The Naked Edge (1961) Online

During after hours in a nearly empty London office, a man is murdered and a sack of cash stolen. George Radcliffe, an American associate, is working late and witnesses the murderer's escape. Later, he is the key witness in a trial that sends the accused man to prison. But was he guilty? Where did the money go? Michael Anderson's 1961 thriller, "The Naked Edge," is a nicely done mystery that echoes Hitchcock's "Suspicion" in many respects. Hitchcock is also linked to the film through screenwriter Joseph Stefano, who earlier wrote "Psycho" and adapted the novel "First Train to Babylon" for this film. At age 60, Gary Cooper was at the end of his career and near the end of his life. Although looking tired as Radcliffe, Cooper manages, like Cary Grant in "Suspicion," to maintain his nice-guy image, while suggesting something darker and enigmatic. Lovely Deborah Kerr matches Joan Fontaine as the loving, but doubting wife. Kerr is at the center of the film as clues surface, her suspicions grow, and she seeks the truth behind both the murder and her husband's inexplicable behavior.

A stellar cast of stalwart British actors support the stars; led by Hermione Gingold and the priceless Wilfred Lawson, the list includes Michael Wilding, Peter Cushing, Eric Porter, and Diane Cilento. The black-and-white cinematography by Erwin Hillier captures appropriately gritty images of working class London and shadowy atmospherics that enhance the climactic suspense. Only William Alwyn's music tends to overwhelm early in the film, when the composer telescopes the action and loudly punctuates critical moments. While Anderson is not Hitchcock, and "The Naked Edge" is not "Suspicion," the director manages to maintain a brisk pace, build tension and suspense, and reach an exciting and satisfying climax.

Well done throughout, "The Naked Edge" will grip viewers and keep them absorbed to the end and beyond, when a voice-over warns the audience not to divulge the ending. Of interest for more than just a great American star's final role or for another opportunity to admire the always radiant Deborah Kerr, the film is a taut thriller that delivers. Although Hitchcock-like and Hitchcock-lite, "The Naked Edge" is worthwhile, even if dedicated crime buffs will likely outpace Kerr and guess the outcome.

Not-bad adaptation of Max Ehrlich's novel "First Train to Babylon" turned out to be Gary Cooper's final film (he died before its release). An American Air Freight sales manager in London testifies against a fellow employee in a murder/robbery trial; five years later, with the manager and his spouse now living in luxury, the wife begins to suspect that her husband was the killer the entire time. Hurt by a seemingly lower-end budget--and by a script that doesn't always make sense--this is still a most unusual project for Cooper, who manages a fine performance. Film builds to a fine pitch of suspense in its concluding sequence (which Adrian Lyne might have studied for his "Fatal Attraction" closer). Deborah Kerr stays wide-eyed and white-knuckled throughout as Cooper's wife; she's also quite good, though the godawful shlock music by William Alwyn underlines all of her suspicions with a thundering of drums that could wake the dead. So, is Cooper guilty or not? The finale provides an amusing frisson or two--and a twist which the ghostly voice-over informs the audience to please not betray. **1/2 from ****

The suspense of this film evokes the work of Alfred Hitchcock. It doesn't quite live up to such a comparison but nonetheless the plot and character interactions should rivet most viewers to the film. Creative shot selection (especially the preparation of the wife's death), fine performances (especially from Deborah Kerr), and a compelling plot create an entertaining movie experience, 7/10. I think this was Gary Cooper's last screen performance.

I won't recap the plot as other reviewers have done so quite adequately. Those who think Gary Cooper (who might well have suspected his days were numbered as he'd just undergone an op for prostate cancer) turns in less than his usual powerful performance are incorrect in my view. He underplays in his typical style, but I discern no failing of his powers. True, his role lumbers him with having to respond to his wife's perfectly reasonable suspicions in a way that is consistently ambiguous, and one might argue he feels hurt that he should have to explain his innocence to someone who should trust him implicitly, so he's purposely evasive — except he's already argued against that very position early in the film, accepting that sometimes one can demand proof even where convention dictates it shouldn't be necessary. The obvious conclusion is that it was a plot device to keep him firmly in the frame for the murder throughout.

