beware and my lovely ( 1952 ) dir represent harry horner production represent the filmmaker or rko radio picturescredulity strain thriller from the pioneer producer team of collier young and ida lupino and aka the filmmaker ( with lupino pitching in with some uncredited direction ) . robert ryan be the peril and ida lupino be the woman in this entry in the woman in peril style film . ryan play howard wilton and a tightly wind psychotic handyman drifter ( noooo and ryan . i know and hard to believe ) . lupino be the lonely war widow and helen gordon and who hire howard to do some work around her house . thing go downhill from there a howard make helen a prisoner in her own home . howard have a nasty secret and not that he could reveal it . you see and consciousness be a real challenge for him . maintain it and that be . he have an unfortunate habit of come to and find his employer dead . this be part of the film problem . the nature of howard psychosis be so extreme that it be nearly impossible to believe that he be free to roam from town to town unobstructed and even in the year 1918 ( when the film be set ) . he can not remember anything that happen ten minute ago . his violent and threatening and anti social tendency be set off by the small and most common of thing ( a young girl flirting and inadequacy involve the war and due to his be reject for service ) . i do not know how he even make it past the interview with helen . there be other implausibility . if you be lock in your house with a madman and but nonetheless leave on your own for period of time and couldn not you figure out a way to escape . ryan and i think and be defeat by the material . it feel like he overplay his hand . his series of tic and spasm and the tightly coiled burst of dementia all have a be there and do that robotic feel to them . at this point in his career he would probably play this character and to some degree and ten time and it show . we be encourage to empathize with howard ( i do not ) through show bit of humanity and like him be stop in his track by a music box and his relating to a group of child who would not judge him . lupino just have to act frazzled and in distress and which she be more than capable of and do . the picture have one thing go for it while what would be the eventual resolution of the conflict . so naturally there be a disappointing end that be abrupt and ineffective . of slight interest be a recur motif where the camera would catch howard reflection ( in mirror and water and christmas tree decoration ) . this indicate something go on and or about to go on and in his head . horner ( 1953 vicki ) and who make his reputation in production design and do a fine job of make the house feel like a prison . credit too and the always reliable rko art department for the work on the house . in the end and sub standard work from the principal and who all have much good film to their credit . ½ out of 4 .