This film does not fall short by any means. The Company She Keeps is a story of a young woman's plight named Diane Stuart (played by Jane Greer) that lands her behind bars on more than one occasion and when the opportunity for parole arises she has developed such a defeatist attitude that she feels she is fighting everyone in the (in)justice system. If Diane did not have bad luck she would have no luck at all. Once out of prison she visits with her parole officer Joan Willburn (played by Lizabeth Scott) and by accident or intention Diane finds the man of her dreams a newspaper columnist named Larry Collins (played by Dennis O'Keefe).
The three main characters in this film, Diane Stuart (ex-con), Joan Wilburn (parole officer), and Larry Collins (newspaper columnist) form the love triangle that has deception written all over this screen play. Lies, lies, lies, or is it just that each person is reluctant to hurt the others feelings?
As the film progresses we the audience realize that even female paroled prisoners are still considered ex-cons and their life is subjected to hell, especially in the year 1951 which is when this film was released. Truth be told, the rights and freedoms of ex- cons has not progressed much over the past 70 odd years.
Inevitably Diane finds herself in a police line-up once again for nothing at all and she realizes her life is crap and any chance of true love, life and freedom was nothing more than a pipe dream.
I won't spoil the film for anyone, but I will say that the director John Cromwell provided the audience with a surprise ending that should make most of his audience leaving the movie theater with a lot to talk about. The performances of Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer, and Dennis O'Keefe were top notch. After close to 70 years since the films release I felt the film still contains a lot of human interest as it relates to crime and punishment.
I give the film 4**** of 5*****.
