Neatly handled Edwardian thriller, a very British case of domestic murder, with an unusually restrained Charles Laughton driven over the edge by his termagant of a wife (and later a blackmailing neighbor) when the old gal threatens to ruin him, his business and the sweet-natured young thing (Ella Raines) he’s taken under his protective wing. Those who thrill at Laughton’s full-on histrionics, the thrill/fear factor of wondering if (or when) he’ll cross the line from self-loathing revelation into embarrassing self-parody, may wish he and director Robert Siodmak had been a bit bolder. While those who find Laughton always too much, may be pleasantly surprised. Excellent production values for a Universal pic with a B+ budget, atmospherically shot by Paul Ivano and well cast (especially Henry Daniell's hangdog-faced blackmailer), except for Ella Raines, unconvincing as Brit or as spousal material for Laughton.
DOUBLE-BILL: Over at 20th/Fox, in HANGOVER SQUARE/'45 and THE LODGER/’44, director John Brahm, with Laird Cregar & George Sanders, triumphed with a more stylized touch on similar terrain.
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