Top-billed Vincent Price gives a characteristic performance in this well-directed (Alfred Werker) noir, filmed on a top budget ($375,000) by 20th Century Fox. True, eager-beaver Frank Latimore is somewhat miscast as a returned soldier. He seems too fresh-faced and innocent to have taken an active part in the army, unless he spent the war as a paper-shuffler in Washington or some other safe posting well behind the lines. Fortunately, his role is comparatively small and it's his movie wife, well-played by little-known Anabel Shaw, who takes center stage. Also on hand in the femme department is Lynn Bari (here cast as Price's even more villainous assistant), and some great character actors including John Davidson giving the best performance of his entire career as a berserk mental patient. Admittedly, noirish lighting helps, but Davidson's sequence is really chilling. He takes the spotlight right off Vincent Price who seems just a bit too relaxed at times with a murder conviction staring him in the face. Oddly, a good print of this movie is available on numerous bottom-price DVDs. Presumably, 20th Century Fox forgot to renew their copyright and the movie fell into the public domain.
Review of Shock
