Well, what do you know: another adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice, which happens to be the third one (Ossessione was the second), as a part of the James M. Cain cycle. I’m sure it’s truer to the text (of the novel that I didn’t read) than Visconti’s film; probably, as a consequence, I was not impressed as much. The protracted ending, featuring an unnecessary explanation of the title, is especially a let-down.
Lana Turner shines as Cora: sexy, seductive, intelligent, ambitious, dangerous... Mr. Cain himself thought that Turner was a perfect choice for the role. Which makes her mismatch with John “Couldn’t they at least hire someone attractive?” Garfield’s dull character, Frank, all the more glaring. In fact, Cora’s husband Nick (Cecil Kellaway) is much more lovable, as in the scene where he sings She’s Funny That Way for Cora. But it is Leon Ames as the District Attorney Kyle Sackett and Hume Cronyn as Cora’s lawyer Arthur Keats who steal the show.
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