RKO's Face to Face joined the "multistoried film" bandwagon set in motion by the Somerset Maugham omnibus films of the late 1940s. Produced by Huntington Hartford, Face to Face consists of two classic American short stories, each running approximately 45 minutes. Directed by
John Brahm, "The Secret Sharer" is adapted from the Joseph Conrad story by Aeneas McKenzie.
James Mason stars as a young, inexperienced sea captain who forms a symbiotic relationship with an imperiled sailor (
Michael Pate). The second half of the film consists of Stephen Crane's "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," adapted by
James Agee and directed by
Bretaigne Windust. In this story, a frontier sheriff (
Robert Preston), returning from his honeymoon with his bride (Marjorie Steele) in tow, must deal with an old and dreaded enemy (
Minor Watson). Both the individual components of Face to Face were later reissued as separate films, with additional footage added to pad out the running times. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide