Not bad film noir starring Aldo Ray who made surprisingly few of them - he suited the genre with his gravelly voice and sad eyes. This has a slight Out of the Past vibe as Ray tells his story in flashback to model Anne Bancroft - it involves him grabbing an opportunity to steal a bag of cash.
The most effective moment is when two killers come across innocent Ray and his doctor friend and make them run before killing them (or in Ray's case trying to). The most bizarre moment is the fashion show where Bancroft does some modelling - it's kind of justified in that the two bad guys turn up but it feels weird.
There's several scenes in the snow including the climax (which includes that old staple, death by snowplow). Brian Keith is effective as a baddy - he normally gives a good performance I'd just never seen him play a baddy before. Rudy Bond is his more psychotic colleague.
Stirling Silliphant's screenplay has some bright dialogue but feels as though it cheats in spots. Ray twice is allowed to live by Keith and Bond - one at the beginning where they just knock him out the second time they think he's dead. At the end they should kill him a third time then for some reason Keith turns on Bond.
The story lacks a femme fetale - Bancroft is good. They mention the wife of Ray's friend who is killed Jack Albertson - it really needed to be her. No femme fetale means Ray can be redeemed and survive the film but that feels less fun.
There's too much of James Gregory as a kindly investigating insurance dude - and too many scenes of him explaining the plot to his wife, Jocelyn Brando.
t's beautifully shot and quite well acted.
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