The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

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

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

Copyright 16 November 1949 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture. New York opening at the Rialto: 11 January 1950. U.S. release: 25 November 1949. U.K. release: 15 May 1950. Australian release: 6 July 1950. 95 minutes. Cut to 91 minutes in Australia. SYNOPSIS: Meek pharmacist determines to murder his wife's lover. He adopts a complex plan which backfires when...COMMENT: Although the plot is full of holes, none are apparent while the action is actually unwinding, thanks to the charismatic skills of the principals (even the normally no-personality Cyd Charisse seems very appealing here) and the sensitive direction of John Berry. Atmospheric photography and realistic sets also help. Audrey Totter has one of her best roles, but fans of Barry Sullivan are in for a mighty disappointment. Although he narrates the movie, he doesn't come on stage until halfway through, and even then he's often shaded by William Conrad's attention-grabbing impersonation of his slobby offsider.OTHER VIEWS: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer made only a few dozen or so forays into the non-escapist world of film noir. Fortunately, this grippingly atmospheric yet once-neglected little gem has found a secure niche in the repertoire of Turner Classic Movies. The cast is exceptionally engrossing, though it could be argued that Barry Sullivan delivers a somewhat too arch performance as a smug, string-pulling and none-too-likable detective. On the other hand, secure portrayals by Richard Basehart and Audrey Totter brilliantly prop up a somewhat insecure script. If Quimby "looked so nice in his uniform", how come he allows himself to be beaten up by an obviously-out-of-condition Deager? And surely Mary would have made inquiries from Sothern's "employer" before reporting him to Missing Persons. And even though the action takes place in a large city (presumably Los Angeles), surely Quimby's plan is full of risk. After all, he's right there on display at the prescription counter day and night. He doesn't even take the trouble to dye his hair. And most important of all, surely a smart, street-wise cookie like Claire Quimby could see right through Bonnabel's extremely transparent stratagem. She's not in love with the guy anyhow and yet she suddenly acts like a dope purely in order to bring the movie to an isn't-romance-wonderful fade-out. And what's her motive anyway? In an early dramatic role, Cyd Charisse comes across as exceptionally appealing. The way she handles the confrontation scene is so convincing, she manages to paper over the script's gaping holes. Also helping out in this regard, slot in Berry's tautly moody, stark, no-frills direction. The movie's unusually realistic sets (by M-G-M gloss-is-everything standards) are pinpointed to perfection by ace cameraman Harry Stradling.

Noir is one's my favorite style of movie and this one is really great. Since the beginning when the cop explain how he solve an investigation. The story is about a bad marriage between a pharmacist and his unfaithful wife,betrayed and left by her...he want and planned a revenge but to give up in time but the man was killed that night...and your wife comeback to him...now he's in trouble with the cops who are in charge of the case. Richard Basehart and Audrey Totter made a great performance in this movie and Barry Sullivan as a wise cop together with your partner William Conrad and don't forget the young Cyd Charisse!!Sooo delightful movie!!!

The timid pharmacist Warren Quimby (Richard Basehart) works hard in the night shift of a drugstore to give a good life to his promiscuous wife Claire Quimby (Audrey Totter). When Claire leaves him to live with her lover, the liquor salesman Barney Deager (Lloyd Gough), Warren plots a scheme to kill Barney. He creates a new identity of a man called Paul Sothern and moves during the weekends to an apartment, telling that he is a traveling salesman to explain the absence along the week. He creates evidences that Paul Sothern wants to get rid off Barney, but soon he falls in love with his next door neighbor Mary Chanler (Cyd Charisse). One night, he goes to the Barney's house by Malibu beach but he gives up killing him; instead he tells Barney that he will divorce Claire. He goes home to move to Mary's apartment but out of the blue, Claire returns and tells that Barney was murdered. When Lieutenants Collier Bonnabel (Barry Sullivan) and Edgar Gonsales (William Conrad) come to his apartment, Warren provides alibi to Claire. However the smart Lieutenant Bonnabel proceeds his investigation and finds that Warren Quimby and Paul Sothern are the same man and Warren is arrested. Will Bonnabel finds the truth?"Tension" is a great film-noir, with an excellent story of a meek cuckold that is humiliated when his unfaithful wife moves to the house of her lover and plots an intelligent revenge plan to kill his competitor. Richard Basehart and Audrey Totter are perfect in their roles with excellent performances. He calls off his scheme but the man is killed anyway and he is forced by his wife to provide alibi to her. The "modus operandi" of the cynical detective Collier Bonnabel building tension among the suspects and his final action telling to Claire that the furniture in Paul's apartment had been replaced is unique. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Tensão" ("Tension")

Pharmacist Richard Basehart (Mr Quimby) loves his wife Audrey Totter (Mrs Quimby). However, these feelings aren't reciprocated and Totter spends most evenings with other men behind Basehart's back. He discovers what she is up to one evening but it is all too late and Totter moves into salesman Lloyd Gough's (Barney) Malibu beach house. Basehart suffers a further humiliation when he shows up to confront the couple and this leads him to plan his revenge of murder. He adopts a new identity and prepares to kill Gough. We do indeed get a murder.Basehart, Totter and Gough are all excellent in this film. Detective Barry Sullivan (Bonnabel) looks like Franchot Tone and narrates in parts. The story is effectively told and it is easy to follow. I'm not sure that there is much tension in this offering other than the moment one night when Basehart breaks into Gough's apartment and finds him asleep on a sofa. Will he kill him or won't he? What happens next provides the first surprise of the film before Sullivan's detective appears on the scene and starts playing characters against each other in order to discover what has been going on.It is made pretty clear that Sullivan is in control of what he is doing and there seem to be no surprises for him. What is more interesting is following the double life that Basehart has been leading and egging him on to get away with things. No-one falls for his trick of replacing his glasses and wearing contact lenses in order to disguise his appearance. How dumb to even suggest that he looks like a different person without at least sticking on a false moustache as well. The tension comes from Sullivan cranking up the deceptions in order to trip up the killer but it seems like he knows everything already. No tension. The guilty party is going to get caught. This is an easy-to-watch film with great dialogue delivery from Totter. She is quality in every scene that she is in, and Basehart is a likable chap to root for. As a teenager I had a friend whose house I visited a handful of times. Every time I went round to see him, his schizophrenic mother used to chat to me in the kitchen about how THEY replace the radiators in the house every time she goes out. After watching this film, I now believe her and I think I know who did it. As my wife is not in at the moment, I think I'll just go and replace all the furniture in the flat. Ha ha.