# The Saxon Charm
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{{Short description|1948 film by Claude Binyon}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Saxon Charm
| image = The Saxon Charm - 1948 - Poster.jpg
| caption = 1948 theatrical poster
| director = [Claude Binyon](/source/Claude_Binyon)
| producer = [Joseph Sistrom](/source/Joseph_Sistrom)
| writer = [Frederic Wakeman, Sr.](/source/Frederic_Wakeman%2C_Sr.) (novel)
| screenplay = [Claude Binyon](/source/Claude_Binyon)
| narrator =
| starring = [Robert Montgomery](/source/Robert_Montgomery_(actor))
[Susan Hayward](/source/Susan_Hayward)
[John Payne](/source/John_Payne_(actor))
[Audrey Totter](/source/Audrey_Totter)
| music = [Walter Scharf](/source/Walter_Scharf)
| cinematography = [Milton R. Krasner](/source/Milton_R._Krasner)
| editing = [Paul Weatherwax](/source/Paul_Weatherwax)
| studio = Universal Pictures
| distributor = [Universal Pictures](/source/Universal_Pictures)
| released = {{Film date|1948|09|29|New York City}}
| runtime = 88 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
}}
'''''The Saxon Charm''''' is a 1948 American [film noir](/source/film_noir) [drama film](/source/drama_film) written and directed by [Claude Binyon](/source/Claude_Binyon) based on the novel of the same name by [Frederic Wakeman Sr.](/source/Frederic_Wakeman%2C_Sr.) and starring [Robert Montgomery](/source/Robert_Montgomery_(actor)), [Susan Hayward](/source/Susan_Hayward), [John Payne](/source/John_Payne_(actor)) and [Audrey Totter](/source/Audrey_Totter).
==Plot==
In a hospital, theatrical producer Matt Saxon is introduced to writer Eric Busch, and ends up offering to produce Eric's new play with financing from millionaire Zack Humber.
Alma Wragge, a singer, is Saxon's girlfriend, but she warns Eric's wife Janet about the producer's notorious "Saxon charm" that coaxes others into doing his bidding, only to end up badly for everyone involved. Sure enough, Saxon's behavior soon ruins Alma's nightclub audition.
It isn't long before Saxon makes a pest of himself, interrupting a beach vacation Eric and Janet take, closing the show after a poor review, then persuading Eric to go off by himself to do rewrites. Saxon loses the financial backing of Humber so he works on his ex-wife, Vivian, to put up the money, not knowing she is broke.
Alma gets a chance to be in a Hollywood movie, but Saxon interferes with that as well. Janet, upset by Eric's absences, begins drinking and threatens to leave him. Eric finally punches Saxon, whose destructive nature contributes to his ex-wife's suicide but of which he appears to be unaware. Eric and Janet get away from him just in time.
==Cast==
* [Robert Montgomery](/source/Robert_Montgomery_(actor)) as Matt Saxon
* [Susan Hayward](/source/Susan_Hayward) as Janet Busch
* [John Payne](/source/John_Payne_(actor)) as Eric Busch
* [Audrey Totter](/source/Audrey_Totter) as Alma Wragge
* [Harry Morgan](/source/Harry_Morgan) as Hermy (as Harry Morgan)
* [Harry von Zell](/source/Harry_von_Zell) as Zack Humber
* [Cara Williams](/source/Cara_Williams) as Dolly Humber
* [Chill Wills](/source/Chill_Wills) as Captain Chatham
* [Heather Angel](/source/Heather_Angel_(actress)) as Vivian Saxon
* Ed Agresti as Guest At Mexican Inn (uncredited)
* [Fay Baker](/source/Fay_Baker) as Mrs. Noble (uncredited)
* [John Baragrey](/source/John_Baragrey) as Peter Stanhope (uncredited)
* [Archie Twitchell](/source/Archie_R._Twitchell) as Mr. Maddox (uncredited)
* [Barbara Billingsley](/source/Barbara_Billingsley) as Mrs. Maddox (uncredited)
* [Peter Brocco](/source/Peter_Brocco) as Cyril Leatham (uncredited)
* [Kathleen Freeman](/source/Kathleen_Freeman) as Nurse (uncredited)
==See also==
* [List of American films of 1948](/source/List_of_American_films_of_1948)
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0040759|title=The Saxon Charm}}
* {{TCMDb title|id=89142|title=The Saxon Charm}}
* {{AFI film|id=25710|title=The Saxon Charm}}
* {{Letterboxd film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
{{Claude Binyon}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saxon Charm, The}}
Category:1948 films
Category:1948 directorial debut films
Category:1948 drama films
Category:Films directed by Claude Binyon
Category:American drama films
Category:Universal Pictures films
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films scored by Walter Scharf
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:1948 English-language films
Category:1948 American films
Category:English-language drama films
{{1940s-US-drama-film-stub}}
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Saxon Charm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saxon_Charm) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Saxon_Charm?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.