The fiery matching of Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck must have sounded like a great idea, and indeed, a better script and director might have met expectations. But while this "soap noir" does create an ominous atmosphere, it is hurt by uneven pacing and overacting (even by the leads, whose work here is less than they are capable of). The beginning is too efficient, skimming by plot points one would have preferred better depicted, and the end is too long, drawing out Stanwyck's discovery of her predicament slightly beyond the breaking point. On the up side, there are some chilling moments here, and even a substandard Bogart and Stanwyck are fun to watch.