The 3 Roberts' play well together. Ryan excels in psychopathic personalities; Mitchum in laconic, so laid-back roles, that he all but disappears into some sexy dream where you want to hang out with him all life long; and Young, so known for his Father Knows Best and Marcus Welby, MD, television series, that you forget he could be quite powerful in playing other characters on the screen: this film - if ever it was necessary, you would certainly want him to be on your side should you ever be in need of a detective: also, the disfigured war veteran in The Enchanted Cottage; a nazi in The Mortal Storm; a murderer in Hitchcock's The Secret Agent. Under-valued and under-estimated. Ryan's got to be the meanest player in moviedom. (In real life, very liberal.) And Gloria Grahame. What can you say about Grahame, except...she fascinates. The director, Edward Dymtryk, one of the Hollywood Ten in the House UnAmerican Committee, who later, after a few months in prison, informed on his old cronies, was a good noirist and we'll leave it at that. (Adrian Scott, producer, was also one of the Hollywood Ten.) L. Roy Hunt, photographer, shone. I believe the original novel (by Richard Brooks), had a gay man murdered. There's always a psychopath hanging around. Or, just your regular Joe who sees others only as THE OTHER. Yeah, right. Take a look in the mirror, brother.
