Billy Wilder's best known heel was William Holden but Kirk Douglas does just fine in this tough, gripping account of a journalist who exploits a cave in for success. Jan Sterling offers excellent support - actually everyone is good except for maybe the thankless part of the young kid.
It perhaps lacks another subplot. The wife is bad, the sherrif is bad, they set up a fun fair at the site, the editor is good... I don't know, I hate to script edit Billy Wilder, just mentioning it. Maybe it was too predictable or something. Or maybe Douglas is too passive- he does the one dodgy thing and then it sort of drifts along. Maybe that's it.
I did like how when Douglas decides to do the right thing it was too late. And that last shot is wonderful. That photography is beautiful.
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