A fine film, and one that has seemingly slipped through the cracks. One would think that its particular take on things might make it a kind of heterodox choice when TCM does its Memorial Day marathons, but apparently not.

Perhaps one of the folk being tagged for the current TWO FOR ONE programming at TCM (famous, accomplished film folk pick two of their favorite films and schmooze with Ben Mankiewicz) will chose it along with THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE...

Malden (who lived near our family up in west LA's Mandeville Canyon while we lived there in the sixties and seventies) did take over director's duties on another film, THE HANGING TREE (due to the illness of Delmer Daves) but he was uncredited at the time. Having had three conversations with him as a teenage, I was unequipped to ask him about anything of much import, but I have occasionally wondered why he didn't do more directing...perhaps the answer is in his autobio.