Inspiración trágica

I love this film, and find any reviews describing the performances or film in general as disappointing to be odd or misinformed. First, the story line is compelling and instructive-playing out the origins, development, and climatic conclusions of domestic abuse. Classically, the man in this case is more verbally or psychically abusive than physically so, at first, but dangerous nonetheless. In fact, the Bogart character as troubled artist plans the deaths of his wives out of a twisted belief he must do away with women who cease to fuel his artistic muse. The anticipated transformation from supposedly loving husband and father to cold-blooded killer features all the characteristics of a psychopath whose pathology is excused by "artistic temperament." That alone is an interesting deviation from the typical domestic abuser portrayal as a obnoxious drunk in an undershirt.

The abuser is also aided by an incompetent doctor more interested in drinking good whiskey than determining the cause of his patient's poor health. And he's so dense he never makes the connection between the similarities between the first wife's condition and why all of a sudden wife number two is now sick.

Also, this is a fine point, but there has never been a film with Isobel Elsom in it that I haven't liked, and she does not disappoint here. Playing the upper crust mother of the "other woman," Elsom makes her character nonetheless relatable and fun to watch.

And then there are the performances of the three main players...Stanwyk is never in a bad movie-her performance alone carries any film at through her presence into the "good" territory. Alexis Smith won me over as Stanwyk"s antagonist. Her cold, cruel cunning is pitch perfect, and yet she's not exactly hatable, either. And Bogart is credible to me as a troubled artist. Not all painters need fill up the screen as if they were Vincent Van Gogh. And little Ann Carter's performance as a reasonable, rational child gives us hope she can survive her father's violent history and go on with her life.

Also, kudos to the finely etched cineamatography and beautiful Franz Waxman score. In short, an excellent one hour and 40 minutes spent.