The Company She Keeps is directed by John Cromwell and written by Ketti Frings. It stars Lizabeth Scott, Jane Greer and Dennis O'Keefe. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.Released from prison after serving two years, Mildred Lynch (Greer) changes her name to Diane Stuart and sets out for a new start in Los Angeles. Assigned a friendly parole officer, Joan Willburn (Scott), who finds Diane work in a local hospital, Diane struggles to take to Joan and suffers from paranoia as to how the public are going to perceive her. Things get considerably murkier when Diane begins a love affair with Joan's boyfriend, Larry Collins (O'Keefe)…A waste of potential, a film featuring two noir darlings and one tough guy noir actor should have more about it than merely playing out as a weak willed melodrama. The annoyance is further compounded by the fact that ace cinematographer Musuraca works his magic for many passages of the story, putting tightly fitted noir visuals to scenes involving prison cells and the darker recesses' of the hospital where Diane works. In fact the last twenty minutes, guff laden ending not withstanding, is worth time spent with picture purely because of Musuraca.It's not as if the acting is bad, where even though I agree wholeheartedly with those who think Greer and Scott should have swapped roles, both the girls do good work here, as does O'Keefe, who has the problem of having both Greer and Scott lusting after him! But nobody is done any favours by Harline's score, the usually skilled composer lays over the top of proceedings a score that would be more at home in a 1940s romantic comedy.Where there should be intelligent observations on the justice system, and the problems of parolees fitting back into society, there is instead a love triangle that lacks any suspense or a semblance of edginess, the writer evidently afraid to spice things up and do justice to the noir potential of the idea.Fans of the leading ladies and Musuraca should just about find it watchable, but frustration is almost certainly guaranteed as well. 5/10

The film begins with the parole board meeting at a woman's prison. They are discussing Diane Stuart's case. She's granted parole and moves to Los Angeles. Once there, she's met by her new parole officer, Joan Wilburn (Lizbeth Scott). The p.o. is VERY positive and friendly--unrealistically so, actually. She seems more like a cheerleader than an officer of the court. All this occurs while Diane acts as if she'd rather be anywhere than with Joan. Pleasant, she is not.While Diane does okay on parole, she is a conniver. When she sees Joan with her boyfriend, Larry (Dennis O'Keefe), she decides to get him for herself and slowly he falls for her. However, unexpectedly, she falls for him as well. Here is where is gets more ridiculous--Joan isn't thrilled by all this but is super-supportive and pushes to get the pair permission to marry. As for Diane, she's broken-hearted and expects the worst. What's next?When the film began, I loved Greer's character. She was wonderfully noir--with a bad attitude and a hard edge. But, when she suddenly actually fell for Larry AND her p.o. was so supportive, the film felt very sappy...and lame as well as VERY inconsistent. Up until then, I would have given this one an 8 or 9. How could they have screwed up so badly?!

Jane Greer and Lizabeth Scott star in 1951's "The Company She Keeps," directed by John Cromwell and also starring Dennis O'Keefe. O'Keefe is columnist Larry Collins involved with parole officer Joan Wilburn (Scott), who has Diane Stuart (Greer) as a client. Stuart makes a play for Collins and gets him. The two fall in love, and Joan finds out about it, making her position rather difficult.This isn't a big movie and provides a different sort of role for Scott. Here she's a good girl with shorter hair, and she almost reminds one of June Allyson. She's quite beautiful and does a good job, though I prefer her as a '40s bad girl. O'Keefe is a serviceable leading man.The film belongs to the fabulous Greer. In the beginning, at her parole hearing, she's shy, soft and sweet. Once she's out - whoa! The angry, bitter tough gal comes through, only showing her vulnerable side once she falls for Larry.Worth seeing for Greer.

Scott and Greer are very good in this "woman gets out of prison" movie that could have been awful. Cromwell directs crisply and many shots are well lit and evocative. This may or may not be film-noir, depending on the viewer's perspective, but it holds up well. If you can find it on TV, it is well worth taping, since it is not easy to find on video.