How is the villain created? Are they manipulated by circumstances beyond their control to become evil? Or is evil thrust upon them through a bad brain? That is the question of this delicious period to clear an innocent missionary (Ann Todd) turns into a Sinister woman thanks to her love for a charming but manipulative sociopath (Ray Milland) who seems to believe that all he has to do is bring out a woman's hidden seductiveness to turn her into a puppet for his schemes. All it takes is a painting that takes Todd out of her prim and proper clothing and brings out the animal Instinct Milland claims is lying underneath.
Through Milland's brilliant subterfuge, Todd becomes the companion to an old school chum (Geraldine Fitzgerald), unhappily married to a controlling husband (Raymond Huntley) who keeps threatening to have her committed for insanity. When Todd aids Fitzgerald in becoming independent of her husband, Huntley dismisses her and prepares to send Fitzgerald away. This leads Todd to a desperate act of blackmail which leads to murder!
At first, I had a difficult time accepting Todd going from innocent to evil in such a short. Of time, but as I got more and more into the story, I became intrigued by the psychology behind the theme. It is riveting and eerie, with superb performances by the three leads. Fitzgerald is such a delicate flower, overpowered by husband Huntley and mother-in-law Martita Hunt, and the Intrigue of what happens to her leads to an exciting last third. Leo G Carroll shows up towards the end in a great cameo that is truly theatrical. The direction of the forgotten Lewis Allen (responsible for many great Paramount melodramas of the 1940's) is superb. This is a true sleeper that every fan of great melodrama must seek out.
Through Milland's brilliant subterfuge, Todd becomes the companion to an old school chum (Geraldine Fitzgerald), unhappily married to a controlling husband (Raymond Huntley) who keeps threatening to have her committed for insanity. When Todd aids Fitzgerald in becoming independent of her husband, Huntley dismisses her and prepares to send Fitzgerald away. This leads Todd to a desperate act of blackmail which leads to murder!
At first, I had a difficult time accepting Todd going from innocent to evil in such a short. Of time, but as I got more and more into the story, I became intrigued by the psychology behind the theme. It is riveting and eerie, with superb performances by the three leads. Fitzgerald is such a delicate flower, overpowered by husband Huntley and mother-in-law Martita Hunt, and the Intrigue of what happens to her leads to an exciting last third. Leo G Carroll shows up towards the end in a great cameo that is truly theatrical. The direction of the forgotten Lewis Allen (responsible for many great Paramount melodramas of the 1940's) is superb. This is a true sleeper that every fan of great melodrama must seek out.