No Man of Her Own is a 1950 American film noir drama directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Barbara Stanwyck, John Lund, Phyllis Thaxter, Jane Cowl, and Lyle Bettger. Produced and released by Paramount Pictures, the film was the second movie Stanwyck made with director Mitchell Leisen. The story was based on Cornell Woolrich's 1948 novel I Married a Dead Man. Woolrich is listed in the film's opening credits under one of the names he often used, "William Irish."

Plot

Helen Ferguson is very worried as she holds her baby while Bill Harkness reads a book. The phone rings, and the police tell Bill they are coming to their home. Helen puts the child to bed, hoping her son will not be punished for her mistakes and quietly says she was desperate.

A year earlier in New York, Helen is eight months pregnant, unmarried, and has no money. She visits her unfaithful boyfriend, Stephen Morley, crying and asking for help outside his apartment door. He does not answer but slips an envelope under the door. It contains a five-dollar bill and a one-way train ticket to San Francisco. Helen takes the envelope, and the money falls to the floor, unnoticed. Feeling ashamed and tired, Helen realizes she must go to the station and take the train. Later, Helen’s train crashes. When she is found in the wreckage, she is mistaken for another pregnant woman named Patrice Harkness, who died in the crash. Helen gives birth to her child in the hospital and is accepted by the Harkness family, who believe she is Patrice’s wife. The family has never met their son’s wife, so they think Helen is her. Helen does not reveal her true identity, and the family believes her memory problems and strange behavior are caused by the train crash. With a better life for her son, Helen continues pretending to be Patrice. Bill Harkness, the brother of Patrice’s husband, falls in love with her.

Months later, Helen’s ex-boyfriend, Stephen, finds her. He was asked to identify a body after the crash but lied, saying the dead woman was Helen. After learning Helen is living under a false name and has wealthy in-laws, Stephen forces her to give him a $500 check and marry him. Helen gets a gun, goes to Stephen’s office, and finds him dead in bed. She fires the gun at him. Bill arrives, helps Helen hide the body, and removes evidence of their relationship. Bill and his mother discover Helen is in trouble but decide to protect her, regardless of her past.

Bill’s mother dies of heart failure but writes a letter to her maid, asking her to give it to Helen only if the police come for her. The letter claims Mrs. Harkness killed Stephen, but she could not have. Three months later, when police find Stephen’s body and the check Helen gave him, they come for her. Helen admits to shooting Stephen, but the police say her bullet missed and was found in his mattress. A different bullet was found in his body, and his girlfriend confesses to killing him. Bill and Helen embrace.

Reception

On May 4, 1950, Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praised the main actors' performances in the film but criticized the screenplay's organization and mood.

The popular entertainment magazine Variety gave a more positive review. After watching the film in Hollywood on February 17, 1950—two and a half months before its national release—the Variety critic recommended the film, highlighting the strong performances by Stanwyck and Lund, as well as the film's high production quality.

Lionel Collier of Picturegoer wrote a favorable review. He stated the film was well-acted and noted the talented cast, led by Barbara Stanwyck, showed that mistakes can lead to positive outcomes. He also said the film offered emotional and exciting stories, encouraging viewers to watch it but warning against following the heroine's lifestyle. Eddie Muller called the film "the ultimate 'woman's noir.'" Mitchell Leisen, known for directing emotional dramas, adapted Cornell Woolrich's I Married a Dead Man, creating a mix of tearful scenes and stories involving betrayal.

Adaptations

The film is based on the novel I Married a Dead Man, which has been adapted into various other films and television shows. These include the Japanese film Shisha to no Kekkon (1960), the Brazilian telenovela A Intrusa (1962), the Bollywood movie Kati Patang (1970), the Tamil film Panchavarna Kili (1965), the French film J'ai épousé une ombre (1983), and the Hollywood film Mrs. Winterbourne (1996), which features Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake, and Brendan Fraser.