While this is not an example of a classic film Noir, it is a good one, surprisingly tight and fast-moving and filled with nice twists and turns. It involves three people, businessman Gene Raymond who has embezzled money from his company, Stephanie Paull who is dealing with the death of her husband, and the ever grinning Francis Lederer who is following her around, insisting that she is a husband killer. By chance, Raymond and Paull meet on a plane where Raymond helps her escape from Lederer's constant eye. A tense chase sequence down the Pacific Coast Highway and its many winding side exits has the to troubled people revealing set screws to each other and adding in tension as Lederer find out what Raymond has done. It's not too late for Raymond to make good, and he learns the truth about Paull which results in a tense confrontation with Lederer who's motives remain suspicious throughout.
While never escaping its B status, this is surprisingly much better than I thought initially it would be. Many times, these independently released thrillers are very convoluted and filled with details that get it greatly off track, but fortunately, that is not the case here. The flashback sequence concerning Paull and her husband ends up with a very shocking scene, and had me gasping. She seems to be emulating such exotic leading ladies as Hedy Lamarr, Dorothy Lamour and Maria Montez, but I was delighted by her performance even though I had never heard of her.
Raymond, who also directed this, is far from the screwball comedy leaving man of a decade before, and in spite of his advanced age, gets the audience on his side when he makes a major decision towards the end. Lederer, giving the best of the three performances, is delightfully sleazy. A romantic element has the two lovers deciding that they must separate and meet up later, and in doing so, gives this the opportunity to have a more believable conclusion. As a result, this ends up as a little sleeper that I was able to get into and remain interested in.
While never escaping its B status, this is surprisingly much better than I thought initially it would be. Many times, these independently released thrillers are very convoluted and filled with details that get it greatly off track, but fortunately, that is not the case here. The flashback sequence concerning Paull and her husband ends up with a very shocking scene, and had me gasping. She seems to be emulating such exotic leading ladies as Hedy Lamarr, Dorothy Lamour and Maria Montez, but I was delighted by her performance even though I had never heard of her.
Raymond, who also directed this, is far from the screwball comedy leaving man of a decade before, and in spite of his advanced age, gets the audience on his side when he makes a major decision towards the end. Lederer, giving the best of the three performances, is delightfully sleazy. A romantic element has the two lovers deciding that they must separate and meet up later, and in doing so, gives this the opportunity to have a more believable conclusion. As a result, this ends up as a little sleeper that I was able to get into and remain interested in.