The title to this Noir film is wonderful--it catches your attention and gets you ready to watch an excellent murder mystery. The only problem is that it really has nothing to do with the film! But no matter, the film is still a very good example of early 40s Film Noir--before the genre turned much darker in the late 40s and into the 50s. While the film has some excellent snappy dialog and mood, it still seems a bit more upbeat than later examples--in particular, its using the song "Over The Rainbow" as its theme! Victor Mature, a natural for Noir due to his ugly mug, was great as a tough leading man. The leading ladies, Carole Landis and Betty Grable have never been lovelier and are supposed to be sisters--and they do actually look somewhat alike. When Landis is murdered, the suspicion falls on Mature but Grable is sure of his innocence. This is the only weak point of the film, as it seemed a bit formulaic to have her believe in him despite all the evidence pointing to Mature's guilt--a classic cliché if you've ever seen one! However, this is a minor problem and the rest of the film is just great--so good that it definitely was instrumental in forging the Noir style that was so popular after the war.
Excellent throughout--an inspired and exciting crime drama.
Excellent throughout--an inspired and exciting crime drama.