Fun overheated histrionics in the desert with two of the more under-appreciated actresses of the 50's. Ruth Roman is a big city actress looking for a bit of rest in the wilderness and finding little. Right from the get go things in this docile community seem a bit off even though the residents appear friendly. Next thing you know she's neck deep in contretemps with suspected murderers and intrigue! It's all pitched to the higher notes of melodrama but kept grounded by the competence of the cast and no nonsense direction. The movie is a routine Warners programmer but given some snap by the quality performances of Ruth Roman, subtle and dignified, and Mercedes McCambridge, controlled for most of the film but she gets her chance to do some florid emoting later in the picture. Professionally done this is enjoyable in an over the top way especially for fans of either actress.

Overcooked Melodrama that is Quite Silly at Times and the Plot is Contrived to make things Come Together and the Result is Manufactured Suspense. The Cast is a bit Offbeat with Mercedes Cambridge Chewing the Scenery and Ruth Roman Looking Confused most of the Time. Zachary Scott shows up to make things Interesting but is mostly there to just Paw the Reluctant Lead Actress.It is Heavy Handed Stuff with Thunder Crashes and Telegraphed Terror (a spider on the bed is mistaken for an attempted murder), but it is Professionally done by the Filmmakers. The Result is Standard Stuff and Dime a Dozen Mystery Movie Assembly Line Product. Not Bad, but it is Second Tier Entertainment with Enough Layers of Involvement to make it Worth a Watch. Just don't Expect Anything Out of the Ordinary. Average at Best.

The film should have concentrated more on the Mercedes McCambridge character and for what love of Richard Todd forced her to do. Rather, we're focused on the quick romantic situation between Todd and Ruth Roman leading to a quick marriage. Of course, Todd has been acquitted of killing his trollop wife but suspicion of him remains.Nothing is elaborated regarding the Hickman character, brother to McCambridge and prone to outbursts. Ditto for the usually suave Zachary Scott, a lover of the murdered girl.Who is that woman loaning out her car? Why not talk more of the Roman character's acting on the New York stage?

All the correct elements for a romantic murder mystery suspense. A dark mysterious man who looks tortured by his problems and associations, a lively woman who is willing to try and believe a man who might be a murderer until the temptation of her imagination overcomes her, an unknown factor of the other woman who is extremely jealous and doesn't want anyone else to have the man she has always wanted, a emotionally disturbed brother who is a reactionary to events in life, and finally a secret that you are not sure you believe any more than the heroine. All set to a b/w backdrop that crawls up your skin while you are waiting for the inevitable moment when the man you have half fell in love with yourself shows his true colors. WOW! Perfect for dark, stormy nights curled up in front of the television with a cup of hot cocoa in one hand and a shotgun beside the other. Hee! But seriously, one of the most perfect mysteries I remember.