Black Angel (1946 Roy William Neill)

Based loosely on  a Cornell Woolrich story (adapted by Roy Chanslor), we open with a spectacular trick shot which leaps from Dan Duryea (top billed for once) up the side of an apartment block and in through bedroom blinds - unfortunately nothing else is as visually interesting thereafter, though the flashback denouement scene through one of those watery filters is quite fun.

Horse-faced blackmailer Constance Dowling is the titular murder victim. Various suspects include Duryea, Peter Lorre, his henchman Freddie Steel (actually a boxer, known to us from Hail the Conquoring Hero) and John Phillips, whose wife June Vincent tries to help clear with Duryea's help while Broderick Crawford detects away.

Not bad Universal picture, scored by Frank Skinner and shot by someone called Paul Ivano. Neill retired after this back to Maidenhead, and promptly died.

The always watchable, almost Method Dan Duryea with trademark floppy hair, veteran of Scarlet Street and The Woman in the Window, didn't assault his leading lady for once