CinemaSerf
Jun 20, 2022
6/10
"Resting" actor, Louis Hayward ("Barry") and his pal "Doc" (J.C. Nugent) are a bit down on their luck when they take shelter in a big house one rainy night. About to leave the next morning, they are spotted by staff who mistake him for the long-absent son of the house, and when he finds a letter from his "assumed" mother (Nana Bryant) containing $500, they decide to string out their new existence for a while... Snag is, the real "Reitter" (Eric Linden) turns up, shortly afterwards - in jail accused of murder. A sense of decency overwhelms the young man and he sets out to prove his double's innocence. It's a bit far fetched, but Hayward is on good form and the pace is quick, humorous at times and there's even a bit of romance for the star with Barbara Read ("Patricia"). There are too many characters in this film, they over-complicate what is essentially a rather simple, engaging whodunit a bit - but it's still a decent, suspenseful, adaptation of the Pollock novel that passes the time well for 70 minutes.