Good start, but then it gets ruined

Good movie but grossly overrated

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Slick suspenser from United Artists. Courtland (Ameche) has an elaborate plot to kill his wife, Alison (Colbert), get her money, and shack-up with mistress Daphne (Brooks). Good thing Bruce (Cummings) takes a covert romantic interest in Alison otherwise she'd be toast. The material may be derivative but director Sirk knows how to smooth out the rough spots, maybe too much so. The suspense never really kicks in. I suspect that's because Ameche's too bland to generate needed menace. (Perhaps he was looking to modify his nice guy screen image, but not too much.)Thus bad things happen to a drugged-up Alison, but in serial fashion without the driving dark force behind it. Instead Coulouris (Vernay) conveys what evil sense there is. As a result, the narrative builds, without intensifying. Nonetheless, the movie has its moments—the train's sudden passage that had me clutching my chair, the sudden shattering of the office door, the plunge through the corkscrew staircase. But most memorable to this noir fan is Hazel Brooks. She's the most commanding spider woman I've seen in years of viewing. Icy, majestic, sensual, no wonder Courtland conspires to dump the ordinary-looking Alison. I love that scene where she sits, bare legged, in an elevated queenly chair while commoner Courtland supplicates from below. I wish there were more bio on her all-too-brief career.All in all, it's decent noir but minus the character edges to make it memorable.

Having been preceded by some other more-notable Gothic melodramas such as "Suspicion" (1941) and "Gaslight" (1944), this "woman-in-danger movie" is undeniably derivative but certainly not without merit. Its well-developed plot about an elaborate conspiracy starts off brightly and remains thoroughly absorbing right up to its well-staged conclusion. Adultery, insanity and betrayal are some of its main themes and with much of the action taking place in the heavily-shadowed interiors of an old mansion, the atmosphere is often rather creepy.Wealthy New York socialite Alison Courtland (Claudette Colbert) wakes up on the night train to Boston with no memory of how she got there and after recovering from her hysterical state, arrangements are made for her to return to her home where her husband Richard (Don Ameche) has already reported her disappearance to the police. On the flight home, Alison travels with Bruce Elcott (Robert Cummings) who's a friend of one of her old school friends that she met at the airport. Bruce is strongly attracted to Alison and she enjoys his company and invites him to visit her mansion in Sutton Place.Following Alison's latest disappearance and her penchant for sleepwalking, Richard arranges for her to see a psychiatrist called Dr Rhinehart and despite her initial reluctance, Alison agrees to co-operate when her husband convinces her that, before going on her train journey, she'd shot him in the arm whilst sleepwalking. The man who presents himself as Dr Rhinehart (Ralph Morgan) wears thick horn-rimmed glasses and has a threatening manner which leaves Alison feeling intimidated. Later, when it becomes clear that the man Alison had seen was an impostor, it seems possible to the other members of the household that she might have simply imagined the whole episode.When Richard says that he's unable to go to a party that he and Alison had planned to go to, Bruce takes her instead to the wedding of his good friend and "honorary brother" Jimmy Lin (Keye Luke). On returning home, Alison freaks out when she sees the phony psychiatrist again but once more, she's the only person who sees him. Bruce doesn't believe that Alison's seeing things and later that night returns to her home where he sees her balancing precariously on a balcony and by shining a light in her face, prevents her from falling. This incident makes Bruce very suspicious and his subsequent investigations uncover the existence of a conspiracy involving Richard, the phony psychiatrist (who's actually a photographer called Charles Vernay) and a young woman called Daphne (Hazel Brooks).Don Ameche is tremendously smooth and smarmy as the adulterous architect Richard who uses a variety of means (including drugs and hypnosis) to try to get his wife to either commit suicide or be certified insane so that he can inherit her fortune and marry his mistress (Daphne). Daphne's greed is exemplified when she says of Alison "I want what she's got. I want all of it. I want her house, her name, her man and I want them now, tonight". Claudette Colbert by contrast, makes Alison a very sincere victim who's understandably confused and alarmed by much of what takes place but also, interestingly, shows a more natural and easy-going side when she enjoys her time at the Chinatown wedding with Bruce.Robert Cummings is light-hearted, lively and amusing as the charming Bruce and Ralph Morgan and Hazel Brooks both do well in their important supporting roles."Sleep, My Love" is beautifully photographed with some great expressionistic compositions, off-kilter camera angles and an extremely high staircase that all contribute strongly to the rather disconcerting atmosphere of this very enjoyable movie.

I love film noir--so the fact that I really enjoyed "Sleep, My Love" is not especially surprising. What did surprise me, however, is that although the film has a familiar plot, it still was a good film. So, if you watch it and you are reminded of "Gaslight", "Experiment Perilous" and "Dial M For Murder", don't be at all surprised.The film begins well and really grabs your attention. A woman (Claudette Colbert) awakens to find herself on a train bound for Boston. Considering her last memory was going to bed back in New York, this is pretty amazing. What's more amazing is that as the film progresses, Colbert continues to behave strangely. At first it looks like she might be losing her mind, but very soon you begin to suspect she's being set up by her philandering husband (Don Ameche). What happens next? Tune in and see."Sleep, My Love" has some very nice things going for it. Although she's only in the film here and there, Daphne (Hazel Brooks) is amazingly effective. She's cold and a great example of a film noir dame (also called a 'femme fatale'). In addition, the film really, really ended well. I'd say more--but it was violent and exciting--and the fact that the .22 was not an especially effective weapon is quite realistic. See this film--you'll be glad you did.

Claudette Colbert wakes up on a train between NYC/Boston and hasn't the foggiest how she got there. She and devoted hubby Don Ameche manage to get her back to NYC on a plane with fellow passenger Robt Cummings. Claudette has all the moolah in the family, whilst hubby Don goes to the office. Since Claudette may be going bonkers, a psychiatrist appears and confirms she is definitely looney tunes. But, wait...something smells and after an evening of fun and cheer at a Chinese wedding with Cummings, we find that hubby Don is hitting sexy Lauren Bacall-Veronica Lake look-alike and they and the psychiatrist are plotting to dispose of Claudette because Don's hottsy wants Claudette's dough,her house and stuff and she wants her man too, and she wants it NOW so Don better bump her off and soon! Cat & mouse between Don and Cummings for a bit. Then Don makes his move to kill Claudette but things go awry and the psychiatrist (who is actually only a photographer) and Don get shot and Cummings saves Claudette and they fade to the end with the romantic Brooklyn Bridge in the background. This semi-Noir is OK, too bad Claudette always looked sort of matronly to me and Cummings with his shoe polish shellacked hair, the story gets a bit soapy and hammy at times, however a happy ending is always enjoyable.