This film noir isn't bad ... but it's based on a novel by John D. MacDonald, so it should be great. The first half of the film closely follows the novel, with some minor adjustments. The movie's second half swerves drunkenly all over the highway, ending up at a similar finale.
The novel depicts Jerry as a borderline nice guy with buried criminal tendencies. The movie portrays Matt (Jeffrey Hunter's renamed character) as a swell guy who keeps getting dragged deeper into the heist scheme - almost as if the screenplay was written by his defense attorney. The desire to portray the protagonist in the most sympathetic light dilutes the story's impact. Since the producers take liberties with the plot after the halfway mark, it no longer matters.
I read the first half of John D. MacDonald's SOFT TOUCH, put down the book and watched this film, then read the remainder of the novel. While the film aligns closely with the films in the beginning, I was surprised by the straightened plots twists and the discarded scenes in the second half.
You can watch this movie without spoiling the novel's surprises, although you may find yourself wishing they had stuck to the novel. Difficult to imagine how the producers could go wrong, when John D. MacDonald had mapped everything out.