Yes, the music is rather blaring and obvious at times - a common feature of British thrillers in the '50s/'60s. The composer, William Alwyn, was quite the polymath, and very experienced - he'd written around 70 film scores in the preceding 20 years. Perhaps the style was what was ordered, and not entirely of his own choosing.

This is a must-see for fans of Gary Cooper and of Deborah Kerr, who here is both radiantly beautiful, and effective in her role. Overall, I enjoyed the movie which, like many Hitchcock films, has some creaky moments and plot inconsistencies, but certainly keeps the tension going right to the end.

***** Mild Spoilers Ahead *****

"The Naked Edge" is the last film that the famous American actor Gary Cooper was in, wrapping up a career which lasted for over thirty years.

In "The Naked Edge", Gary Cooper portrays a business man who has been accused, but acquitted of murder. After the trial, Cooper's character becomes very wealthy through investments in the stock market. His wife(Deborah Kerr) opens a letter which contains blackmail threats against her husband. She begins to suspect that her husband may have truly committed the murder and begins to do some investigating of her own. What she discovers leads her to conclude that he was the murderer. Her husband is aware of her conclusion and it begins to look as if he may kill her too!

Deborah Kerr, as usual, delivers a terrific performance. Gary Cooper does his best with the dialogue and the role he is given, but it isn't enough to make this film believable to the discerning viewer. The dialogue between the characters is contrived to leave every situation open to the possibility that Gary Cooper is the murderer. The result is that the film quickly becomes annoying. I felt jerked around as a viewer. The film would have turned out better if the director would have been stabbed instead of the victim in the movie! It's not nice to patronize your audience when you are making a serious mystery or suspense film. It's too bad, because both principal actors, Deborah Kerr and Gary Cooper deserved better. I'm not going to go into how irritating the musical score was in this movie. Let's just say it takes melodramatic background music in a film to new lows.

It's a shame I can't give this movie a better review because I so wanted to like it. Thankfully, the superb acting talents of Deborah Kerr and Gary Cooper can be seen in many other great movies which they starred in. Sadly, I rate this movie only a 70/100.

In Gary Cooper's last performance you can see that he is almost washed up, acting like an old age Roark (from 'The Fountainhead') stiffer than ever with very little stamina left, while fortunately Deborah Kerr makes up for it completely in her superb rendering of a married lady who just can't make things add up, wavering between an increasing suspicion of her husband's possibly having committed an heinous murder while at the same time refusing to believe it could be true. Another asset is Peter Cushing's brilliant acting as the prosecutor. The film begins with the murder trial with Gary Cooper sweating from the beginning, he himself can't make things quite fit while he is perfectly convinced that he couldn't be wrong, while the triumph of the film is the very clever story. By the accumulating inconsistencies a suspense is mercilessly built up and increased all the way to the bitter end in a virtuoso thriller more like Hitchcock than any Hitchcock. The real turning point though is the marvellous scene with Diane Cilento as the victim's wife, whom Deborah Kerr visits with traumatic consequences, which really triggers her suspicion and conviction that nothing in this story fits. After the climax in the end with all battles fought to the bitter end, everything falls into place however with perfect logic. This is a marvel of a thriller, and not even Hitchcock could have made it more exasperating in its irrevocably constantly increasing unbearable suspense. This is Michael Anderson's best film, and you regret that he didn't make more films like this one.

The last film of Gary Cooper is an enjoyable thriller-drama. It's not great cinema, but I was surprised by the pace of it. With most of those "old" films, I have trouble to sit them through. But this one kept my attention from beginning to end.

