One of his last Hollywood films before returning to Germany. Lang worked with credited writer Casey Robinson on the screenplay (from Charles Einstein novel 'The Bloody Spur'). It has three main plots: 1. The hunt for a psychotic serial killer. 2. A competition for a top job between three of the senior management in a media empire. 3. The relationship between writer Dana (pronounced 'Dayna') Andrews and secretary Sally Forrest. They all interweave expertly.
Vincent Price inherits said media corporation, and unknown to him (and us) his wife Rhonda Fleming is having an affair with one of the three, James Craig. The others are the always reliable Thomas Mitchell and George Sanders. Ida Lupino is a man-eating gossip columnist and Howard Duff a copper. With Ralph Peters (journalist), Robert Warwick, Mae Marsh, Vladimir Sokoloff. Lang was able to get so many stars by limiting each one to four or five day's shooting, thus making them affordable - a neat trick.
John (Drew) Barrymore Jr. is suitably menacing as the psycho. At one point, Andrews proposes his girlfriend - sorry, fiancée - to act as bait for the killer...to which she agrees!
It's very good. The noiry lighting is Ernest Laszlo (I contend it's too late for a film noir), the editor is Gene Fowler Jr. and in one of her first films, Verna Fields is the sound editor.
It was one of the last RKO releases, though an independent production.
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