Naval officer Johnny Morrison is on shore leave from the Navy. He visits his wife, who is drinking and playing around and they have a big bust-up. When she is found murdered the next morning, Johnny is at the top of the suspect list. Can he clear his name ?
This is one of four great hard-boiled forties thrillers starring the terrific pairing of Ladd and Lake (the others are This Gun For Hire, The Glass Key and Saigon), both of whom are sensational. This one has the added distinction of being written by Raymond Chandler, and it's a great twisting whodunnit full of intrigue, surprise coincidences and ulterior motives, shot through with his wonderful hardball dialogue (when local bigshot Eddie Harwood asks, "Am I under suspicion ?", world-weary Captain Hendrickson replies, "I dunno. How do you feel about it ?".). The characters are all tough-talking, street-smart players, angling for their part in the drama, and the interplay between them is tremendous. The photography is crisp; simple and stylish at the same time (for example, the shot looking through the chair legs) and all the elements are skillfully brought together by Marshall. A nifty, expertly-written thriller, produced by the great John Houseman (Letter From An Unknown Woman, The Bad And The Beautiful).
This is one of four great hard-boiled forties thrillers starring the terrific pairing of Ladd and Lake (the others are This Gun For Hire, The Glass Key and Saigon), both of whom are sensational. This one has the added distinction of being written by Raymond Chandler, and it's a great twisting whodunnit full of intrigue, surprise coincidences and ulterior motives, shot through with his wonderful hardball dialogue (when local bigshot Eddie Harwood asks, "Am I under suspicion ?", world-weary Captain Hendrickson replies, "I dunno. How do you feel about it ?".). The characters are all tough-talking, street-smart players, angling for their part in the drama, and the interplay between them is tremendous. The photography is crisp; simple and stylish at the same time (for example, the shot looking through the chair legs) and all the elements are skillfully brought together by Marshall. A nifty, expertly-written thriller, produced by the great John Houseman (Letter From An Unknown Woman, The Bad And The Beautiful).