Review by lor_

When I saw S. Sylvan Simon's name on the credits as the filmmaker, I knew immediately this would be a different type of picture. Like Billy Wilder, SSS's comedic background puts a different perspective on the whodunit/mystery genre, let alone its extension into the dark side of film noir.

I especially enjoyed the light and breezy approach of star Franchot Tone to his role as gumshoe, so different from the classical models. Right from the beginning of the saga, his raised eyebrow (a la The Rock) and reactions to the most violent and mortal situations he finds himself in has a debonair as well as carefree attitude. In other hands it would appear to be satire (like a Steve Martin "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" genre revision), but instead we're carried along with endless clues, switcheroos and blind alleys on almost a romp rather than a thriller.

Just the plethora of leading ladies in major roles is quite different from the norm and all of them add greatly to the narrative. Keeping all the twists and turns straight is quite a challenge, but the final confrontation scene of bringing all the pieces and dangling threads together is a marvel of prestidigitation. For me, it made the cleverness of "Knives Out" seem like child's play.