I saw this film for the first time today (21/9/10) mainly to see one of my American film heroines, Ella Raines.As other reviewers have observed this film does not appear on DVD, at least I have not seen it before and I regularly check availability of 1940s films which are my speciality.I finally saw it on "Youtube.com".Ella had a unique, genuine & generous quality, which comes through in all her films which I have seen and which no amount of acting can disguise.This quality is almost a blueprint which is with you for life and film producers must have noticed this quality in Ella when casting her in roles.Two examples, see "Impact" & La Dama Desconocida".
The plot and similarities with the celebrated Dr. Crippen trial of 1910 have already been outlined by other reviewers.Of course the wretched moral code was in force in 1944, but the producers at least left one in some doubt of the denouement and great sympathy for Charlie Laughton's character.My only criticism was the obvious use of American actors playing British parts which rather grates on me.Bear in mind this was 1944 and us Brits were doing useful things like helping to win the war.At the time American actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Renee Zellweger & others were not around who could do convincing British accents.That is why I prefer to see Ella playing American characters on her home ground and why I awarded this film 6/10, as above average
The plot and similarities with the celebrated Dr. Crippen trial of 1910 have already been outlined by other reviewers.Of course the wretched moral code was in force in 1944, but the producers at least left one in some doubt of the denouement and great sympathy for Charlie Laughton's character.My only criticism was the obvious use of American actors playing British parts which rather grates on me.Bear in mind this was 1944 and us Brits were doing useful things like helping to win the war.At the time American actresses like Gwyneth Paltrow, Renee Zellweger & others were not around who could do convincing British accents.That is why I prefer to see Ella playing American characters on her home ground and why I awarded this film 6/10, as above average