The story is about a man(Cooper) who's a witness to a murder and thanks to whose testimony the killer is locked away. But did this guy really commit the murder? Years later, Cooper's wife(Kerr) starts to suspect her husband. Slowly, everything begins to point in HIS direction. Is she still safe with the man she loves? Will he kill her(too)?

As I said, this film is very entertaining. The story however has some major holes in it and the ending is a bit of a let-down. You'll have to see what you make of this film with the ending in mind. This could have been done much better. Cooper is very good in his last role as the husband, but Kerr was less convincing as his wife. There are also some rather colourful, but sometimes annoying supporting roles. I can recommend it, as long as you don't expect to much of it. But if you don't like old films, this is a good movie to help you with that. The filming is very up-to-date. 6/10

This movie is a very superb and well made thriller. Im surprised it got such a low rating considering its entertainment value. From the beginning the movie starts us right away with the premise. From there we are taken through a very suspenseful ride in trying to figure out wether a woman is right in suspecting her husband for murder, accusing the wrong man for murder, or covering up for the murderer. As the movie develops, different clues keep popping up and were made to really think and engage. As the movie gets closer to it's climax, the suspense gets more intense. The acting is very convincing and I found myself truly sympathetic for Martha in her efforts to figure out the truth. . Add the great camera work and shadow effects, this movie is now on my list of favorite classic movies. Don't let the other users discourage you, they are simply trying to compare the movie to other films that are not meant to be compared to. Watch it for yourself and see how fun the ride truly is.

Gary Cooper's last film is a Hitchcock like tale of a man who wrongly identifies the killer of his boss during a robbery. It was an inside job so we have a closed pool of suspects. Years later a mail pouch that was lost during another robbery and a blackmail letter is delivered to Cooper. Wife Deborah Kerr now thinks her husband did it and becomes fearful.

This sounds a lot like Hitchcock's Suspicion and in fact the whole film is a case of Hitchcock wannabe. I won't identify the real culprit, but if you watch the first half hour, you'll know. Very little suspense involved at all. Cast does the best it could with the material they were given.

This movie might have been called The Cutting Edge for all the boundaries of 1961 it pushed! It utilizes innovative camera and editing techniques that echo Alfred Hitchcock's scary scenes from Psycho, alludes to sex in a way few films had been able to do since the fall of the Hays Code, and put the word "naked" in the title!

Even the first shot of the film is unusual, making you wonder, "Why did they show that? What am I missing?" for the first of many times as the mystery continues throughout the film. A bead of sweat is shown running down Gary Cooper's face. He's in court, ready to testify as a key witness to a murder. His accounting condemns a man to life imprisonment, and the guilt rattles him after the trial. Years later, he's a successful businessman, and he and his wife Deborah Kerr are living a life of luxury. He receives a threatening letter, making Deborah doubt his testimony all those years ago. . .

The Naked Edge is one scary movie! I'm not his biggest fan, but Gary Cooper gives a more energetic performance than he usually does. Although Deborah's character isn't written to be the smartest tool in the shed, she does a good job exuding her fear and doubt without turning it into a melodrama. Usually, Gary plays likable, earnest roles. This is the only movie I've seen where Gary Cooper plays a bad guy! This one's pretty scary and very suspenseful, so rent it on Halloween and cuddle up to your honey—or don't. . .

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, there's one part of the movie that might that will make you sick. There's a scene where Deborah Kerr gets lost and when she runs up and down the streets, the camera is hand-held. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

What is most remarkable about this movie, is that if one did not know it was not so, one would believe it was a Hitchcock movie. It is even more hitchcocky, than the real ones! The plot was interesting and intelligent, and I am glad Gary Cooper turned out to be the good guy after all! He looked very old, haggard and ill, though. It was heart-wrenching to see him like that, as he used to be so handsome, strong and vital. I wonder why it was necessary for him to make another movie at this stage of his terminal illness?

Deborah Kerr was beautiful, ladylike and stylish and with that kind, innocent quality, as always.

