home.

After she admits to having an affair with Tanner while Bob was away during the war, he demands a divorce. Christine is charged with murder and goes on trial. Hannaford persuades the jury that while Christine’s actions were adulterous, the stabbing was in self-defense.

Hannaford then convinces Bob, who has softened after a long talk with his cousin, Paula, and Christine to at least consider trying to save their marriage, rather than rushing into a divorce.

The Unfaithful Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Unfaithful (1947) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Stabbing at Chris's home

During a night, Chris Hunter stabs Tanner in her own home while her husband Bob is away. She claims self-defense and that Tanner posed a threat. The incident triggers police involvement and a murder investigation.

Night Chris's home

Murder charge and looming trial

Following the incident, Chris is charged with murder and faces a trial. The accusation intensifies the strain on her marriage and reputation. The case becomes a test of her narrative of self-defense.

Soon after the stabbing Police precinct / courthouse

Barrow blackmails with a bust

Art shop owner Barrow contacts Chris's lawyer Hannaford and shows him a bust of Chris's head signed by Tanner. He uses it to threaten exposure and pressure Chris. Hannaford begins to reassess Chris's claim of never knowing Tanner.

Shortly after stabbing Hannaford's office

Tanner's occupation revealed

Hannaford learns that Tanner was a sculptor, making the connection stronger that Chris knew him. He realizes Chris's statement about never knowing Tanner is false. This undermines Chris's defense strategy.

Same meeting Hannaford's office

Chris seeks the bust

Chris goes to Barrow to take possession of the bust, hoping to regain control of the narrative or the evidence. The move signals a desperate attempt to affect the case.

Following the bust's discovery Barrow's shop

Bust delivered to Tanner's wife

Barrow has the bust taken to Tanner's wife, who suspects an affair and wants Chris punished for the murder. The new venue for the evidence deepens the potential scandal.

Soon after Tanner's wife's home

Wife urged to tell Bob

Barrow convinces the wife to relay information to Bob, hoping the scandal will lead to payment or justice against Chris. This manipulation heightens the personal stakes for everyone involved.

Shortly after Tanner's wife's home

Bob confronts Chris

Bob learns of the affair and sees the bust; he confronts Chris at home. The confrontation crystallizes the marital breakdown and the tension surrounding the case.

Shortly after the revelation Chris's home

Admission and divorce demand

Chris admits to having an affair with Tanner during Bob's war-time absence, and Bob demands a divorce. The admission shifts the emotional stakes and complicates the path to reconciliation.

Immediately after confrontation Chris's home

Trial continues with self-defense argument

During the murder trial, Hannaford persuades the jury that Chris's stabbing was in self-defense, even as adultery is acknowledged. The courtroom debate centers on intent and justifications.

During trial Courtroom

Counselor advocates marriage preservation

Hannaford also urges Bob and Chris to consider saving their marriage rather than rushing into divorce. The counsel introduces the possibility of reconciliation amid the turmoil.

During/after the trial Private discussion (courtroom/legal office)

Bob softens on divorce after Paula's talk

Bob, after a long talk with his cousin Paula, softens his stance on divorce and remains open to preserving the marriage. This shift keeps hope alive for a possible reconciliation.

After Paula's advice Bob and Chris's home

The Unfaithful Characters

Explore all characters from The Unfaithful (1947). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Christine Hunter (Ann Sheridan)

A married woman whose acts of passion and a fatal confrontation pull her into a murder trial. She admits to an extramarital affair, then claims self-defense as the motive for the stabbing. Her sure exterior masks vulnerability and a fierce desire to protect her marriage and reputation.

💍 Infidelity 🧠 Moral complexity 🕊️ Reputation

Bob Hunter (Zachary Scott)

Christine's husband, a man whose world is turned upside down by the affair. He contemplates divorce after learning the truth, yet is pulled by memories of love and the possibility of saving the marriage. His reactions reveal the strain of public scandal on personal relationships.

💍 Marriage 🕊️ Trust 🧭 Reputation

Larry Hannaford (Lew Ayres)

Christine's lawyer and friend who argues that the stabbing was self-defense and fights to save her from ruin. He uses legal skill and emotional appeals to sway the jury and explores how friendship and justice intersect.

