"Republic usually encouraged their 'B' directors to turn out fast-action pictures with at least one furniture-smashing fist-fight somewhere along the way. However, working from Philip MacDonald's interesting original story, Anthony Mann here managed to turn out an evocative and atmospheric thriller more related to Val Lewton (Cat People) than to Republic's standard product. And to their credit Republic left it alone, recognized its merits and pushed it in their advertising as something rather different, reaping good reviews and above-average business. It was Mann's fifth film, and only his second thriller." William K. Everson