I like movies about moral questions, that make me think "what would I have done?". The truth is, that when I was younger, I would probably have reacted like Martha. I would have felt, that I had to know. But today? Today I would probably have turned a blind eye, kept quiet, not risked the good life I had finally achieved (or rather: that my husband had achieved for me), and the life with the man I loved.

This is not because I have turned more callous, because I do not believe that I have. But because I have realized that I do not anymore have so many good years left, and that if I lost everything now it would be too late to achieve it new. So I would hold on to what I had. And I would tell myself that no matter what it was not MY guilt - I had not committed any crime, and I had not encouraged any either.

Heavy handed drama where every move and action, no matter how insignificant it is, is followed by a loud blast of orchestra-like music that almost blows you out of your seat. In many cases the music is aided by quick and ultra-sharp close-ups that makes you think that your seeing a Mel Brooks comedy of an Alfred Hitchcock film like the 1977 movie "High Anxiety". These techniques are done over and over in the movie "The Naked Edge" that after a while you forget what the story is all about in the first place.

Gary Cooper in his last movie, before he died on May 13, 1961, looks drawn and tired as George Radcliffe a witness to the murder of his boss Jason Roote, Martin Boddey,and the robbery of 60,000 pound-sterling from the London office of the Jason Roote Air-Fright corp where he works.

It was Radcliffe's testimony that sent fellow worker Donald Heath, Ray MacAnally, away for life. Radcliffe seems to be hiding something about the crime that happened at the Jason Roote office from his wife Martha, Deborah Kerr. That's the main core of the story in the movie "The Naked Edge" but you have to suffer through almost 90 minutes of ridicules Hitchcock-like dramatics to get to the truth in the last ten minutes or so of the movie which, the films totally contrived ending, didn't seem worth sitting through.

Even top stars like Gary Cooper and Deborah Kerr as well as Eric Portman and Peter Cushing couldn't save this turkey. We see at the start of the movie George Radcliffe testify about a murder and robbery at the Jason Roote office in a weird dream-like flash-back where Roote is murdered, off-screen. The killer, unrecognizable in dark shadow, takes off with a sack of the companies daily c.o.d's amounting to 60,000 pound-sterling. Searching for the killer the police find Heath in the boiler room drunk but the money is nowhere to be found.

Identified by Radcliffe as the murder Heath is convicted and sent to prison for life. It's right after that were bombarded with clues and innuendos to who the real killer is. It's not until almost the end of the movie that we finally find out just who he is when Radcliffe finally regains his lost memory of the event. Watching the film is like going 15 rounds in the ring with a 30 year-old Rocky Marciano that in the end leaves you totally punch-drunk from the pounding to your five senses that the movie gives you. The blasts of music and eye-popping close-ups as well as the strain on your brain make any kind of sense of what your seeing on the screen moot.

A key piece of evidence shows up five years after the Roote murder that's in a letter that was lost in the mail addressed to Radcliffe that's being used to blackmail him for the crime. Radcliffe also came into a large sum of money just after the Roote murder which he tells his confused and surprised wife Martha that he made in a "Killing" in the stock market.

You sit through the rest of the movie wondering if Radcliffe did or did not kill Jason Roote and stole the 60,000 in pound-sterling. Radcliffe at the same time does everything possible to convince you, and his wife Martha, that he did and almost drives her to commit suicide.

The really off-the-wall and obnoxious ending in the movie is far worse then the murder/robbery in the film "The Naked Edge". It just about does you in and leaves you in an almost comatose state of mind.

There is a stylistic feel to this film, a clever use of dark and light tones and an impressive use of camera angles and close ups which does give more than a nod towards Hitchcock, though perhaps at times it is a little overdone. The story itself is a good one, with a number of clever twists and turns, and the two leads give good solid performances.

I did enjoy this film; the sort I felt could bear more than one watching. Unfortunately, the ending is too obviously hurried in its attempt to tie up all the loose ends, and this, for me, is what lets it down.

