In this effective noir drama directed by Fritz Lang, Edward G Robinson stars (brilliantly) as a diffident cashier with a termagant wife (Rosalind Ivan) and limited means, whose only pleasure is painting in his spare time. He falls in love with Joan Bennett, who, under the sway of her sadistic boyfriend Dan Duryea, leads him into a tangle of deceptions, embezzlement and murder. The movie is grim, downbeat and well played, with some imaginative and unusual plot developments and an audacious ending. The script, unfortunately, tends to run out of control and strain credibility, but there are shades of the pathetic professor, ruined by unsuitable passion in The Blue Angel, in the tragedy that befalls Robinson.

Cashier and part-time starving artist Christopher Cross is absolutely smitten with the beautiful Kitty March. Kitty plays along, but she's really only interested in Johnny, a two-bit crook. When Kitty and Johnny find out that art dealers are interested in Chris's work, they con him into letting Kitty take credit for the paintings. Cross allows it because he is in love with Kitty, but his love will only let her get away with so much.