This is a gritty little film that is very enjoyable to watch and it has a nice ending that works well. The problem, though, is that although there is a lot to like, many of the characters make little sense and it's impossible to understand their motivations. This keeps this Film Noir flick from being among the truly great examples of the genre.
Dana Andrews plays a fast-talking guy who seems to always be on the fine line between good and evil. He blows into a small town and immediately is attracted to the town's "bad girl" (Linda Darnell). However, he's broke and she'll have nothing to do with him until he has money. So, Andrews hatches a plan--make the moves on a rich lady spinster (Alice Faye) and then after marrying her, he can quickly dump her and take up with Darnell! Nice guy, huh?! The problem is that while he does marry Faye, when Darnell unexpectedly ends up murdered, Andrews is the prime suspect. Plus, after seeing the investigator in action (beating confessions out of suspects), he takes off for San Francisco--and his new bride insists on following there.
The problems with the film are motivation. While it seems pretty obvious that Andrews is a jerk, his plan to wed Faye and use this money to catch Darnell seems overly complicated. Plus, he's brand-new in town--why do all this for two women you barely know? As for Faye, she's a real enigma. Why would she ever fall for a man so unlike her and then help him evade the law when he's accused of murder--and it seems likely he DID kill the woman on his very wedding night?! Her devotion is slavish and she seems awfully stupid and tough to believe. Had the plot been hashed out more--allowing far more time to pass in getting to know both women--then it might have made sense. Instead, we are expected to believe that after only one week in a small town, all this occurs!
Now what's to like? Well, the dialog is very snappy and typically Noir. Andrews in particular is fully of snappy one-liners and his attitude is perfect. The cop, Charles Bickford, is also great--being ugly and brutal--a true Noir detective! Really, aside from rushing everything too much, the film's plot was very good. I just can't believe that the famed director Otto Preminger seemed to push this film's pace along far too quickly and not allowing sufficient time to pass to explain Andrews' and Faye's motivations.
Dana Andrews plays a fast-talking guy who seems to always be on the fine line between good and evil. He blows into a small town and immediately is attracted to the town's "bad girl" (Linda Darnell). However, he's broke and she'll have nothing to do with him until he has money. So, Andrews hatches a plan--make the moves on a rich lady spinster (Alice Faye) and then after marrying her, he can quickly dump her and take up with Darnell! Nice guy, huh?! The problem is that while he does marry Faye, when Darnell unexpectedly ends up murdered, Andrews is the prime suspect. Plus, after seeing the investigator in action (beating confessions out of suspects), he takes off for San Francisco--and his new bride insists on following there.
The problems with the film are motivation. While it seems pretty obvious that Andrews is a jerk, his plan to wed Faye and use this money to catch Darnell seems overly complicated. Plus, he's brand-new in town--why do all this for two women you barely know? As for Faye, she's a real enigma. Why would she ever fall for a man so unlike her and then help him evade the law when he's accused of murder--and it seems likely he DID kill the woman on his very wedding night?! Her devotion is slavish and she seems awfully stupid and tough to believe. Had the plot been hashed out more--allowing far more time to pass in getting to know both women--then it might have made sense. Instead, we are expected to believe that after only one week in a small town, all this occurs!
Now what's to like? Well, the dialog is very snappy and typically Noir. Andrews in particular is fully of snappy one-liners and his attitude is perfect. The cop, Charles Bickford, is also great--being ugly and brutal--a true Noir detective! Really, aside from rushing everything too much, the film's plot was very good. I just can't believe that the famed director Otto Preminger seemed to push this film's pace along far too quickly and not allowing sufficient time to pass to explain Andrews' and Faye's motivations.