No one ever played the handsome cad better than Zachary Scott, who could make you grudgingly admire his skill at deception and manipulating women even while you hated him for it. Case in point, when he gives the ring to Faye Emerson that he stole from his murder victim and tells her it belonged to his grandmother. Now that's chutzpah!! The movie cleverly puts Scott's slimy Ronnie Mason into a house with three women - two sisters and their mother, and he casts his spell over all of them. It wasn't exactly clear to me why he wanted to marry Faye, since she was a "working girl" and not rich, but I guess she was a good enough victim until he found out that her younger sister had an inheritance. (Though the crass way Ronnie dumps one sister for another is not up to his usual level of smoothness). There's another female in the mix, a psychiatrist who sees through him, and their verbal sparring makes for one of the movie's best scenes.
Scott is great in this role, of course. Faye Emerson was a nice surprise. She was later known primarily for being a "personality" and society woman but she gives a good, nuanced performance here. She's equally believable as the "ugly duckling" flattered by Ronnie's attention and as the wised-up, scorned woman who seeks revenge. Rosemary De Camp is very good as the psychiatrist and I wish she'd had a bigger part. Bruce Bennett, who was also the "good guy" counterpoint to Scott's heel in "Mildred Pierce," seems miscast as Faye's scientist suitor. He plays the part almost as a cartoon version of the nerdy scientist. (Though one with the build of an ex-Olympic athlete). Joyce Compton is cute as always in a small part as Faye's office mate, and look for a brief appearance by young Robert Arthur, best known for playing Kirk Douglas' reporter protégé in "Ace in the Hole."
As other reviewers have covered it in detail, I will skip over that ludicrous climactic chase on the cliffs, and then the subsequent jarring shift in tone from film noir to Andy Hardy movie. But there's enough good stuff leading up to those unfortunate last few minutes to make this movie rate a solid 7.
Scott is great in this role, of course. Faye Emerson was a nice surprise. She was later known primarily for being a "personality" and society woman but she gives a good, nuanced performance here. She's equally believable as the "ugly duckling" flattered by Ronnie's attention and as the wised-up, scorned woman who seeks revenge. Rosemary De Camp is very good as the psychiatrist and I wish she'd had a bigger part. Bruce Bennett, who was also the "good guy" counterpoint to Scott's heel in "Mildred Pierce," seems miscast as Faye's scientist suitor. He plays the part almost as a cartoon version of the nerdy scientist. (Though one with the build of an ex-Olympic athlete). Joyce Compton is cute as always in a small part as Faye's office mate, and look for a brief appearance by young Robert Arthur, best known for playing Kirk Douglas' reporter protégé in "Ace in the Hole."
As other reviewers have covered it in detail, I will skip over that ludicrous climactic chase on the cliffs, and then the subsequent jarring shift in tone from film noir to Andy Hardy movie. But there's enough good stuff leading up to those unfortunate last few minutes to make this movie rate a solid 7.