Undeservedly obscure, efficiently made little drama with a twist of noir thrown in. Told mostly in flashback after a tense opening this has a breezy charm in its first half that lessens as matters become more serious.
That's all to the good since the material is being handled by acting masters. The main quartet of players, Rosalind Russell, Claire Trevor, Sydney Greenstreet and Leon Ames, are great as a group and individually.
Ames has less screen time but makes the most of what he has. A gifted supporting actor who could play warm, understanding men, usually fathers and venal bastards with equal skill. He's the latter here and manages to not make him one note but there's no question he's a low deceitful man.
Sydney Greenstreet doesn't show up until almost the middle of the picture but he's absolutely terrific as the jovial police inspector. Bending his established screen persona slightly from ominous malevolence to convivial affability with a razor sharp perception laying underneath he and Rosalind do a fascinating dance of cat and mouse.
Now to the ladies, Rosalind taking a break from her customary comedies is properly anguished as the chic actress whose desperate act sets the film in motion. She's classy and able to handle both the lightness necessary at the beginning as well as the tension needed to sustain the mood of the story as it progresses.
Claire Trevor in a pivotal role gives one of her very best performances in a career full of them. She shades Marian with so many emotions, often within a single scene, she's riveting when on screen and you miss her when she's gone. She and Roz spark off each other and make their scenes crackle, the hospital scene positively seethes with loathing.
Injecting a note of much needed levity into the film is Dan Tobin as an acid tongued gossip columnist Jeff Trent, he's a delight whenever he pops in. The only real dud is Leo Genn as Roz's new paramour, a fine actor and he's not really bad but his part is a filler and up against such great actors working at top speed he slips into the woodwork.
Smoothly paced and directed in a straightforward manner by John Gage in his only theatrical feature. It's the great performances from Rosalind Russell, Claire Trevor and Sydney Greenstreet plus an enjoyable story with a great ending that makes this one well worth seeking out!
