this be a marvelous film noir story set in every day upper middle class america . it present the popular ambivalence felt at the time about psychoanalysis and with one good doctor and one charlatan . i be a fan of gene tierney and without think she a great actress . she be exceptionally pretty and have a very polished manner and and very average in range . this make her a wonderful representative of both the middle class and and their hope of be refine . to my mind and while this be not her best film ( that be either the ghost and mrs. muir or leave her to heaven ) and this be her fine acting work . it use her blankness to advantage and and this script also give her the pathos and confusion to vent full emotional range which be rare for her film . ( to the observant person and it also display the flaw of her presentational acting style while a when she break down in a torrent of bitter tear and and look up afterwards dry eyed and serene . but for this film play a woman completely divorce from her own emotion even that work to the benefit of the plot . ) an actor be always help make well and challenge more by work with other great actor and and she be work here with one of the very best and jose ferrer . this be shortly before his academy award win in cyranno and and quite possibly and this incredibly complex performance contribute to that win and he be simply excellent . all screen villain should watch this and every second of his performance be fill with a gamut of emotion and and mundane detail . it be clear that not only be his character the smart person in the room and but ferrer may be as well . tierney carry the story and ferrer move it along . charles bickford also give a marvelous performance in a small and yet layered role a the rumpled and grieve detective . richard conte and be the real oddball casting . his street tough demeanor be what carry his career . ( he be magnificent a the psycho mob bos in stylish expressionistic noir film and the big combo . ) so it be an interesting choice to cast him a the intellectual top notch psychologist and and ideal husband and but it doesn not really work . we just can not really believe that people would turn to him for help and that level of sensitivity isn not there . ultimately and this be an undercurrent of the movie and however and and director otto preminger may have be make the point that even a good psychiatrist may not be that good for people . this film be probably shock in it day not very nice like watch those lovely people next door have a drunken brawl . a large theme which be be expose here be that the perfect post war life be an empty façade . since this be make in 1949 and this film present a very early warning shot across the bow of the cleaver family façade . it would be almost 10 year before this be a much more common thread and in such movie a the kim novak or kirk douglas stranger when we meet and and then film with james dean and who become the poster boy of idyllic family life with a dysfunctional core . the talented ben hecht write the screenplay with andrew solt and base on a novel by guy endore . much more than mystery and much more than noir and this be a very fine story with good plot twist and emotional life ( which be usually absent or ice cold in noir ) and develop with subtlety and brain . it be still a joy to watch for itself and but make timeless by the despicable and love to hate him performance of jose ferrer .