Ralph Bellamy is just out of prison, back home in his little cabin and grimly determined to be left alone. His old girlfriend sneaks over to see him, even though her father the sheriff has warned Bellamy to stay away from her.
If that isn't dangerous enough, here comes glamorous Fay Wray stumbling along the dark country road in a shimmering long gown, right to Bellamy's door. She's obviously running from someone, but when she enters Bellamy's living room, disheveled and distressed, Bellamy stands scowling, leaning his elbow on the mantel, pipe in hand, unconcerned. Moments later, oily playboy Melvyn Douglas comes looking for her with his drunken pal Reed Brown. Words are exchanged and Bellamy knocks Brown into a wall where he cracks his head. Fearing the worst, parolee Bellamy goes on the run--accompanied by Wray, who just wants to get away.
The plot is actually not bad: Bellamy and Wray hide out with prison buddy Roscoe Ates and his wife Ruth Gillette, while sheriff Granville Bates tracks them and shady Melvyn Douglas pursues his own sinister ends.
Wray and Bellamy establish a gloomy rapport that almost passes for a romance. Wray is pretty good as the down-on-her-luck beauty who has no good options and throws in with Bellamy. Unfortunately, Bellamy's gruff character is just not especially likeable. The rest of the characters are even more unpleasant: the mean-spirited sheriff, sleazy lawyer, crooked cops.
Ates and Gillette have a couple of moments that come close to comic relief, and an exciting climax lifts spirits a bit....but all in all there aren't that many bright spots in this picture.
If that isn't dangerous enough, here comes glamorous Fay Wray stumbling along the dark country road in a shimmering long gown, right to Bellamy's door. She's obviously running from someone, but when she enters Bellamy's living room, disheveled and distressed, Bellamy stands scowling, leaning his elbow on the mantel, pipe in hand, unconcerned. Moments later, oily playboy Melvyn Douglas comes looking for her with his drunken pal Reed Brown. Words are exchanged and Bellamy knocks Brown into a wall where he cracks his head. Fearing the worst, parolee Bellamy goes on the run--accompanied by Wray, who just wants to get away.
The plot is actually not bad: Bellamy and Wray hide out with prison buddy Roscoe Ates and his wife Ruth Gillette, while sheriff Granville Bates tracks them and shady Melvyn Douglas pursues his own sinister ends.
Wray and Bellamy establish a gloomy rapport that almost passes for a romance. Wray is pretty good as the down-on-her-luck beauty who has no good options and throws in with Bellamy. Unfortunately, Bellamy's gruff character is just not especially likeable. The rest of the characters are even more unpleasant: the mean-spirited sheriff, sleazy lawyer, crooked cops.
Ates and Gillette have a couple of moments that come close to comic relief, and an exciting climax lifts spirits a bit....but all in all there aren't that many bright spots in this picture.