It has already been mentioned that Ida Lupino's character murders her husband because she despises his drunken boorishness and wants George Raft so I won't call it a spoiler. But the handling of it was a wonderfully done scene.
We earlier had the "prefiguring" scene where Alan Hale showed off his latest toy. A new seeing eye electric garage door opener.
Ida drives back from the party livid at her rejection by Raft. Her husband is passed out drunk in the seat next to her. They are parked in the garage. The engine is still running. She looks at him in disgust and wishes he could just go away. The engine is still running. Then you see the thought enter her head. She could just get up and go into the house and leave him there. No gun, no witnesses, no suffering. Being rid of him is as simple as that. This is a tragic accident waiting to happen. Let it happen. Honest, officer, it was an accident.
She gets out of the car, leaving the motor running and walks into the driveway. As she is about to cross the line of the seeing eye, she hesitates. She's selfish but she has a conscience. She hesitates at "crossing the line" of the electric eye to "shut the door" behind her. Crossing a moral line forever from petty selfishness to evil. Crossing the line for the rest of her life from flawed person to murderer.
She steels herself, crosses the line and the garage door shuts behind her.
We earlier had the "prefiguring" scene where Alan Hale showed off his latest toy. A new seeing eye electric garage door opener.
Ida drives back from the party livid at her rejection by Raft. Her husband is passed out drunk in the seat next to her. They are parked in the garage. The engine is still running. She looks at him in disgust and wishes he could just go away. The engine is still running. Then you see the thought enter her head. She could just get up and go into the house and leave him there. No gun, no witnesses, no suffering. Being rid of him is as simple as that. This is a tragic accident waiting to happen. Let it happen. Honest, officer, it was an accident.
She gets out of the car, leaving the motor running and walks into the driveway. As she is about to cross the line of the seeing eye, she hesitates. She's selfish but she has a conscience. She hesitates at "crossing the line" of the electric eye to "shut the door" behind her. Crossing a moral line forever from petty selfishness to evil. Crossing the line for the rest of her life from flawed person to murderer.
She steels herself, crosses the line and the garage door shuts behind her.