Tough-guy specialist W. R. Burnett’s original screenplay is all over the place in this East Coast/West Coast con man redemption story. More than director Jean Negulesco can handle on only his second feature. (His debut pic, THREE STRANGERS/’46, with its tighter focus, is far more assured.) Even so, this one comes together by the last act for some neatly played suspense melodrama, so help yourself. Just recovered from war injuries, smooth operator John Garfield finds he’s been screwed ‘over the duration’ by erstwhile nightclub gal Faye Emerson and her new ‘manager.’ Reclaiming his ‘investment’ by force, Garfield heads to sunny California and takes over from George Coulouris on a plan to fleece millionaire widow Geraldine Fitzgerald; then falls for the dame. Structure & characterizations drift as needed to keep the plot moving, but Garfield & Fitzgerald are at their most attractive and there’s the usual excellent support from Warners’ contract crew along with Walter Brennan dropping his crotchety routine as a smart old confederate of Garfield’s. (He also proves handy as foil to get around Production Code rules at the climax.)
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Male stars @ Warners were more likely to be ‘Mutts’ than ‘BeefCake.’ But somebody at the studio must have been keeping tabs on the fan mail and made sure Garfield stripped down for a swim in almost every pic.
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