utgard14 Taut thriller about a crime magazine editor (Ray Milland) trying to stay one step ahead of being framed for murder by his tyrannical boss (Charles Laughton). Ray Milland is great but it's scenery-chewing Charles Laughton that is the most memorable part of this movie. George Macready plays Laughton's crony and partner-in-crime. Rita Johnson is fantastic as Laughton's mistress. Elsa Lanchester has a small but amusing part that she makes the most of. Harry Morgan appears in an early role as a "problem solver" for Laughton. This was Maureen O'Sullivan's first movie in five years and her first non-Tarzan movie in seven. Director John Farrow was also her husband at the time so I'm sure that had something to do with her returning to the screen.A tightly paced film with a great script. Fine direction from Farrow. It was remade in 1987 as No Way Out, which isn't a bad movie itself. Thankfully it isn't a direct copy but a reworking of the original story. Both the remake and this original have wonderful (and completely different) endings. This is definitely one you'll want to check out if you're a fan of film noir or thrillers from the '40s.

PWNYCNY Besides being a who-done-it, this movie is also a brilliant comedy. Ray Milland and Charles Laughton give stellar performances as men who are at odds with each other, with lethal results. The rest of the cast is also excellent, especially Elsa Lancaster who plays an artist with a quick wit. The plot is clever, the acting wonderful, the cinematography catches the story's mood, and the movie, with all its twists and turns, is in general engaging and entertaining, The movie contains so many wonderful performances. And even though the movie was made in the late 1040s, it's still watchable today. That is, the movie has aged well and deals with issues that would resonate with today's audience. One thing about Ray Milland: he was a great actor with great screen presence, and proves that it this movie.

preppy-3 George Stroud (Ray Milland) is a successful reporter at a magazine run by tyrannical Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). Earl accidentally kills his wife but frames George for it (sort of). There's LOTS more going on but I wouldn't dream of spoiling it for potential viewers.Exceptional film noir. The script has many twists and turns and lots of rapid fire one liners that keep moving things along at a brisk pace. It's also filmed mostly in dark places or with darkness lurking within the picture--very appropriate for film noir. There's some stunning sets here too--it looks like this was made on a big budget. The acting is good too. Milland is excellent as a completely innocent man who gets caught up in the murder. You can see him fighting to control his fear and anger as things get worse and worse. Laughton, surprisingly, is just OK. He has a small beard which looks pretty stupid on him and seems ill at ease with the role. He's not terrible but he can do much better. In a small role is Elsa Lancaster (Laughton's wife) who is hilarious. This is one of the rare films where the humor mixes perfectly with the mystery. Also on hand is the then unknown Harry Morgan--who doesn't have a word of dialogue but conveys all his emotions through body language and looks on his face.This was remade in the 1980s as "No Way Out". That's not a bad movie but it can't hold a candle to this. This seems to be hard to find for some reason but it's well worth seeking out. Recommended.

Michael Neumann The leader of a crack team of investigative journalists is ordered to track down a murder suspect, and soon begins to discover all the evidence pointing to himself. The dilemma: how to elude his own investigation and, at the same time, locate the true killer? Complications begin to accumulate, with each new plot twist becoming more absurd until, at last, the entire knot of circumstance is neatly unraveled in several quick strokes. Charles Laughton gives one of his patented, meticulous ham performances as the dictatorial, clock obsessed publishing magnate, and Elsa Lancaster runs away with several scenes playing a dotty artist asked to provide a sketch of the hunted man but unwilling to identify her only patron. The film is enormously entertaining: one of the few comic thrillers that succeeds in being simultaneously sidesplitting and nerve-racking. Remade (badly) in 1987 as 'No Way Out'.