An independent producer unwisely opens a can of worms after he decides to make a movie about the unsolved murder of a famous silent film director.
Writing
Fred Kohner's script weaponizes Hollywood mythology.
Direction
Castle's restraint here is almost suspicious.
Acting
Henry Hull plays two men, zero trust.
Director
William Castle
Richard Conte
Larry O'Brien
Julie Adams
Sally Rousseau / Amanda Rousseau
Richard Egan
Police Lt. Bud Lennox
Henry Hull
Philip Ferrara / Vincent St. Clair
Fred Clark
Sam Collyer
Jim Backus
Mitch Davis
Houseley Stevenson
John Miller, Studio Guard
Paul Cavanagh
Roland Paul
Francis X. Bushman
Himself
Betty Blythe
Herself
William Farnum
Himself
Helen Gibson
Herself
Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is Castle's thinly veiled retelling of the William Desmond Taylor murder—Hollywood's most famous cold case, where studios allegedly buried evidence to protect stars.
Released during the HUAC era, the film's depiction of studios silencing scandal feels pointed. Castle would soon pivot to gimmick horror; this is his last 'serious' noir before 'Emergo' and 'Percepto' took over.
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