GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

ChicDragon It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . and CRY WOLF would be more aptly titled THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT. All Baby Boomers seem to pass down the story of how one of their President Kennedy's sisters was lobotomized when she started to "go bad" after puberty. That's what wealthy families usually did back in the day. Otherwise, when "bad seeds" were give free reign to mingle with Proper Society, they'd kill rich neighbor girls with golf clubs, and no more family members would get elected to the U.S. Senate. In a story ripped from his tomorrow's headlines, Errol Flynn plays a Kennedy-like fixer in a U.S. Senatorial Family, desperately trying to keep the schizophrenic Mordreds of his clan from running amok in CAMELOT. For a few brief shining moments Flynn's "Mark Caldwell" succeeds in keeping his family nut cases from cracking up. Stuff hits the fan with a mechanic bludgeoned in Canada by a wrench. Though not quite as serious as doing in Mr. Plum by Candlestick in the Library, it's plenty hard enough for Mark to keep America's political mudslingers from getting a CLUE about his NEXT GENERATION Devolving into Common Murderers. But at least Mark's horse gets to take Barbara Stanwyck for a ride here.

blckb5364 I think this movie is highly underrated. Errol Flynn and Barbara Stanwyck have great chemistry and both turned in superb performances. It's too bad they didn't make more movies together. I'm not sure why so many people think this an average movie at best, unless they can't see Errol Flynn as anything but a swashbuckler. I feel he had tremendous range as an actor. Even Bette Davis who had bashed Errol Flynn's acting abilities for decades admitted later in her life that Errol was "damn good!!" I recommend this to anyone who enjoys classic old movies, especially those who enjoy scary movies. One last note of interest is that I believe this may have been the last movie where Barbara Stanwyck's hair length goes past her shoulders.

krdement I am a huge fan of both Barbara Stanwyck and Errol Flynn. I am surprised to read all of the negative comments about this fine little gem of a movie. Stanwyck delivers a very good performance in her role as the unwanted "widow" of a wealthy family's son. Her suspicions are aroused by the brusque treatment and the sense that something ain't quite right.Flynn is very effective in his role as the point man in the family's efforts to rush Stanwyck out of their affairs and back from whence she came. He capably portrays a man trying to maintain an aristocratically aloof front, avoid suspicion and still push Stanwyck out the door - all the while becoming increasing attracted to her. As an actor, he has a lot on his plate, and he handles it very well. I love to watch him in these rare non-swashbucklers. He always delivers. He was unfairly deprived of such opportunities then, and his ability is unfairly minimized even today. I wish TCM would come out with an Errol Flynn Non-swashbuckler Box Set!The rest of the cast is okay, with the exception of Richard Basehart. He is hopelessly miscast as the object of Stanwyck's affections. He was never a leading man, and he doesn't have that kind of appeal or looks. Even though he is not the lead, those qualities are called for in his role. He cannot deliver. I simply couldn't imagine Stanwyck and Basehart being erstwhile lovers. They have only one or two opportunities to generate that kind of chemistry, and nothing sizzles. This is probably the main problem with the film. A flashback or two might have been a good device to establish them as lovers - for example a flashback of their elopement.One commentator suggested that the plot was flawed because the family should have simply told Stanwyck about her husband upon her arrival. That overlooks the repercussions of such a course of action. Regardless of their motives, the family is, after all, perpetrating a fraud (with very important legal ramifications regarding the estate!), into which they are understandably unwilling to draw an "outsider." Stanwyck is neither wanted nor trusted. To expect the family to just spill the beans to her is naive in the extreme.Contrary to other commentators, I found the entire film very satisfying and entertaining, including the ending. I thought the film built to a climax that, while not greatly surprising, was revelatory. I certainly suspected the mystery's solution, but I didn't know it until the end. Isn't that the case with most mysteries? Enough clues are provided that the solution doesn't come out of the blue? (Didn't anybody see this very issue addressed in the hilarious spoof, Murder by Death?) What more denouement is called for in this film?

notmicro Gothic soap-opera never takes off, despite Stanwyck's strong presence. Exceedingly formulaic script, mediocre direction, and weak supporting actors. Interesting to see Flynn cast so totally against type, playing a cold, controlled, and reserved menacing presence; given his history it almost comes across as a joke - if you didn't know anything about him it would almost be believable.