Another nice discovery for me: a pretty good thriller which, though not exactly a film noir, features two staples of the genre Dennis O'Keefe and William Bendix in top form. Their rapport throughout is quite delightful and this, along with the equally refreshing charms of leading lady Barbara Britton and the distinct Christmas flavor of its small-town setting, creates an overall mood of warmth not easily found in murder mysteries! The plot (whose insurance-investigation angle clearly derives from Billy Wilder's DOUBLE INDENMITY [1944]) provides a good amount of tension and red herrings along the way, while the final revelation (bearing an unexpected moral emphasis) concludes the film on a satisfying note.