This film is a rare opportunity to watch Ray Milland in a British film after he became a Hollywood star, although his character is American.Clay Douglas wants to seek the truth about the death of his brother. He served in the British army and was shot to death during a raid into French territory during World War II. Douglas was not shot by the German enemy, but by a British soldier. Clay's inquiries bring him to Wales, Scotland and London.A film directed by RKO horror director Jacques Tourneur and co-produced by Hitchcock associate Joan Harrison gave me lots of expectations. Unfortunately, the film is a prime example of how a good premise can be wasted. There are certain B films I wished were made as A films and vice versa. This A film would have been better if it has been made on a tighter budget. Recently I have watched several British B-crime films. They have never disappointed me. Their length (approx. 60 minutes) does not allow the inclusion of boring romantic subplots. I am not really a fan of romantic films. The romantic subplot of this film seems tacked and slows down the progression of the story. Douglas' love interest is easily offended and shows a complete disinterest in his search for the truth about the death of his brother.The final scene (involving Douglas and two of his brother's fellow soldiers in the Scottish highlands) is suspenseful. Great cinematography,

Ray Milland is not entirely comfortable as a no-nonsense American who crosses the Atlantic to investigate the mysterious death of his brother, who'd served as a commando in the British army in World War 2. He eventually finds himself at the end of a rifle wielded by the man who fired the fatal shot, which presumably accounts for the title.The credits, including a screen play by acclaimed detective author Philip MacDonald, lead you to expect rather more than is on offer here. A bit more of Britain is acknowledged than usual in films of this era, and Milland's enquiries take him to the Scottish Highlands (though actually filmed in Devon) and a brief visit to a Welsh mining community, though it's a pity they didn't use genuine Welsh actors. It's all a bit lethargic for the first fifty minutes or so as Director Jacques Tourneur concentrates on the various protagonists, including another ex-commando, now a ballet director, whom is clearly gay, played by Marius Goring. A major compensation for the duller moments is the glamorous Patricia Roc, as charming and lovely as ever.

A tale of mystery and a quest for the truth make this quite the journey. An American (Ray Milland) sets out to find how his younger brother died in service. Along the way he meets a lovely Scottish lass (Patricia Roc) and falls for her. However his quest is so obsessive he may get the truth and lose the girl. This is a nice film with twists and turns that will make you want to go along for the ride. The last portion of the film is tense and we wonder if Douglas (Milland) will survive his walk with Hammish the man who killed his brother. Too bad that this film has such lousy transfer, the quality is very poor. However it is worth watching again, and again.

Son of a French famous director (Maurice),but an American citizen since 1919 when his father came to Hollywood,Jack (Jacques) Tourneur began his career in the land of Victor Hugo with funny comedies such as "Toto".But he is best remembered for his thrillers ("out of the past"),his adventures films ("the flame and the arrow") and his fantasy and horror movies ("cat people" ,"curse of the demon",my J.T. favourites."Circle of danger" belongs to the "thriller" category although it's rather a whodunit detective story ;as it takes place in England ,it is closer to Agatha Christie's puzzles than to American film noir .A man (Ray Milland ) investigates his brother's death.In WW2,he joined the English army and was killed in a raid .But the bullet that went through his head was not German.Jack Tourneur has a very special way of filming the places .It is obvious in "Curse of the demon" .Here too the places seem more important than the characters : the mines,the nice cottage in Scotland,the dancing school,the theater ,and above all,the sensational use of the Scottish country in the final sequence.He makes harmless elements very strange nay scary: the awful choir,the ballet,the commander's mom....There is a slight sag in the texture and tension in the second part when Tourneur focuses on the female character played by decorative Patricia Roc.Besides,when Clay talks about his kid brother,it's not enough to make acquaintance with a character who does not appear in the movie,and it is important,when you know the ending of the film.By the last thirty minutes,the movie becomes exciting again.The whistling tune is a very good trick,worthy of Alfred Hitchcock.And the final scene cannot be praised too highly:a very good suspense.