The Naked Edge is directed by Michael Anderson, has a screenplay by Joseph Stefano which is based on the novel by Max Ehrlich. The film stars Gary Cooper, Deborah Kerr, Diane Cilento, Ray McAnally, Peter Cushing and Eric Portman.

This is a cracking thriller, filled with plenty of tension and good performances. The film struck me as being very similar to Hitchcock's Suspicion, focusing on the wife beginning to doubt her husband and fear for own safety a little.

George Radcliffe(Gary Cooper)witnesses a murder and robbery. Donald Heath(Ray McAnally)is arrested for the crime, he strongly insists that he is innocent but at the end of the trial he is found guilty and sent to prison.

Some time later Radcliffe's wife Martha(Deborah Kerr)receives a blackmail letter which claims George was the killer. Martha slowly finds herself beginning to doubt her husbands innocence and becomes frightened of him.

George says he is innocent and is hurt that she could doubt him. Martha tries to get to truth and even meets the blackmailer(a sinister performance by Eric Portman)to try and get to the truth. Up until the final scene we're not sure just how innocent or guilty George is and that adds to the suspense and tension the film builds up. Cooper plays the character in a way that you can see guilt if you look for it, you can also see innocence too and you're never entirely sure what to make of him.

Cooper and Kerr are excellent, I think it's a real shame that they never made other films together. Diane Cilento is very good as the wife of Heath, she knows her man is innocent and will stand by him no matter what, she believes George is the real killer. Eric Portman is creepy as the mysterious blackmailer.

I think the music spoils the film, it is much too loud and intrusive in scenes where music wasn't needed. Apart from that this is a very good thriller.

A visually elegant psychological mystery thriller, with stylish direction by Michael Anderson, an intelligent script by Joseph Stefano, and strong performances by two acting legends, Gary Cooper and Deborah Kerr. Some sequences are Hitchcockian (the one at the edge of a cliff in particular), but in its examination of (mutual) trust, doubt, and love, the film may also remind you of Claude Chabrol at his prime. And a great twist to cap it all off. *** out of 4.

This is a gripping and underrated thriller. It draws you in and holds you tight until the end.

I thought Cooper and Kerr were well matched and that Kerr played exactly the woman the character would have to be, i.e sheltered, very frightened, way out of her depth and near suicidal.

I thought the scene where she's watching a concert on TV was particularly telling, I felt that she's waiting there, expecting Cooper to come and kill her, indeed, surrendering to this fate as the only way out. That's why she has the TV so loud, so she can't hear him approaching and to drown out her own thoughts.

The scene where she's desperately trying to get out of the flat blocks complex was good too; certain that her husband's the murderer she can see the outside world but can't become part of it.

The tension was taut and maintained throughout. Sometimes with these old black and whites I check to see how long's left as they can drag a bit. Not this one, it was totally absorbing.

Being a British film, the censors were a bit less strict than those in the U.S. You actually see a little blood and there's some sexual talk that I don't think you'd hear in an American film of this era.

As with any old film, there's some quaint reminders of how things were back in the day. The remote control Kerr has (as she flicks between the 2 channels! Yes, the UK only had 2 in 1961) had a long wire to the TV on it and there's an ashtray in every room - even the library!

The music is way over the top but that's my only gripe with this superb little gem. See it - it's free on You tube.

Gary Cooper is no Cary Grant; however, the plot of the film is so compelling that it carries both of the main characters along with it. Like Suspicion, this film depicts a wife who has grave doubts about her husband; there is even a scene quite similar to Suspicion with the drive to the dangerous steep fall. Deborah Kerr carries it off well as his doubting wife. The subplots in the film add to the suspense, as it appears a man has been wrongly convicted of murder from the testimony of Cooper. A nice piece of film noir, with a dash of Japanese Rashomon thrown in for good measure. A film worthy of Hitchcock. Recommended.

