Please don't spend money on this.

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Routine 30's programmer with nothing particularly to recommend. John's (Bellamy) paroled from prison because he killed a man in a fight. To stay out of trouble, he retreats to a cabin in the boondocks. But there he meets Louise (Wray) who's also in trouble. Then when his ex-rival Robson (Douglas) shows up, things really go haywire, especially when John slugs a confederate of Robson's. So, can John clear himself with the cops now that his parole's in jeopardy, and maybe warm up to the plaintive Louise.Actor Bellamy's usually derided for being dull. Here, however, he shows some charisma as a leading man. But why it takes his character so long to clinch with the luscious Wray remains a cosmic mystery, especially when she walks in the door in a clinging satin gown. Oh well, it's the movies, and certainly King Kong knew better. The story idea comes from ace crime novelist Dashiell Hammett, but appears to suffer from erratic adaptation. For example, having movie sidekick Roscoe Ates clowning around undercuts any serious intent, and almost certainly didn't come from Hammett's novel. Nonetheless, fans of Wray should tune in thanks to her many glowing close-ups. Otherwise, the 60-minutes is pedestrian at best.

Fay Wray, Ralph Bellamy and Douglas, plus R. Ates for humorous relief, players you feel good with, in this drama by Rosen, enthralling '30s cinema, with poignancy and Pre-Code verities: it was good, sharp, with a knack for powerful scenes, like those at the parolee's home (with the three leads), and for freshness, as in the couple's getaway, from his home to Logan's, for a movie shot indoors and within a car, it has a plain-air feel and a sense of possibilities, not unlimited, but thorough, the romance seems meaningful, it's cinema with a basic sense of dignity, something of this style will be rediscovered decades later, perhaps in the '70s or '80s, there's also the understatement, the snappiness, the quickness, as when the fugitive is shot, and the realism, as with the players' exchanges, then the attorney's advances; a very good role from Fay, with the freshness for its aftertaste. Kudos to Rosen as well, for a sensible directing. Given the plot, the movie's title, both versions, is beautiful. The movie has the cast, the understated style, the script, nothing seems fake, phony, untrue, there's a sense of intelligent directness; for the '30s, the movie's qualities weren't so unusual as they may seem today. I don't remember having seen Bellamy young ever before; he resembled Newman, though he was maybe more embittered and sneaky, as in streetwise. His role here, as the paroled guy, has something impressive.Bellamy reminded me of P. Newman, a sleazier and perhaps gloomier one.

When Ralph Bellamy is released from jail for manslaughter, he returns home to mixed reaction from society, and quickly gets caught up in possibly another charge when a man he hits while protecting another woman (Fay Wray) ends up in a coma and lingers between life and death. On the run to avoid returning to prison, he anxiously awaits the outcome while in hiding. But things are not what they seem to be, and a witness to the attack (Melvyn Douglas) could be the key to Bellamy's exoneration.An above average B film with a fantastic cast, this programmer keeps the tension up as to how everything will unravel. Roscoe Ates is thrown in for comic relief as Bellamy's ex-cellmate, his constant stuttering routine getting a little old now, yet unobtrusive as far as weakening the film. There are some interesting shots of Wray running through the darkened countryside, but her character is never fully developed to truly grab your interest in her. The future "other man", Bellamy gives a gripping performance, and it will be him you keep your eyes on. This is also a bit of a darker character for Douglas to play, soon to be well utilized in some of the great screwball comedy's of the 1930's and 40's. A unique ending thrown in is one you won't see coming, and helps this rise above predictability and mediocrity.

Escaping from a predatory rich man's embrace, a lovely singing star seeks refuge in the humble cabin of a newly paroled convict.Not exactly must viewing for even the most rabid Dashiell Hammett fan, this is certainly no Maltese Falcon but rather an American (or should we say a Canadian) mouse. However, that mouse is played by the charming Fay Wray, so interest quickens quite a jot (despite the fact that her close-ups are not all that flattering, even though credited to Hollywood's ace of aces, Joseph Ruttenberg). As the movie's titles roll by, the support cast initially engenders enthusiasm too. Alas, aside from Roscoe Ates (who is always a pain), everyone is below form, although connoisseurs may relish the chance to see dapper Douglas as the vicious heavy and perennial "other man" Ralph Bellamy as the reluctant hero. Production values are also distinctly below the major studio norm. Mr Rosen's direction is certainly nothing special, competent at best, heavy-handed at worst. Even more disappointing is a Hammett plot that, despite its potential, contains no elements of mystery and few of suspense. True, it has romance a-plenty, as well as a thoroughly conventional "cute meet", plus some comic interludes with Roscoe Ates and even Frank Otto (although note that dialogue writer Charles Williams gives his desk clerk self the movie's two funniest lines), but all that is not exactly the stuff that hard-boiled dreams are made of.