In this thriller, psychiatrist Dr. Cross kills his wife and expects to get away with murder, until he discovers that the slaying was observed by a next-door neighbor, Janet Stewart. As Janet attempts to convince her husband of the doctor's dastardly deed, Cross shows up to advise him that Janet is in dire need of some in-depth counseling.
Acting
Price's silky menace makes 70 minutes feel like a masterclass.
Production
That sanitarium set screams 'we built this on a budget and it WORKS.'
Director
Alfred L. Werker
Vincent Price
Dr. Richard Cross
Lynn Bari
Nurse Elaine Jordan
Frank Latimore
Lt. Paul Stewart
Anabel Shaw
Mrs. Janet Stewart
Stephen Dunne
Dr. Stevens (as Michael Dunne)
Reed Hadley
District Attorney O'Neill
Charles Trowbridge
Dr. Franklin Harvey
Robert Adler
Frank - Male Nurse
Harry Carter
Sanitarium Orderly
Ruth Clifford
Mrs. Margaret Cross
John Davidson
Mr. Edwards
Selmer Jackson
Dr. Blair
Ruth Nelson
Mrs. Margaret Cross (voice)
George E. Stone
Cab Driver
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Vincent Price's first leading role in a thriller, establishing the persona he'd perfect for decades. He was reportedly paid $5,000—barely above scale.
The film exploits genuine 1940s fears about psychiatry and 'insane asylums,' reflecting postwar anxiety about medical authority and women's institutional vulnerability.
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