Film noir thriller from director Jacques Tourneur is unfortunately not on the level of some of his other noir classics. A strong story (based on a Dave Goodis novel) is hampered by a slow pace and too many talky scenes. Aldo Ray is a bit too luggish ... (read more) Film noir thriller from director Jacques Tourneur is unfortunately not on the level of some of his other noir classics. A strong story (based on a Dave Goodis novel) is hampered by a slow pace and too many talky scenes. Aldo Ray is a bit too luggish in the lead, but Anne Bancroft shines as his love interest in an improbable love story. Ruby Bond steals his scenes as a gleefully sadistic crook. Tourneur frames the gritty urban streets and wide open Wyoming countryside with equal panache, although the shadowy cinematography gets too dark sometimes.

Some of the early scenes felt a bit "off" (the stuff with the oil derricks was severely underlit), but the standoff between the two crooks at the cabin was magnetic, and the Hitchcock-ian sequence at the fashion show was pretty suspenseful.

Sharply written crime B with consistently superior dialogue and a few original riffs off the standard noir melodies. "I don't carry a gun. That's why we pay taxes, so the police can do that for us."

A taut edgy noir. Great work by the cast and Tourneur's direction coupled with well composed shots make this one memorable.