Lewis Milestone directed this melodrama that stars Barbara Stanwyck as Martha Ivers, who, as young girl, killed her evil aunt(played by Judith Anderson) and involves her two boyfriends Walter O'Neil and Sam Masterson. Sam leaves town, but Martha and Walter remain. Many years later, Walter(played by Kirk Douglas in his film debut) is a successful District Attorney, and Martha the power and drive behind him. When Sam(played by Van Heflin) returns to town, he befriends a young woman(played by Lizabeth Scott) whom have mutual sympathy and attraction, but Sam gets mixed up with Martha and Walter, who have corrupt doings going on, and there still is that long ago murder... Good cast, but marginal film is ultimately too melodramatic and unrealistic to succeed, though young Martha had my sympathies for killing her cat-hating/murdering aunt, a truly loathsome character!
