A disgraced Scotland Yard superintendent sets out to solve a baffling murder to discredit his replacement and restore his own reputation.
Superintendent George Grodman (Sydney Greenstreet) is forced into retirement from Scotland Yard after he sends an innocent man to the gallows. His successor, Superintendent Buckley (George Coulouris), boasts about his modern, scientific methods. Grodman, along with his friend Victor Emmric (Peter Lorre), a macabre illustrator, takes a keen interest when a perplexing new murder case stumps the new chief. As the investigation unfolds, a final twist reveals that Grodman has orchestrated a perfect crime to exact his own form of justice.
This clever mystery marks the final on-screen pairing of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, a duo who had become famous for their atmospheric collaborations in films like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. It was also the feature directorial debut for Don Siegel, who had previously honed his craft as a montage specialist at Warner Bros., contributing to several of their most famous crime pictures. Siegel’s confident handling of the intricate plot and the performances of his veteran leads results in a tightly constructed tale of revenge with a satisfyingly ironic conclusion.
Production Co: Warner / 86 minutes / 1946
Director: Don Siegel
Screenplay: Peter Milne
Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Music: Frederick Hollander
Main Cast: Sydney Greenstreet (Supt. George Edward Grodman), Peter Lorre (Victor Emmric), Joan Lorring (Lottie Rawson), George Coulouris (Supt. John R. Buckley), Rosalind Ivan (Mrs. Vicky Benson), Paul Cavanagh (Clive Russell), Arthur Shields (Rev. Holbrook)
