Am I the only one who prefers EddieGRob when he DOESN'T play gun-toting mobsters? My favorites are DOUBLE INDEMNITY, Dr. ERLICH'S MAGIC BULLET, and this one. Here's he's a villain, quite a bit tougher than Rico or Johnny Rocco, and his weapons are not guns, but his own hands and his enemies' weaknesses. And, unlike in most of his villain-roles, in this one he expresses real vulnerability. He actually makes me feel sorry for the dirty, sadistic bastard he plays.
Besides him, Ida Lupino, Barry Fitzgerald, and John Garfield play extremely well. And do not overlook the music by the great post-Wagnerian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who ought to be much better-known than he is. Really if there were a concert consisting just of the soundtrack to this movie, it would be well worth the price of admission.
Weaknesses of this movie include wooden acting by the protagonist (Alexander Knox) and by Gene Lockhart (whose role, to be fair, is very badly-written).
Besides him, Ida Lupino, Barry Fitzgerald, and John Garfield play extremely well. And do not overlook the music by the great post-Wagnerian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who ought to be much better-known than he is. Really if there were a concert consisting just of the soundtrack to this movie, it would be well worth the price of admission.
Weaknesses of this movie include wooden acting by the protagonist (Alexander Knox) and by Gene Lockhart (whose role, to be fair, is very badly-written).