this film try to be film noir but just doesn not make it . when i start watch it i could have swear it be from the late 30 or early 40 and partly due to the poor quality print . when i realize that it be from the late 40 i be shock . the plot be actually quite good until the end and which be a dreadful anticlimax . there be two main problem with this film and one be the obviously very poor direction and the other be that brian donlevy character be far to mild mannered . brian donlevy be a great actor and strong willed and forceful . check out beau geste . in this film and even though he start out to be a businessman who doesn not take no for an answer and he turn out to be a wimp . poor writing . a wimp be not what be need in the second half of this film and wimp do not belong in film noir . charles coburn be a fine actor and could be gruff when he need to be . this role call for a hardened detective and instead he act like shirley temple kindly grandfather . poor direction . ella raines and helen walker do a good job and though i think ella character should have get strong and nasty after she find out that her husband be alive and her lover be dead . again and poor direction . anna may wong should have quit when sound come in . i believe mae marsh to have be a good sound actress but she never get a chance to prove it . she have all but retire from act until the stock market crash wipe her out . she doesn not seem to have want to be an actress and be relegate to uncredited mother role when she have to return to make money . mae do a good job in this role a in the other small part that i have see her in . now back to the big problem with this film and the end . brian donlevy lawyer tell his wife that he can prove that she be guilty . charge be drop against him and bring against her and the end . the writer seem to have be late for an engagement and just hammer out a quick end . this could have be a great film with some touch up of the script and a good director .