When a life-long bachelor police investigator from Paris takes a much needed vacation to the country, he finds more than he bargained for when a much younger pretty local maiden, excited by his glamorous city life, takes an interest in him. He's savvy as far as catching criminals and keeping law and order, but probably a bit too naive in the ways of understanding the female mind, especially one who longs more exciting things than what her provincial life has in store for her. They begin to spend romantic evenings together, but a young local farmer who has been away turns up to claim her, having been promised to her since they were children. This leads to the farmer becoming violently jealous, threatening both of them and resulting in murder, but not of who the audience suspects it will be.
Steven Geray, a gentle European character actor, is perfectly cast as the seemingly mild mannered investigator who doesn't plan on falling in love but is obviously too lonely not to respond to the attentions of the pretty Micheline Cheirel. Her parents (Eugene Borden and Ann Codee) have differing opinions on her attentions towards Geray with the socially ambitious Codee pushing her daughter towards Geray and away from the handsome but brooding Paul Marion who makes threats both towards Geray and Cheirel, to whom he says, "I'd rather see you dead than in the arms of anybody else!". It's obvious that Cheirel is not in love with Geray but definitely infatuated with him, and her sexual desires towards Marion make it clear that a marriage with Geray would be doomed.
The build-up to the murders makes the audience believe that somebody else is going to get knocked off first, not the actual initial victim. This gives the story some unexpected twists and turns that you don't see coming. It also builds up into great suspense. Beautifully moody photography and a gorgeous countryside setting make this lovely to look at, although certain physical elements give the impression that this was set some twenty years before it actually was. The twist of the plot as it reaches its conclusion, added with the performance of Helen Freeman as the hotel maid who realizes the truth, makes this a riveting melodrama, even if a few elements of its plot are somewhat unbelievable.
Steven Geray, a gentle European character actor, is perfectly cast as the seemingly mild mannered investigator who doesn't plan on falling in love but is obviously too lonely not to respond to the attentions of the pretty Micheline Cheirel. Her parents (Eugene Borden and Ann Codee) have differing opinions on her attentions towards Geray with the socially ambitious Codee pushing her daughter towards Geray and away from the handsome but brooding Paul Marion who makes threats both towards Geray and Cheirel, to whom he says, "I'd rather see you dead than in the arms of anybody else!". It's obvious that Cheirel is not in love with Geray but definitely infatuated with him, and her sexual desires towards Marion make it clear that a marriage with Geray would be doomed.
The build-up to the murders makes the audience believe that somebody else is going to get knocked off first, not the actual initial victim. This gives the story some unexpected twists and turns that you don't see coming. It also builds up into great suspense. Beautifully moody photography and a gorgeous countryside setting make this lovely to look at, although certain physical elements give the impression that this was set some twenty years before it actually was. The twist of the plot as it reaches its conclusion, added with the performance of Helen Freeman as the hotel maid who realizes the truth, makes this a riveting melodrama, even if a few elements of its plot are somewhat unbelievable.