By the humble standards of the Two Dollar Bills (i.e. producers Bill Pine and Bill Thomas), this is a really entertaining little offering in which an able cast led by Chester Morris (the magazine editor), Nancy Kelly (the freelance photographer), Richard Gaines (the exercise-conscious publisher), Philip Terry (the freelance's boyfriend) and Charles Arnt (a millionaire of the marrying kind) mix comedy, romance and a murder mystery with most entertaining results. The bright screenplay by Winston Miller and Maxwell Shane only takes one wrong turn that is a bit hard to swallow. Fortunately, it occurs near the end of the movie. If it disturbs them at all, most viewers will regard it as nothing more than a momentary lapse. The direction by William Berke consistently rates far above his usual pedestrian standard. The pace and timing of his players – particularly in the comedy scenes with Richard Gaines – are especially effective. Some viewers may feel that the murder mystery plot has been short-changed in the interests of comedy and romance, but I felt that aside from the overly dramatic plot twist I mentioned earlier, the movie offered consistently bright entertainment. Available on many DVDs. Alpha's print is excellent.
Review of Double Exposure
