A B-movie and something of a small classic comparable to Melville's "Le
Samourai" which it may have influenced. Vince Edwards in his pre-Ben
Casey days is the young man who actually wants to be a contract killer
and the movie is about his somewhat clinical initiation into the job.
Superbly written by Ben Simcoe, brilliantly photographed in black and
white by Lucien Ballard and with a terrific yet simple score by Perry
Botkin this movie comes close to perfection. It was directed by Irving
Lerner who up to then hadn't really done anything of note, (perhaps he
was just waiting for the right material). Edwards is superb as the
almost overly confident killer who comes undone when he has to kill a
woman. It's a very simple picture, in which almost all the killings are
kept off-screen concentrating instead on the killer's psychology and how
he goes about his work. Never a commercial success it has now build up a
considerable cult following.
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