The Unfaithful is a 1947 murder mystery starring Ann Sheridan, Lew Ayres and Zachary Scott, and directed by Vincent Sherman. Regarded by some as a film noir, the picture is based on the W. Somerset Maugham-penned 1927 play and William Wyler-directed 1940 film The Letter, which was reworked and turned into an original screenplay by writers David Goodis and James Gunn. Plot Chris Hunter (Ann Sheridan) stabs a man in her home one night while her husband Bob is out of town. The dead man's name is Tanner and she claims not to know him and to have acted in self-defense. Art shop owner, Martin Barrow (Steven Geray), contacts Chris's lawyer and good friend Larry Hannaford (Lew Ayres). Barrow shows Hannaford a bust of Chris Hunter's head, signed by Tanner, and attempts blackmail. It turns out Tanner had been a sculptor, and it is now evident to Hannaford that Chris has lied about never knowing the man she killed. After learning about the bust, Chris goes to Barrow to try to take possession of it. But, Barrow has taken the piece to Tanner's wife (Marta Mitrovich), who is now convinced Chris had an affair with her husband and wants Chris punished for murder. Barrow convinces her to create more anguish for Chris by relaying this information to Bob Hunter (Zachary Scott), thinking also that the wronged husband would pay to avoid scandal. When Bob learns about the affair and sees the bust, he confronts Chris at home. After she admits to having an affair with Tanner while Bob was away during the war, he demands a divorce. Chris is charged with murder and tried. Hannaford persuades the jury that while Chris was indeed guilty of adultery, she truly did stab Tanner in self-defense. Hannaford then convinces Bob, who has softened a bit on the idea of divorce after a long talk with his cousin, Paula, and Chris to at least consider trying to save their marriage, rather than rushing into a divorce. Cast Ann Sheridan as Chris Hunter Lew Ayres as Larry Hannaford Zachary Scott as Bob Hunter Eve Arden as Paula Jerome Cowan as Prosecuting Attorney Steven Geray as Martin Barrow John Hoyt as Det. Lt. Reynolds Peggy Knudsen as Claire Marta Mitrovich as Mrs. Tanner Douglas Kennedy as Roger Claire Meade as Martha Frances Morris as Agnes Jane Harker as Joan Heinie Conklin as Streetcar Passenger (uncredited) Jack