Sheila Bennett (Evelyn Keyes) is not having a good day. Her faithless boyfriend Matt (Charles Korvin) plans to dump her as soon as she delivers gems that she stole, and is in fact carrying on with her younger sister, Francie (Lola Albright). Even worse is that Sheila has smallpox, is deathly ill, and is infecting nearly everyone she comes into contact with. Sheila's need to get even with Matt overrides everything else in this absorbing and well-acted suspense film. Keyes is excellent, and she's well supported by those already named and others in an interesting cast, which includes everyone from Richard Egan (treasury agent) and William Bishop (doctor) to Dorothy Malone (nurse), Arthur Space (another doctor) and even Jim Backus as a bartender. Keyes also made a positive impression in a very different role with Peter Lorre in The Face Behind the Mask. Well-directed by McAvoy, who only helmed two other pictures.
Verdict: Zesty film noir with a sterling lead performance. ***.
This is an excellent film noir with a strong performance by Evelyn Keyes. It's quite relevant to our Covid times unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteYes, it probably adds an extra degree of tension to those who watch it today.
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