Fritz Lang updated this much better in the noir-ish Human Desire (1954), but William Wellman handles the salacious material well here. Thanks to Wellman's straightforward approach, the high-pitched melodrama never too overripe. The final third still feel like a stretch, however, with an action sequence that feels forced and a tragedy that seems a little silly. It is great fun to see Cagney and Blondell in such early roles!