Spectroscopic and magnetic studies were carried out for a series of complexes of the type CdX(2)(phen), where X = Cl, Br, and I and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline. In an analogous manner to the Zn complexes, ZnX(2)(phen), that were studied previously the phosphorescence is essentially from the phen localized (3) pi pi* state. The radiative properties of the spin sublevels, however, are appreciably different. In the Cd complexes, the z (along the short axis of phen) sublevel is the most radiative in contrast to the Zn complexes where the x (along the out-of-plane axis of phen) sublevel is the most radiative. All the sublevel properties are satisfactorily interpreted, in a manner similar to the Zn complexes, by a model invoking configurational mixing of the halogen p to phen pi* charge transfer configurations with the phen localized pi pi* configuration; the d orbitals of the metal do not contribute to the excited state properties. The different sublevel properties between the Zn and Cd complexes are traced to the difference in the electron polarization in the metal-halogen bond.