The Los Angeles police know that Pete Ritchie has been bringing drugs into the city, but they can't pin a single piece of evidence on him. After many botched attempts to get at the crook, they resort to having cop Madeleine go undercover and seduce her way into Ritchie's circle. Before she can get anywhere, she's abducted by Johnny, a government agent posing as a thug. But Johnny and Madeleine have no idea they're on the same side of the law.
Acting
Trevor's weary glamour vs. MacMurray's smug confusion—chemistry through irritation.
Production
Mexico locations on a B-budget, complete with suspiciously American cantinas.
Director
William A. Seiter
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Claire Trevor was Oscar-nominated for Key Largo's femme fatale; here she's the weary good girl—Hollywood's weird moral math.
Madeleine's undercover method—sex as police tool—reflects real 1950s narcotics operations using female officers as 'decoys,' a practice barely examined by the film.
US
