This film was made in 194l, so naturally it reflects that time period in film making and story telling and would undoubtedly be done somewhat differently today. Nonetheless, it is a film that can still be enjoyed by a 21st century audience.
The storyline is well paced, and extremely well told, with some surprises, and great acting by the cast, especially Ms. Crawford.
In this film, Joan Crawford plays a woman whose face was damaged in a fire when she was a child, this has caused her to feel like an outcast, and she has grown up to be a hard, bitter woman.
She has few scruples, nor do the people who work for her at the restaurant she owns. They are all party to various scams and cons, including blackmail.
She has never known love, and is an easy victim to the attentions of a handsome man, Tarten Barring. Despite her own cynicalism, she believes Barring loves her, and is so grateful for his attentions, she is willing to do anything for him.
This leads her into a situation where she takes on a false identity as she and Tarten plot together to commit the heinous murder of a child.
As the film opens, she is on trial for murder - the story unfolds as various witnesses testify.
The storyline is well paced, and extremely well told, with some surprises, and great acting by the cast, especially Ms. Crawford.
In this film, Joan Crawford plays a woman whose face was damaged in a fire when she was a child, this has caused her to feel like an outcast, and she has grown up to be a hard, bitter woman.
She has few scruples, nor do the people who work for her at the restaurant she owns. They are all party to various scams and cons, including blackmail.
She has never known love, and is an easy victim to the attentions of a handsome man, Tarten Barring. Despite her own cynicalism, she believes Barring loves her, and is so grateful for his attentions, she is willing to do anything for him.
This leads her into a situation where she takes on a false identity as she and Tarten plot together to commit the heinous murder of a child.
As the film opens, she is on trial for murder - the story unfolds as various witnesses testify.