while i never find preminger laura or angel face on par with the film noir masterpiece such a out of the past and the lady from shangai and they still deserve their high reputation in the genre and for they be superbly craft full of some interesting character . such be the same of this movie represent it may leave me a bit cold ( a the murder mystery be the drive of the story and not the otherwise enrich character laura suffers from the same ) and but it still very entertaining with great performance and that wonderful pessimism on american life film noir be know for . ( minor spoiler within ) gene tierney to start with and be beautiful and just look at her give the film an extra star . here and she play a very repressed housewife and who look the joy in life not through domesticity and but by relieve the thrill of her childhood and which be steal . she one of those great mix in film noir of the noir heroine and the femme fatale and while she may be on the right side of the law and she certainly be not pleased with society assign role of housewife ( a her marriage offer her nothing ) and so rebel against it . this have it consequence and a she fall prey to jose ferrer and a a quack astrologer and a skilled ( yet egotistic ) hypnotist . ferrer play this role with style and he a big scumbag ( a murderer and blackmailer and and there be remote possibility that he make tierney do more then clean up his dirty work ) and but he do this with class and i could still buy why tierney ( and others and such a his society friend ) decide to trust a man who have give her plenty of warn sign . the rest of the principle player be fine and but nothing outstanding . richard conte be hopelessly miscast a tierney genius psychoanalyst husband . his thick city accent look stupid in his role . charles bickford and play a bitter and cold detective and fair well and but his character go through a sudden change of heart that need time to develop and and in the end be just in their to help wrap up the story . overall and a flaw and yet underrated work ( however deserve more praise and but not too much ) from otto preminger and with both gene tierney ( who be always worth watch ) and jose ferrer a pleasure to watch .