Although talky, this was an interesting film 2/3rds the way through. I believe we are only out of the squad room twice, once at the beginning, and once in a moving truck (I don't count the rooftop scene) but it was still a little too much squad room. I know that might be the point and that it was based on a play, but the other viewers comparing of "staginess" are certainly right.
I enjoyed Kirk until partway through, Wiseman totally overacted it. He would have been really interesting if he just toned it down a little, I can only blame the director. Wiseman moves and acts like he is trying to reach the "back of the house". Did they tell him it was a movie? For me, the whole film derails towards the end.
Aside from the fact that surely even in the 30s and 40s they didn't have crazy rapists sitting right next to shoplifters for hours on end, and free to move around, I can look over that. However, Grant comes off somewhere between retarded and simply obnoxious, Eleanor Parker goes from totally loving wife to empty robot when she wants to leave Kirk--then back again--then back to the robot,Kirk's acting is more unbalanced than his character, and the end shooting is just insane.
The viewer who had to stage this in school has a right to ask, what is the point in all this mess. An interesting "detective story" that turns into a melodramatic soap opera. Too bad.
I enjoyed Kirk until partway through, Wiseman totally overacted it. He would have been really interesting if he just toned it down a little, I can only blame the director. Wiseman moves and acts like he is trying to reach the "back of the house". Did they tell him it was a movie? For me, the whole film derails towards the end.
Aside from the fact that surely even in the 30s and 40s they didn't have crazy rapists sitting right next to shoplifters for hours on end, and free to move around, I can look over that. However, Grant comes off somewhere between retarded and simply obnoxious, Eleanor Parker goes from totally loving wife to empty robot when she wants to leave Kirk--then back again--then back to the robot,Kirk's acting is more unbalanced than his character, and the end shooting is just insane.
The viewer who had to stage this in school has a right to ask, what is the point in all this mess. An interesting "detective story" that turns into a melodramatic soap opera. Too bad.