A story of two brothers, both writers of crime novels, one a fine, upstanding gentleman and the other a moody, neurotic, psychopath. The other is determined to create a 'faked' version of a perfect crime he intends to commit when an ex-convict visits them. They are both in love with their shared-stenographer-secretary.
Acting
Michael Martin Harvey's twitchy, desperate ex-convict steals every scene.
Direction
Guillermin squeezes maximum claustrophobia from minimal sets.
Writing
Meta-commentary on crime fiction that folds back on itself.
Director
John Guillermin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Dilys Laye was only 17 during filming, playing against type as the cynical barmaid Violet.
Made during Britain's postwar austerity, the cramped sets mirror the characters' suffocating ambitions.
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