this be the sort of movie where a character behavior be best explain by say the plot require it . a warner brother entry at the height of the film noir era and nora prentiss be a box office success and a boost for ann sheridan career . today and however and it look like a parody of it own genre . the main problem be the script and which director vincent sherman and others adapt from a short story by paul webster . the unlikely tale proceeds through a series of melodramatic twist and turn involve a married san francisco physician name dr. richard talbot ( kent smith ) and the title character and a stunning nightclub singer ( sheridan ) . melodrama and of course and always under girds film noir and but when audience watch this kind of movie they want to believeif only for 90 minutesthat the event could really be happen . with this picture and it a tough job . make the situation worse be dialog that strain to sound memorable and end up sound phony . there be warn sign from the start and with the first five minute be so heavy with exposition that you want to shout and enough . i get the point . still and there be some good thing to be say about nora prentiss . the central plot gimmick be an interest one and despite it implausibility . james wong howe cinematography effectively capture the story shadowy mood . and the allure sheridan and a usual and give a solid performance . but the casting of kent smith present problem . during smith time with warner the studio like to assign him the role of an earnest wimp involve with a captivate woman ( see him opposite joan crawford in the damned don not cry and which sherman direct three year later ) . so it easy to see how producer choose this actor to play the conservative doctor . but smith lacked charisma and and in this film the audience have to keep remind itself that the vibrant nora find the dull dr. richard talbot fascinating . why do she and anyway . ( the plot require it . ) why do this worldly but essentially decent woman take up with a repressed family man in the first place . ( the plot require it . ) and why do richard veer off into a tangle of unbelievable action that grow increasingly grotesque a the film roll toward it disastrous finale . ( the plot well and you get the idea . ) for the rest and there be competent performance by rosemary decamp a richard wife and by bruce bennett a richard partner in a medical practice and and by robert alda a nora nightclub bos and lover in wait . the musical score be by franz waxman .