What happens after you date a big money? Fay Wray was a very busy actress after King Kong as well as during. This is not when of her best efforts, yet it's not her fault. Trading Kong for Ralph Bellamy and Melvin Douglas in a triangle is a big let down. Not their fault though and here is why Dashiell Hammett who wrote The Thin Man sometimes just does not understand romance the way this one is scripted.
A woman whose forced into a relationship with a Con man falls in love with another whose an ex-con in one night? I guess that is supposed to be different but it seems cliche. The sets look beat and dark but this is the Brooklyn Studio Biograph and the brown stone building does nothing to add to the scenery. Even A Face In The Crowd and Car 54 were nothing scenic, but Fred Gwynn did get a prep for Herman Munster here. As for Andy, his acting over came the studio background along with a great script. Louise Loring is sexy, thanks Fay.
Granville Bates as Sherriff Grant has the pity role as one of the worst lawmen in the history of films. It appears that Grant was responsible for sending Bradley (Bellamy) to jail because of his daughter Helen Grant (O'day) in the first place. Then in this movie he keeps taking late night calls from a con Robson (Douglas) and takes everything a criminal tells him as the truth. This has got to be much different than what Hammett wrote and that I blame on the script writer (Cowan).
Bellamy is not the traditional romantic lead, but he does okay here with the material he is given. Not the worst film ever, just a good cast, limited studio, and script that needed a rewrite here are the weaknesses.
A woman whose forced into a relationship with a Con man falls in love with another whose an ex-con in one night? I guess that is supposed to be different but it seems cliche. The sets look beat and dark but this is the Brooklyn Studio Biograph and the brown stone building does nothing to add to the scenery. Even A Face In The Crowd and Car 54 were nothing scenic, but Fred Gwynn did get a prep for Herman Munster here. As for Andy, his acting over came the studio background along with a great script. Louise Loring is sexy, thanks Fay.
Granville Bates as Sherriff Grant has the pity role as one of the worst lawmen in the history of films. It appears that Grant was responsible for sending Bradley (Bellamy) to jail because of his daughter Helen Grant (O'day) in the first place. Then in this movie he keeps taking late night calls from a con Robson (Douglas) and takes everything a criminal tells him as the truth. This has got to be much different than what Hammett wrote and that I blame on the script writer (Cowan).
Bellamy is not the traditional romantic lead, but he does okay here with the material he is given. Not the worst film ever, just a good cast, limited studio, and script that needed a rewrite here are the weaknesses.