Robert Mitchum stars as Jeff Bailey, an unassuming man running a gas station in a small mountain community.
All is fine until one day he receives a visit from the associate of a man named Whit (Kirk Douglas). It seems Jeff was a private eye who at one time worked for Whit and escaped from his evil clutches.
Whit wants Jeff to return to him and finish some old business. As Jeff explains this to his now current girlfriend, Ann (Virginia Huston) we learn what happened.
Jeff was hired by Whit to find a beautiful woman named Kathie (Jane Greer) who has absconded with $40,000 belonging to Whit. Jeff trails her to Mexico and ends up falling in love with her and helping her against Whit.
There are plenty of crosses and double crosses as Jeff begins to learn what kind of woman Kathie really is. Jeff finally leaves the entire situation after being connived by Kathie one too many times.
We are brought up to current times again as Jeff and Whit meet. Whit is soon murdered by Kathie and she wants Jeff to help her once again. This leads to a tragic end for everyone involved, but hey, that's what film noir is all about.
This bleak but excellent gem was directed by Jacques Tourneur and is simply a must for noir fans. The film is also known as "Build My Gallows High" and Mitchum's character of Jeff even tells this to the scheming Kathie.
One of the best of it's kind. Watch it!! The rest of the cast includes Steve Brodie, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Webb and Paul Valentine.
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