A sales manager (Gary Cooper) fingers coworker (Ray McAnally) for the murder of his boss and theft of a large sum of money. After the trial, Cooper tells wife Deborah Kerr that he is purchasing a business with a large sum of money he made from a killing in the market. With the prodding of blackmailer Eric Portman, Kerr grows increasingly suspicious that her husband was guilty of the murder and theft. Cooper was horribly miscast: He was too old for this role - he looked ridiculous next to Kerr discussing how they were struggling to make it. Coop at the time was around 60 years old and looked much older; by contrast Kerr was about 40 and looked younger (and was lovely to boot). Thus he's never believable in the role. The direction of this movie left much to be desired. The scenes become tedious replaying themselves over several times. Music blares at points when high suspense is supposed to build. The courtroom scenes were stagy and failed to build any drama. The ending was less than satisfactory feeling rushed and not tying in the loose ends. Nevertheless, the cast is good and turned in fine performances with the exception of Cooper, who struggled with the dialog, and Michael Wilding who is mostly wasted. And the plot is interesting enough but the script and execution are lacking. Some of the cinematography of London is very good and in general the film has an appropriate dark noirish atmosphere. However, there's a good reason why this is a forgotten thriller.

I recently watched this film on video and found myself fast-forwarding through it. It moved very slowly and was difficult to follow and there was way too much talking. All I knew was that Gary Cooper's (his last film) character was witness to a murder while working late in his office one night and that his wife (Deborah Kerr in a really bad performance) suspected that he did it. I believe that there was just no comparing this film to "Psycho" that it didn't even make "Psycho"'s shock grade, except maybe for the murder scene at the very beginning. I don't know if Gary Cooper was ill at the time of the shooting but his performance is very wooden and lifeless. Deborah Kerr was also very disappointing. I've seen the both of them do a much better job. Pass on this one.

I watched this film because of the two lead actors. However, the casting was the ONLY good thing about this stinker. This was easily one of the worst films I have sat all the way through.

While Gary Cooper and Deborah Kerr did the best they could with a repetitive, unimaginative script, the two stars lacked chemistry which didn't help.

Further holding back the film was the laughable music, an early instance of music telling people exactly what to think, feel and expect.

The directing was uninspired, etc. etc. etc.

I wish I had anything positive to say to about this, but sadly, I don't.

Several commenters have chided this, the final picture of Gary Cooper, for being overscored. They did so with good reason. William Alwyn's music almost turn the story into a parody of a suspense movie -- "The Naked Gun" rather than "The Naked Edge." It's awful.

But it's concordant with the direction by Michael Anderson. In the first five minutes, while Cooper is being questioned in a British courtroom, he is asked who else was in the building when the murder occurred. Cooper hesitates, looks uncomfortable, and finally says, "Heath." The camera zooms at lightning speed into a closeup of the man's startled face, accompanied by a crescendo of brass. Terrible. The jury foreman stands up and says, "Yes, your honor. We find the defendant (cut suddenly to a giant closeup of the speakers face) -- "guilty." The defendant leaps to his feet and shrieks, "I'm innocent! YOU did it, Radcliffe!" Ho hum. It's a dark, spare melodrama and resembles an episode of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour." As a matter of fact, the plot is similar to Hitchock's "Suspicion." Well, poor Mr. Heath is marched off to the slams for the rest of his life. And if he did the murder and absconded with the sixty thousand pounds, he well deserves his sentence.

BUT -- did he do it? Immediately after the trial, Cooper begins acting strangely. He speaks of grandiose plans involving a great deal of capital. Where did the money come from? He's been playing the stock market and, "I made a KILLING." He roughs up a man who is following him out of curiosity. All this, and more, foments uncertainty in the mind of his wife, Deborah Kerr, who -- and I hate to use this expression -- is as lovely as she's ever been. She has long wavy hair, innocent features, a recherché nose, and a winsome voice. She breathes elegance. If she lived to be a hundred years old, she'd still be elegant. I -- I just thought for a second of her legs, and I grovel in shame.

