vincentlynch-moonoi Before watching this film, I read the old review by Bosley Crowther. And I quite disagree with his assessment of the film. I quite like this film. But -- and there is a big but here -- you have to approach it understanding that at one time most people believed that insanity could be passed on through the family line, and that it was an established fear that if one person in your family was insane, that others were likely to become insane, as well.For me, there was "menace" in this film from beginning until the climax. It is downright eerie. From the opening scene with the young girl galloping her horse until the murder attempt at the climax, this is a truly dark film.Errol Flynn is excellent as the serious and sophisticated scientist. Barbara Stanwyck also excellent as the secret wife who suspects something is amiss. Richard Basehart -- who does not appear until late in the film -- equally great as the insane member of the family. And, Geraldine Brooks as the ill-fated young lady is quite good, although she was more successful in later years in television than on the big screen.If I have one criticism, it's about the character played by Errol Flynn. Sinister or kind? Romantic or cold? Rather than play the character more subtly, the director seemed to have Flynn jerk from one attitude to another.Nevertheless, I enjoyed this under-appreciated film. Although it hasn't earned a place on my DVD shelf, it's one I'll watch again on TCM...for the third time. :-)

beyondtheforest This is a great movie about trust, and how suspicion, cynicism, and paranoia can influence our impressions of people. From the start, the characters played by Stanwyck and Flynn (both giving remarkable, nuanced performances) have an essential distrust of each other. Stanwyck is investigating the death of her husband, who she freely admits she did not love, in order to collect a large inheritance. Thus, Flynn's impression of her character is not very high. Stanwyck, on the other hand, begins to suspect Flynn as having a role in her husband's death (or is he still alive, lurking around in the mansion late at night?).There is a great scene in which Flynn kisses Stanwyck, which she accepts eagerly in spite of the negativity between them. "Why did you do that?" Stanwyck asks. "It was the scientist in me," he said, "I wanted to test if my first impression of you was correct." Zing! Of course that is followed by an iconic Stanwyck slap. One of Stanwyck's first lines is, "I am not a placid woman," and throughout the film the behavior of her character proves that stubbornness her downfall. Her curiosity leads her to ever more risky explorations of Flynn's lab, as well as sneaking around and learning whatever she can about what goes on behind closed doors. This creates the suspense, and it's a role that seems tailor-made to Stanwyck's independent personality.Flynn is equally impressive in a role that calls for ambiguity. The viewer is left to guess whether Flynn, who seems rigid and controlling, is the villain. Flynn succeeds in providing the character with a sufficient amount of depth and stability to have the viewer, and Stanwyck, questioning his intentions.The production is first-rate. Of particular interest is the fine score and cinematography. The ending ties up all the loose ends in memorable and satisfying fashion. The last line, "I didn't trust you, either," seems to describe the wall of doubt and distrust that can be forged between two people when the worst of human nature is assumed.

MartinHafer This is a very entertaining film starring two of the bigger name stars with Warner Brothers at the time, Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck. A lot of the reason to watch the film is because of their performances as opposed to the exciting but flawed plot. Barbara is looking for her missing husband, so she tracks down his family and demands to know where he is. They tell him he is dead, but somehow the story doesn't convince her---deep down Stanwyck knows something is amiss (a bit tough to believe, I know that "feelings" are that accurate in real life). Well, given her suspicions, she stays at the family estate for a few days--during which time, her suspicions seem to have some validity. Eventually, she becomes convinced that her lost husband is being held against his will somewhere on the estate. All this is tremendously interesting. The only problem with the film (beware--a spoiler is coming) is that the family should have just told Barbara the truth from the start--this is what any normal family would have done. Of course, though, this would have meant about a 10 or 15 minute movie instead of this full-length mystery! If you can suspend disbelief about this basic plot problem, then you'll likely love the movie. But, even if you can't, it's still worth seeing just for these stars acting in their prime.

Alonzo Church Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn in a Gothic mansion type thriller is not at all a bad idea. Casting Errol as the dark/brooding master of the estate, while against type, is also not a bad idea (though his performance is awful wooden -- he would do this kind of role far better in That Forsythe Woman). All the elements for a fun popcorn movie are there -- moody lighting, great sets, evocative music, and Barbara Stanwyck as the feisty lead willing to shimmy down dumb waiters and climb around the scary house's roof in her high heels to find out the truth about the death of her husband.Oh, but that script! It destroys the actor's ability to establish rational charactarizations, because everyone acts like a bunch of idiots. if you are a Barbra Stanwyck fan, you might enjoy this as an example of her ability to make something out of a rather silly role. Otherwise, skip it. You have been warned.