Raft knocks it out of the park as the Marlowe-esque detective in this lively whodunit. Also a really spirited group of supporting characters. Some of the attempts at humor don't quite connect, but there's a lot of really funny stuff, and the dialogue sizzles with hard-boiled lingo. The film isn't wall-to-wall greatness but it definitely has some wonderful moments, and if the mystery isn't the most compelling, at least there's some nice details and it's not as convoluted as Chandler. Lots of fun.

This George Raft whodunnit is briskly paced and has a sharp, wise-cracking screenplay by Jonathan Latimer, author of "Solomon's Vineyard" and the Bill Crane mysteries.