Why does Edmond O'Brien want to get away from hopeful fiancée-to-be Pamela Britton? That's not a good start for him, and then he starts ogling women in San Francisco hotel (accompanied by a Carry On like whistle), goes off with a group of salesmen to a jive club where the sax player isn't moving his fingers, and tries to pick up a woman. Is it a morality tale - he's poisoned with 'luminous toxin' because he's a worthless skunk?
Memorably told in flashback in a police station, it begins to unweave a plot of double-crossing and murder, with untrustworthy dames at every turn. Talking of dames, there's zero chemistry between O'Brien and Britton.
An unknown cast includes Luther Adler, Beverly Garland, Lynn Baggett, William Ching, Henry Hart, Neville Brand (the psychopath), Laurette Luez.
Ernest Laszlo shoots good night on location stuff in San Francisco - the Bradbury Building is briefly featured - and Dmitri Tiomkin provides a suitably dramatic score. An independent - Harry M. Popkin production, released through United Artists.
Is it a film noir, according to my own strict definitions? Despite the lack of Chandlery dialogue, I guess it is. Written by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene.
O'Brien we should know from White Heat, The Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance, The Barefoot Contessa, The Hitch-Hiker (also overdue) and The Wild Bunch.
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