This is one of the earliest film portrayals of a spree killer and the first film directed by Ida Lupino. Hence it has some historical interest. However, it is by no stretch of the imagination in the "film noir" genre, as many suggest. Classic film noir involves urban settings, a motley crew of criminals and their associates, a double and preferably a triple cross, a femme fatale, lots of rain and dark shadows, and a hero who enters into the underworld reluctantly and inadvisedly. Although no "film noir" classic has all of these conventions, most have a great many. This film has none. It does have great film noir cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca ( "Stranger on the 3rd Floor", "Cat People", "Out of the Past", "They Clash By Night", "The Blue Gardenia") and he does use some of his sharp black and white photography to make this a very watchable film.
Don't expect film noir, nor will you get much psychological analysis of the spree killer. The performances are good and the direction is taut, but there are far better films from this era, and certainly people like Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy did far better jobs in far better films.
Don't expect film noir, nor will you get much psychological analysis of the spree killer. The performances are good and the direction is taut, but there are far better films from this era, and certainly people like Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy did far better jobs in far better films.