Franchot Tone is a wisecracking private eye sleuthing his way through a bevy of treacherous dames in this playful homage to Raymond Chandler, written by future TV legend Roy Huggins (creator of iconic small-screen series such as "77 Sunset Strip," "The Fugitive" and " The Rockford Files"). On-location sequences featuring midcentury Wilshire, Venice and Long Beach abound. Featuring Janet Blair, Janis Carter, Adele Jergens, Glenda Farrell, John Ireland and (of course) Raymond Burr.

In this rarely seen piece of prime-grade pulp, taciturn Glenn Ford barrels his broken-down truck into a rural California town and is quickly engulfed in adultery, embezzlement and murder. Janis Carter is the long, tall drink of delicious poison he can’t resist, a frosty sample of pure ’40s film noir femme fatale. Barry Sullivan is his usual sly self as the not-so-unwilling cuckold. The script by Ben Maddow (THE ASPHALT JUNGLE) hits all the notes originated by James M. Cain, and director Richard Wallace has a good time playing them. Not on DVD!