It's so important when watching a film like this to take into context both the century and decade it was filmed. The implausibility factor ranks high but should easily be forgiven considering such. These types of movies of course seem terribly tame nowadays when compared to current offerings; still, it must have packed quite a punch at the time of release.
I agree with reviewers who rave about the casting, but I also agree with those who find Mason's performance to be nothing more than standard. Dickinson and Klugman seem a bit miscast. It's a miracle Steiger doesn't chew up the scenery as he usually did, but he does a good job. The real star, however, is Stevens. I find her performance to be quite riveting.
In my opinion, the real shout-out goes to Virginia Stone. What a fantastic job she did editing this film. Her talent is also evident in The Last Voyage, an obvious influence when it comes to The Poseidon Adventure and Cameron's Titanic. We just don't get enough nods to women behind the camera in the entertainment industry.
Recommended for 1950s crime-thriller buffs. Otherwise, it's somewhere between good and really good but certainly not excellent.
I agree with reviewers who rave about the casting, but I also agree with those who find Mason's performance to be nothing more than standard. Dickinson and Klugman seem a bit miscast. It's a miracle Steiger doesn't chew up the scenery as he usually did, but he does a good job. The real star, however, is Stevens. I find her performance to be quite riveting.
In my opinion, the real shout-out goes to Virginia Stone. What a fantastic job she did editing this film. Her talent is also evident in The Last Voyage, an obvious influence when it comes to The Poseidon Adventure and Cameron's Titanic. We just don't get enough nods to women behind the camera in the entertainment industry.
Recommended for 1950s crime-thriller buffs. Otherwise, it's somewhere between good and really good but certainly not excellent.