Andrea King as Brooke Ryder in “Shadow of a Woman.” Warner Bros., 1946.

Brooke Ryder, the heroine of the 1946 Warner Bros. suspense drama “Shadow of a Woman,” relies on her brains, intuition, and previously untapped inner strength to do battle against her own husband, Dr. Eric Ryder (Helmut Dantine). The more Brooke learns about her new husband’s past, the more reason she has to be frightened.

Brooke risks her own life to save Eric’s young son from starvation and untimely death, leading the film to its nail-biting climax.

Image from an original lobby card for “Shadow of a Woman,” 1946.