Complete credited cast: | |||
Louis Hayward | ... | Stephen Byrne | |
Lee Bowman | ... | John Byrne | |
Jane Wyatt | ... | Marjorie Byrne | |
Dorothy Patrick | ... | Emily Gaunt | |
Ann Shoemaker | ... | Mrs. Ambrose | |
Jody Gilbert | ... | Flora Bantam | |
Peter Brocco | ... | Harry - Coroner | |
Howland Chamberlain | ... | District Attorney | |
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Margaret Seddon | ... | Mrs. Whittaker - Party Guest |
Sarah Padden | ... | Mrs. Beach | |
Kathleen Freeman | ... | Effie Ferguson - Party Guest | |
Will Wright | ... | Inspector Sarten | |
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Leslie Kimmell | ... | Mr. Gaunt |
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Effie Laird | ... | Mrs. Gaunt |
The unsuccessful writer Stephen Byrne tries to force his servant Emily Gaunt sexually while his wife Marjorie Byrne is visiting a friend and accidentally strangles her. His crippled brother John Byrne coincidently comes to his house in that moment, and Stephen asks him to help to get rid of the corpse and avoid an scandal, since his wife would be pregnant. The naive and good John helps his brother to dump the body in the river nearby his house. Stephen uses the disappearance of Emily to blame her and promote his book. When the body is found by the police, all the evidences points to John, and he becomes the prime suspect of the murder. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Louis Hayward utters this chilling line. His brother, Lee Bowman, has a physical disability. He has always been loyal to Hayward. But Hayward is looking out for number one -- big time.
I had seen a terrible print of this movie once years ago and figured it to be lesser Fritz Lang. Not so! It is certainly one of the very best of his American movies. It's beautifully filmed, extremely well plotted, and cast superbly.
It is, in summary, a terrifying movie.
The Hayward character is responsible for a killing very early in the plot. He had not intended it, though his motives were not very high in the circumstance causing it. He doesn't care whom he drags down to keep his name clear and finish the book he is writing about the crime.
In addition to excellent performances by Hayward, Bowman, and Jane Wyatt as Hayward's wife, the supporting cast is a dream: Plump Jody Gilbert is pathetic and hateful simultaneously as Bowman's maid. Ann Shoemaker gives a touch of comic relief -- but just a touch -- as a nosy neighbor of Hayward and Wyatt.
Like the best of Lang -- "The Big Heat," "Fury," "M," "Metropolis," and the Mabuse films -- this concerns morality and its lack. There is a Biblical feel to it, as evidenced in the quote from Hayward (Cain) regarding his fine brother Abel/Bowman.
It could scarcely be better than it is.