Exceptional noiry thriller opens like Kafka. A man picks up a melancholy woman in a bar. They see a show together. The drummer ogles her. The show's star is put out because the woman is wearing the same hat as her. She won't tell the guy her name. They separate. He gets back to his flat. The police are there. His wife has been murdered. The police are distinctly unfriendly. And that's just the start of a series of bizarre occurrences and near misses.
From the fevered brain of William Irish (Cornell Woolrich), produced by Hitch collaborator Joan Harrison, directed by the great Siodmak. Full of interesting scenes, e.g. she (Ella Raines) pretending to be the moll and accompanying drummer Elisha Cook Jr to a tiny jazz cellar. Or the moment she's stalked dodgy barman Andrew Tombes to a deserted railway station and for a second you think he's going to push her in front of a train.
Alan Curtis is the innocent accused, Raines his faithful employee, Franchot Tome good as crazy man, Thomas Gomez the investigating detective.
Not knowing anything about B movie DP Elwood Bredell you can't help thinking Siodmak has influenced the cinematographic style. And the editing.
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