An elderly baker named Miller (Ludwig Stossel) is murdered by a sinister stranger (Peter Lorre). A trail leads on to a nightclub singer, Leda Hamilton (Kaaren Verne) who reveals that she and Miller have been in thrall to an organization of Nazi fifth columnists led by Ebbing (Conrad Veidt). She is helped by a well-meaning promoter, Alfred “Gloves” Donahue (Humphrey Bogart), who himself is suspected of murdering a restaurant owner (Edward Brophy), and has to track down those responsible to prove his innocence. —Wikipedia
Vincent Sherman (July 16, 1906 – June 18, 2006) was an American director, and actor, who worked in Hollywood. His movies include Mr. Skeffington (1944), Nora Prentiss (1947), and The Young Philadelphians (1959).
He began his career as an actor on Broadway and later films. He directed B-movies for Warner Bros. before moving up to A-pictures. He was a good friend of actor Errol Flynn, whom he directed in Adventures of Don Juan (1949). He directed three Joan Crawford movies The Damned Don’t Cry! (1950), Harriet Craig (1950), and Goodbye, My Fancy (1951).
Early life
Sherman was born Abraham Orovitz, to Jewish parents. He was born and grew up in the small town of Vienna, Georgia, where his father was a dry-goods salesman.Not long after graduating from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, he became a professional actor.
Career
Sherman arrived in New York to sell a play and soon became an actor. He made his debut at the stage in Counselor at Law, which starred… read more
This uneasy blend of drama and comedy still manages to be very entertaining. While the talent of Phil Silvers and Jackie Gleeson enhances the comedic aspects of the film, the humour still misses the mark. Humphrey Bogart is great as Gloves Donohue however his sense of comedic timing is somewhat lacking here. In spite of this, the movie is still well worth watching.