With a handful of stellar noir credits, one can forgive Lewis the occasional dud. Besides being a not-very-compelling mystery with a stupid conclusion, it takes far too goofy set-up for the main plot thread to get started, and the whole thing is undercut by everyone speaking English in French accents. The cast is not very good, and the hunchback makes pivotal scenes laughable. The film's redemption is the glorious cinematography. There's some wonderful shots with brilliant framing throughout.

Elegantly directed on a 16 day shooting schedule, this film is another Joseph H. Lewis triumph of art over the exigencies of a tight budget. An interesting, unconventional little mystery, made with a cast of French expatriates. For once, Steven Geray is given a good part and shows us what a fine actor he is.