This is a great film about how one man's philandering ways turn into tragedy. Not really like "A Place In The Sun",more like a cousin, but surprisingly almost as good.
Cast against type, Robert Young plays Larry Ballentine with aplomb. Larry Ballentine is a man of style over substance. He's not necessarily evil, just a shallow money monger who loves himself and all others are interchangeable. Young nailed the lead and his supporting cast is uniformly excellent. Rita Johnson, Jane Greer, and Susan Hayward really compliment this movie as all fit their respective roles just like a hand in glove...Perfect.
A few have mentioned that the story has holes and doesn't really ring true. Well, as far as I know it is not intended to be based on real events, but for believability it's really not that big of a stretch. In the forties it was common for long suffering wives to do what it took to stay married. The case where a woman was independently wealthy did not automatically equal independence from the moral need to remain married. I, therefore, can see a woman of this period with the means of Greta Ballentine going to the extremes she did to keep the man she loved and remained hopeful would return that love. There are always going to be "homewrecker" types working in any sizable office situation. These people do exist so of course that's not a stretch. I could go on, but suffice to say that the story doesn't stretch credibility enough for that to be an issue and it's just complicated enough to keep interest high.
I like the style of this movie. The way it is told by Robert Young's narration from the stand in his murder trial is one of the better examples of this kind of device. Speaking of the murder trial. The standard endings you expect would be boring since they've been done to death, so the quick surprise ending, after the shock of it, is pretty cool. I'm not sure if he was jumping to his death or escaping so there is a little mystery there which may leave you wondering. A dim witted deputy shoots Ballentine as he's making his move so the verdict is poignant. Great film noir...Don't miss it.
Cast against type, Robert Young plays Larry Ballentine with aplomb. Larry Ballentine is a man of style over substance. He's not necessarily evil, just a shallow money monger who loves himself and all others are interchangeable. Young nailed the lead and his supporting cast is uniformly excellent. Rita Johnson, Jane Greer, and Susan Hayward really compliment this movie as all fit their respective roles just like a hand in glove...Perfect.
A few have mentioned that the story has holes and doesn't really ring true. Well, as far as I know it is not intended to be based on real events, but for believability it's really not that big of a stretch. In the forties it was common for long suffering wives to do what it took to stay married. The case where a woman was independently wealthy did not automatically equal independence from the moral need to remain married. I, therefore, can see a woman of this period with the means of Greta Ballentine going to the extremes she did to keep the man she loved and remained hopeful would return that love. There are always going to be "homewrecker" types working in any sizable office situation. These people do exist so of course that's not a stretch. I could go on, but suffice to say that the story doesn't stretch credibility enough for that to be an issue and it's just complicated enough to keep interest high.
I like the style of this movie. The way it is told by Robert Young's narration from the stand in his murder trial is one of the better examples of this kind of device. Speaking of the murder trial. The standard endings you expect would be boring since they've been done to death, so the quick surprise ending, after the shock of it, is pretty cool. I'm not sure if he was jumping to his death or escaping so there is a little mystery there which may leave you wondering. A dim witted deputy shoots Ballentine as he's making his move so the verdict is poignant. Great film noir...Don't miss it.