Another Dick Powell adventure from 1945 directed by Edward Dmytryk (Crossfire/Murder, My Sweet). Reuniting w/Dmytryk from Murder, Powell plays a recent Canadian veteran from WWII who finds out his wife was murdered. He decides to track down the culprit which leads him to South America & a boiling stew filled w/intrigue & betrayal. Powell is his usual laconic best worming his way from one deceitful player to another but what's missing is fun. No matter how many times another character gets the best of him, he's always quick on the trigger w/a quip or a back handed compliment but here the dourness & severity of his wife's murder (to a woman he was married to for less than a month another character reasons) hangs a pall on the proceedings even though confession time, the proceedings are exceedingly well done.
