Well thought out, but the acting was pretty sketchy.

"Falls into that rarefied early-'50s cycle of noir, which benefited from B directors who had learned how to quickly dispense with the genre conventions and deliver brutal action and lurid innuendos." - Sean Howe

75.375

Tightly scripted crime story. John Payne feels like a rougher version of Jimmy Stewart, likable but intense and he gives a great performance as the patsy trying to discover who framed him for a robbery. At times the plot is a tad far fetched, but it comes together well enough that it's not much of a concern. The supporting actors are pretty good too, really adding to the seedy feel, while Coleen Gray is a charming leading lady.

Very exciting, with a good sense of style, an interesting story and pretty good performances. My only real complaint is that the dialogue between Payne and Coleen Gray is really hokey.

I really enjoyed this Film Noir. There are some interesting plot twists and some good characters. If you like older films definitely check this one out.

A well done Film-Noir with good acting and a decent plot.The ending was very good and worked with the rest of the film.

An excellent Hitchcockian "wrong man" style noir. An innocent man takes the fall for a bank heist he had nothing to do with, and sets out to find those who framed him. Lots of desperation, double-crosses, tough guys and rough beatings. John Payne is damn near a dead ringer for Jimmy Stewart, not only in looks but in mannerisms as well, and even a little in the voice. The film has some really clever plotting and keeps you wondering how everything's going to resolve itself. Highly entertaining.

Beautifully bleak with a wonderfully disparaged cynic to lead the way. "The Perfect Crime" set-up is instantly immersive and the thrill of it all carries the film neatly through the betrayals to the satisfyingly cheesball ending; I especially loved the Tijuana twist.

Very enjoyable late B-noir, substituting the urban setting with a holiday resort. Rarely has noir been this hard-boiled and downright sweaty.

Hell yeah, I'm putting this up there with my favourite noirs. Sure it's not as slick and classy as some but you can't beat it for sheer entertainment and grittiness.

LVC!

Good workman-like heist film, tautly directed by Karlson. Preston Foster--always adequate--is surprisingly good in this, and with three cheap hoods like Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam and Neville Brand, there's a lot of really cool menacing and posturing, not to mention a few maniacal grins.

Suffers from some 50's American film cliches (hero never kills anyone in a bloody crime noir!) and occasional slow pacing, but is elevated by an interesting premise, good dialogue, and excellent acting. There is genuine tension and excitement in a lot of scenes, and the story is rarely predictable. The romance subplot was unnecessary and only became sillier further along into the movie, but was partially redeemed by the acting and script. A poor ending hurts it somewhat.

dated viewed: 9/9/10. dvd cover indicates this is within the realm of film noir, however, it is strictly a b-heist flick.....and an average one at that. interesting only for the very young lee van cleef (avec des cheveux).