This is a perfect example of how a loud, overbearing, and sappy soundtrack can ruin an otherwise decent detective noir yarn. This blasting soundtrack tries waaay too hard to be the star of the film - creating whimsy and romance when none is necessary. So corny, and directionless, the soundtrack sounds more fitting for a two reel theater serial than for a complex and dark gumshoe adventure. This makes the film unwatchable, for me.
I don't see (or feel) Franchot Tone is right for a 40s noir detective. Shemp Howard could have done a more convincing job of it! All the sweeping fedoras and dangling cigarettes in the world can't make Tone fit into this role.
The ladies do a competent job here, but the involved (convoluted) writing and roles make the film a little hard to follow beyond the surface antics. But seeing beyond the awful, turn-on-a-dime soundtrack blasting in your face is near impossible, and brings this film down to a sad, subpar failure that can't make its mind up on what it wants to be - and ends up being a sappy, confused mess.
I don't see (or feel) Franchot Tone is right for a 40s noir detective. Shemp Howard could have done a more convincing job of it! All the sweeping fedoras and dangling cigarettes in the world can't make Tone fit into this role.
The ladies do a competent job here, but the involved (convoluted) writing and roles make the film a little hard to follow beyond the surface antics. But seeing beyond the awful, turn-on-a-dime soundtrack blasting in your face is near impossible, and brings this film down to a sad, subpar failure that can't make its mind up on what it wants to be - and ends up being a sappy, confused mess.