⚖️ Legal strategy 🧠 Persuasion 🕊️ Mercy

Martin Barrow (Steven Geray)

Art shop owner who becomes a blackmailer, using a bust signed by Tanner to manipulate Christine and Bob. His scheming highlights how wealth and vanity can corrupt judgment and trigger a dangerous chain of events.

🕵️ Blackmail 🎨 Art world 🕶️ Manipulation

Paula (Eve Arden)

Bob's cousin who counsels him to consider saving the marriage. She provides perspective and moral grounding, influencing how Bob processes the scandal and the possibility of reconciliation.

👩‍👧 Family guidance 🗣️ Advice 💬 Support

Judge Edward R. McVey (John Elliott)

The presiding judge who oversees the trial, balancing legal procedure with the pressure of public opinion as the case unfolds.

⚖️ Judge 🧭 Authority 🕰️ Procedure

Prosecuting Attorney (Jerome Cowan)

Represents the prosecution, outlining the case against Christine and pressing for accountability within the courtroom setting.

⚖️ Prosecution 🗣️ Oratory 🧠 Strategy

Tanner

The murdered sculptor whose bust becomes a crucial piece of evidence and motive in the case.

💀 Victim 🎨 Artist

The Unfaithful Settings

Learn where and when The Unfaithful (1947) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

1940s

The story unfolds in the World War II era, with a husband away at war and a marriage under strain upon his return. The era’s social pressures amplify judgments about fidelity and propriety, shaping how the characters respond to scandal and justice.

Location

Christine Hunter's home, Martin Barrow's art shop, courtroom

Christine Hunter's home is the intimate domestic space where a violent act fractures a marriage. Martin Barrow's art shop provides the setting for manipulation and blackmail, turning a sculptor's bust into a symbol of deceit. The courtroom becomes the public arena where truth, motive, and reputation are weighed as Christine stands trial.

🏠 Domestic setting 🖼️ Art world ⚖️ Legal drama

The Unfaithful Themes

Discover the main themes in The Unfaithful (1947). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💔

Infidelity

A central affair sets off the chain of deception and violence. The film explores how secrets and desire destabilize trust, forcing characters to confront the consequences of their choices. Fidelity is judged not only by law but by social norms and personal loyalties.

⚖️

Self-defense & Justice

The defense hinges on whether Christine’s stabbing was truly in self-defense, challenging the jury to separate motive from action. The courtroom drama probes how truth can be shaped by rhetoric, evidence, and public perception. The outcome tests the limits of mercy within the legal system.

🕵️

Blackmail

Martin Barrow uses a brutal bust and information as leverage to manipulate others. The plot reveals how greed and manipulation corrode trust and push characters toward ruin. The consequences of blackmail ripple through relationships and the pursuit of reputation.

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The Unfaithful Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The Unfaithful (1947). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

On a quiet evening that should have been ordinary, Christine Hunter finds herself at the center of a crisis that will test everything she holds dear. Her husband Bob Hunter is away, leaving her to face a terrifying encounter that ends with a man dead and Christine insisting she acted in self-defense. What begins as a seemingly straightforward case of protection soon draws the attention of those closest to her, including the couple’s friend and attorney Larry Hannaford, who steps in to help navigate the legal and emotional fallout.

Set against the backdrop of post-war America, the film captures a society where appearances matter deeply and reputation can be shattered in an instant. The shadow of the war lingers in ways both obvious and subtle, affecting marriages and friendships in ways that are not immediately visible. Christine’s version of events seems credible, but questions soon arise from unexpected quarters, and what initially appeared to be a simple case grows increasingly murky.

As the legal process unfolds, the tension between public perception and private reality becomes impossible to ignore. Relationships are examined, loyalties are tested, and the foundation of what Christine and Bob have built together comes under strain. Each new revelation adds another layer of complexity to a story that refuses to stay simple, while those around the couple must decide where their allegiances truly lie.

The film weaves together themes of trust, reputation, and the gap between what people show the world and what they conceal. With its psychological depth and atmosphere of mounting suspicion, it invites viewers to consider how well anyone can truly know another person—and what remains hidden when the truth finally demands to be heard.

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