Film noir isn't is my most favorite film genre, but every once in a while I'll stumble on one which tickles my fancy...like this one.
Milquetoast husband/druggist's wife runs away with another man, who then beats the milquetoast up. He decides to murder the "other man", and develops an alternate persona who will take the blame for the murder. Meanwhile he falls in love, and just as he is about to commit the murder he realizes he'd only be throwing his life away for an unfaithful wife. Then the "other man" ends up murdered, and the milquetoast, who is looking forward to his new life with his new girlfriend, gets blamed...but it's not proved yet. In come the detectives who suspect the milquetoast, but persevere when things lead in a very different direction.
Richard Basehart, whom I always thought was an underrated actor, is excellent as the milquetoast/druggist.
I have to give credit here to Audrey Totter, an actress it's rather difficult to like as she usually played rather slimy characters...as she does here. But she's excellent.
I had mixed feelings about the performance of Cyd Charisse as the new girlfriend; I'd say the performance was "okay". Barry Sullivan did well as the lead police detective. It was nice seeing Tom D'Andrea (later the best pal in "The Life Of Riley") as a worker in the drug store. And William Conrad, big as life (so to speak) is good as the junior police detective.
Although I enjoyed it, there are problems with this film. The biggest being -- did police detectives really develop sexual relationships with witnesses just to solve murders? Why does it take the detectives so long to realize that both men played by Richard Basehart are the same man? After all, the only difference is a pair of glasses? Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable little detective story. Recommended.
Milquetoast husband/druggist's wife runs away with another man, who then beats the milquetoast up. He decides to murder the "other man", and develops an alternate persona who will take the blame for the murder. Meanwhile he falls in love, and just as he is about to commit the murder he realizes he'd only be throwing his life away for an unfaithful wife. Then the "other man" ends up murdered, and the milquetoast, who is looking forward to his new life with his new girlfriend, gets blamed...but it's not proved yet. In come the detectives who suspect the milquetoast, but persevere when things lead in a very different direction.
Richard Basehart, whom I always thought was an underrated actor, is excellent as the milquetoast/druggist.
I have to give credit here to Audrey Totter, an actress it's rather difficult to like as she usually played rather slimy characters...as she does here. But she's excellent.
I had mixed feelings about the performance of Cyd Charisse as the new girlfriend; I'd say the performance was "okay". Barry Sullivan did well as the lead police detective. It was nice seeing Tom D'Andrea (later the best pal in "The Life Of Riley") as a worker in the drug store. And William Conrad, big as life (so to speak) is good as the junior police detective.
Although I enjoyed it, there are problems with this film. The biggest being -- did police detectives really develop sexual relationships with witnesses just to solve murders? Why does it take the detectives so long to realize that both men played by Richard Basehart are the same man? After all, the only difference is a pair of glasses? Nevertheless, it's an enjoyable little detective story. Recommended.