Six years after the trial, Cooper has gone up in the business world and the couple are now well off. But a blackmail letter arrives. Kerr is still puzzled, still believes Cooper innocent of any wrongdoing but Cooper himself senses doubt in her, and he's upset by the letter. He snarls a bit and frowns, lighted in such a way as to be caricature of a man with a secret. There's a shot of him sharpening his straight razor. A slight chicane in the plot here. Cooper began spending money to buy property a year after the murder and theft. He claims he made money on the stock market. Easily solved. I could write Kerr's line for her. "Oh, dear, I have nothing to do this afternoon and I wonder if I might leaf through your brokerage accounts and see if I can understand any of it without my poor head swimming." It wouldn't take much skill to interpret the trades. Anyone could understand my account, despite the rusty stains of dried blood and the gloss of vulgar expressions.

The performances are professional enough, although it's difficult to watch someone like Gary Cooper acting not just like a murderer but like a particularly dumb one. It's sad too because we know now that he was not only old but dying. Nice job by Eric Portman as the man who knew too much. All are hobbled by the inferior script and the pedestrian direction. It's not an insulting movie, and it does have its moments, but neither is it very good.

When the film begins, George Radcliffe (Gary Cooper) is in court testifying in a murder case. Another man is subsequently convicted of the murder and the story jumps ahead several years. Now Radcliffe is rich and successful...and his wife receives an anonymous blackmail note. The note would seem to indicate that George was the real murderer! Well, instead of going to the police like any sane woman, she whines and way, way overacts for the entire rest of the film and I don't think I've ever seen Deborah Kerr more shrill and awful. She's not an actress, she's an over-actress!!! She overacts so badly it's embarrassing and I am shocked the director didn't tone down her performance so she only seemed like a totally crazy person (this would have been an improvement!!). But to make matters worse, in some of the subsequent scenes, the music goes nuts...absolutely nuts...with strains that sure sound inspired by the soundtrack from "Psycho". The problem is that NOTHING IS HAPPENING in these scenes and the music is totally inappropriate!!!

"The Naked Edge" could have been a very good film. It's obvious that the director was going for a 'Hitchcockian' sort of picture but there are just to many problems with his direction and it comes off as second rate (at best). Now the problem is NOT the script. After all, Joseph Stefano wrote it...and he's the same guy responsible for "Psycho" and many of the best "Outer Limits" episodes. The story, aside from the overacting and bad music, is actually VERY good....even if it is highly reminiscent of "Suspicion". No, the problem is something that I would pin on three things...and sadly, it's Gary Cooper's last film and he deserved better.

With different music and a different actress (or different direction) it could have easily earned an 8 or possibly a 9. The film is like a beautiful mansion that has dry rot and extensive termite damage hidden within the walls and foundation.

I watched this film and when it was over I wondered how Ms Kerr got from her romp on the beach with Burt Lancaster in 'that' earlier film, then in another falling in love with Cary Grant,and in yet another earlier film having an adventure on a desert island with Robert Mitchum- to being almost chucked into a hot bath with the view of having her wrists slashed by some maniac!! This is just not on! This is just not cricket for Ms Kerr! Having said that I'm sure Ms Kerr would reprimand me strongly (I wish) for mentioning her yet again for 'that' scene in'From Here to Eternity.' Obviously we cannot see to the future,including film stars as to which film to appear in, but I would wager if Deborah Kerr could have her choice once more she would avoid this one. Other than that she gives her best of what there is of the film - including being married to the usual wooden unsmiling Gary Cooper which was a silly movie-miss-match in my opinion, almost as silly as his 'marriage' to Grace Kelly in 'High Noon'. As Ms Kerr oozes class Gary Cooper looks lost without his shred of straw dangling from his mouth.