The story gripped me from the get-go and never let up. I was very impressed, not only with the acting and direction, but also the design, since it just takes you into the world of this woman. The big, Victorian house is almost a character in the film. This world is so welcoming to the heroine, but also to the audience. I felt I would like to live there, myself, and be a part of that family. Also, the wintry Midwestern atmosphere of the final reels is superb.
***SPOILERS***
Richard Denning and Phyllis Thaxter are cast in relatively small roles, for them. Miss Thaxter was a minor star familiar to moviegoers. So the fact that she was cast as a character who dies soon after we are introduced to her, seems calculated for the surprise element. It works. When the Thaxter and Denning characters appear, we don't expect to be seeing the last of them so soon, and it's a shock. Also, the casting of Mr. Denning is good because when we meet his brother, played by John Lund, there's a resemblance, and they're believable as brothers.
Lund plays the part perfectly. An extremely versatile leading man, Lund played so many different types of parts, in so many genres, he was kind of a jack of all trades, really much more of a character actor. He just happened to have the square-jawed look of a leading man. In this film, he and Stanwyck play off each other beautifully.
But Stanwyck dominates the film, and she plays beautifully off the other actors.
A warm film and, at the same time, filled with suspense. In many ways, it's unique. For the far-fetched but nonetheless gripping plot, the good dialogue, the fantastic acting, the superb black and white cinematography, the perfect set design (at which Paramount excelled), and Mitchell Leisen's good, committed direction, this is a film you should absolutely check out.
***SPOILERS***
Richard Denning and Phyllis Thaxter are cast in relatively small roles, for them. Miss Thaxter was a minor star familiar to moviegoers. So the fact that she was cast as a character who dies soon after we are introduced to her, seems calculated for the surprise element. It works. When the Thaxter and Denning characters appear, we don't expect to be seeing the last of them so soon, and it's a shock. Also, the casting of Mr. Denning is good because when we meet his brother, played by John Lund, there's a resemblance, and they're believable as brothers.
Lund plays the part perfectly. An extremely versatile leading man, Lund played so many different types of parts, in so many genres, he was kind of a jack of all trades, really much more of a character actor. He just happened to have the square-jawed look of a leading man. In this film, he and Stanwyck play off each other beautifully.
But Stanwyck dominates the film, and she plays beautifully off the other actors.
A warm film and, at the same time, filled with suspense. In many ways, it's unique. For the far-fetched but nonetheless gripping plot, the good dialogue, the fantastic acting, the superb black and white cinematography, the perfect set design (at which Paramount excelled), and Mitchell Leisen's good, committed direction, this is a film you should absolutely check out.