Really solid noir. Andrews has given better performances and Tierney could have gotten more screen time but they both get the job done. The story's appropriately dark and develops its dilemma and resolution well with every scene serving to add impact to the finale.

i don't know why i should care about this guy or his predicament.

Dana Andrews gives a first rate performance of conflicted cop Mark Dixon.The story is quite strong and gives us enough background to get care about Mark Dixon's dilemma and moves the picture along at a nice clip.

A very good film in all aspects. The plot is thrilling, the acting is terrific, and the lighting and photography are top notch. I just think it could've been a little nastier. Maybe it was just the ending that bugged me, I don't know.

The tension is inescapable in this overlooked gem that features some fine performances from Dana Andrews and Karl Malden.

Textbook example of film noir that examines the blurred line between those who break the law and those who attempt to enforce it. The plot is neatly crafted, with enough twists to keep you interested, although Tierney's character feels like a bit of a spare part at times. The romance feels contrived, but I guess she acts as a foil for Andrews to explain all that stuff about his father. The photography, especially the street-level stuff, is excellent and gives the film a suitably gritty feel.

I didn't care too much for the ending, but this is one of my favorite straight noirs. It fits the mold so well that it could be cliche if it wasn't so expertly crafted.

Watchable film noir, starring the wooden Dana Andrews opposite a typically fawning, rag doll of a female character. I am sorry but the portrayal of women in some of these old Hollywood movies is inexcusable.

Rock-solid Preminger noir, with some nice photography, lots of tension and a damn good performance from Dana Andrews. The way he digs himself into a hole and finds himself trapped between his job and a girl makes for a nice dilemma. The ending is a bit of a cop-out, but it's not egregiously inconsistent or anything.

A terrific noir, loaded with tension. Watching Dana Andrews dig himself into a deeper and deeper hole is a torturous but thrilling experience. A darker ending would have been more interesting, but everything besides that was excellent. Good stuff.

If only Dana Andrews could manage a bit more emotion on that stone face of his...

An inflated, soft-edged noir, with Andrews too tortured and noble, Tierney too beautiful for the genre, and a conclusion too optimistic for the demands of the narrative. (And Gary Merrill is terrible as an Italian gangster.) Yet the movie has power: the seedy brownstone room where the murder takes place is well-designed, and the action returns to it again and again until you can smell death and despair sweating from the walls. A little more of this, and we'd have a first-class noir.

Goes down fast, easy, and looking damn good too. I just wish I kicked it out before that sermonizing ending had to muck it up.

A great premise that might not lead to the most nailbitingly tense moments but definitely keeps the viewer interested throughout. Snappy dialogue, some really interesting shots, and nicely ambiguous.

Dana Andrews gives the best performance I've seen here (not saying much but anyway) while Gene Tierney is disappointing in a throwaway role. But it is a solid noir.

The lack of a femme fatale and the ending prevent this from comparing to some of the more notably grim noirs of the era, but it's still fun to watch Dana Andrews fall deeper into his desperate situation. The photography is excellent, with the streets of New York drenched in almost complete blackness. That in combination with the absence of a musical score lend this film a wonderful ambiance.