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The first half of this film is a fascinating portrayal of a Paranoid Psychopath. The second half deteriorates into an in-earnest attempt to deliver a thoughtful look at someone suffering from this form of mental illness.

Ingrid Bergman, in her third Hollywood feature, is the subject of a dangerous obsession from her husband, a wealthy heir, who lacks self-esteem and lives in a constant state of jealously and prone to being easily agitated. Robert Montgomery plays the ticking bomb.

Parenthetically, Montgomery was reportedly unhappy the studio demanded he play the role because he wanted time off and therefore delivered his lines quickly and without much effort. I found this to be, ironically, effective for the character.

The great George Sanders plays the man in most danger of the lead character's pathological illness. Unfortunately, his character is given little to work with in the third act of the film.

There's a scene where a trial is held and the apathy displayed by Sanders (with the exception of one shot) is astonishing.

In the 1940s Hollywood began its fascination with stories focused on psychology. This is one of the first films in that era and unfortunately it was put in the hands of director W. S. Van Dyke, who had the reputation of working quickly and was nicknamed "One-Take Van Dyke." You can see characters trip over lines and a lack of care over the story's plot line.

Oscar Homolka seriously overplays the mental health doctor in the picture. Clearly the rage over the film's miscues should be directed at Van Dyke.

One of the times I've seen this film I chose to listen to the track only. It sounded like a perfectly produced radio-play. No surprise. Dick Powell was a radio actor, director Robert Rossen keeps the melodrama thick as his, and Milton Holmes' script, calls for.

But, I'm not recommending you do that because you'd be devoid of Burnett Guffey's crisp, noir photography.

The story is a bit muddled and misses opportunities to amplify the love interests. But, there's plenty of old Hollywood charm for genre lovers.

I'm just going to list some of the reasons why I feel this movie is overrated:

• The main villain, Claude Akins, has very little presence.

• The other key villain in the film, John Russell, has even less presence

• The romance between John Wayne and Angie Dickinson has no fireworks. In fact, Wayne was reportedly nervous about love scenes with a woman 25 years younger than him and it shows! The scenes are awkward despite the efforts of two good actors.

• In a movie that should build tension towards it's climax it pauses for a scene with two musical numbers.

• Rickey Nelson

• It's too long. Especially for a slowly-paced film with nothing of any gravity to share.

• It's derivative story. Told too many times by the director, Howard Hawks, and Wayne. (AND, told better by the two AFTER Rio Bravo).

• A ludicrous, implausible final shoot-out scene that offers no emotional payoff

It's not all bad, of course. There's too much talent in the cast and behind the camera for that to possibly happen.

But, overall I found Rio Bravo real boring.