I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Great things about it - small town atmosphere, some slangy Phil Yordan dialogue, atmospheric direction, and a top cast: George Raft, Ava Gardner, Tom Conway, Victor McLaglen.
Raft is really too old to play a loser who is so irresistible to Gardner - either that or Gardner too young because she's beautiful and vivacious and way way too good for Raft's character. It would make sense if she hadn't left town but she'd been to Chicago and still wanted this guy back. A Raft ten years younger who still danced maybe....
But anyhow, it is good to see him. The plot felt patchy - McLaglen tries to persuade Raft to kill Conway, Gardner stops it, then Conway tries to frame McLaglen and Raft. Raft acts like an idiot for a long time. Really his character should have died.
The story was confusing - it probably should have been turned into a film noir, but they had this happy ending and all this set up. Or it could have been a melodrama built around Gardner but they had to give Raft a big part I guess. Still it's of interest in part because they don't make movies like this any more and the cast is full of so many icons.
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