If it were not for the ending, I'd rate this moody, well photographed noir much higher than "2". But the way the movie concludes is a real cop-out that not only disappoints but that doesn't make a gram of sense. A pity!
This Monogram version of "Crime and Punishment" is well-acted too, particularly by Peter Cookson (hero), Anne Gwynne (an unusual heroine), Warren William (in a rather small part - alas! - as the determined investigator), Almira Sessions (the shrewish landlady), and Francis Pierlot (as the grasping moneylender).
It's a shame that all this clever writing, good acting, moody photography (Jackson Rose) and suspenseful direction (Alfred Ziesler) comes to nothing when the cop-out conclusion suddenly bursts on the screen. And the movie is now available on a very good Grapevine DVD too!
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