This movie reminds me of Casablanca in that it SHOULD have been just a run-of-the- mill noirish potboiler, but it ends up being so much more than that, thanks to a happy confluence of talents. Just as Bogart and Bergman, with the help of Claude Rains, raise Casablanca to sublimity, so too do Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney raise this material with the considerable help of Clifton Webb. The performances (Vincent Price and Judith Anderson in SUPPORTING roles!?!) mesh together like gears in a Rolex, and it's a pleasure to behold. I know it's been said before, but Gene Tierney's amazing looks make one believe that a detective could fall in love with her portrait. This movie is a superlative exemplar of its genre, and anyone who is a fan of that genre should do themselves a favor and see this film immediately.
