Nice words about Whispering Footsteps in Sarah Weinman's article.

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BTW: I disagree with Weinman's opinion, "The most interesting element of the film is the character of Helene LaSalle, played by Joan Blair." Before she's murdered, she insists that she's "Had to fight for everything I've gotten, and I'm not afraid to fight." However, what she actually does in the film is to compromise, if not semi-prostitute herself, in order to accommodate the romantic fantasies of the local bank president.

Contrary to Weinman, I believe that the key woman in the film is Rita Quigley, who in real life was 20 years younger than Blair. Whereas Blair lies to alibi the murder suspect, John Hubbard, so that no one will know she was instead with the married bank president. She was going out with him in order to be sure he would give her a bank loan for her store, in which he has part financial ownership. Like a (semi)prostitute, Blair is working the man for her personal material interests.

In great contrast, Quigley provides an alibi because she believes in Hubbard's innocence.

Blair's manipulations (and denigrations of the people of the town she's just moved to) don't make her "interesting." Hell, because she's so awful, perhaps she deservedly is murdered. In any event, Quigley is the woman who matters. Too bad the female Weinman is incapable of recognizing that.