Although this film begins with a bungled kidnapping, which results in the accidental death of the child victim, attention quickly focuses on local resident Mrs Marotta (Isa Miranda, a new name to me), who has unwittingly caught a glimpse of one of the perpetrators, mostly their shoes. We learn very early on that the villains are her affable American neighbour Hopta (Dan Duryea) and his strangely loyal wife (Gwen Watford). Hopta is a psychopath, and he decides that, as he can't be sure how much Mrs Marotta has witnessed, she has to die too, and the rest of the film follows his various attempts to get the job done. There's a touch of black comedy about these sequences, which include the most fast-acting poison ever seen on screen, and a policeman who is installed to sleep in Mrs Marotta's spare room as 'protection' and is consequently useless. There are solid performances from the main players, particularly Duryea and Miranda, who are, frankly, better than the material deserves. The main flaw for me is the character of Mrs Hopta, whose devotion to her sicko husband, and compliance in his crimes, stretches credibility somewhat, as , in every other respect, her nature seems to contradict such willingness to collude. Maybe that's the point, but I wasn't convinced. So, flawed, but watchable, chiefly as a chance to catch Isa Miranda.
Review of Do You Know This Voice?
