it be tell that strange illusion be make in little over two week with very and very limited fund and fade star power . but director edgar g. ulmer have full rein to do what he could with what he have . still a decent b movie with plenty of intrigue . the opening allusive dream of college lad paul cartwright ( jimmy lydon ) be to set up the story line . his well respect father dy mysteriously in a train or car accident which lead to haunt nightmare in which his father warn him of oncoming danger to his mother ( sally eilers ) cause by a mysterious stranger that want to cause harm to the family . inter the mystery man brett curtis ( warren william ) introduce a the widow cartwright suitor . lydon character become a little obsessed with curtis woo his mother and make disturbing advance toward his young sister . seek help sort out circumstance and illusion and paul turn to a friend of the family dr. vincent ( regis toomey ) . next come maneuver in and out of a sanitarium and the revelation of false identity and the reason for the unfinished plot to cause destruction of the cartwright family . this be an enjoyable little psychological melodrama . also in the cast be represent charles ant and george reed .