This very fine 1953 melodrama may feel dated, but I found it intriguing to watch. Wikipedia says it is the first film directed by a woman and also star the same woman who is the super talented and versatile Ida Lupino. I've enjoyed her other directed films noir like The Hitch-Hiker, also starring Edmond O'Brien. This time he stars as playing the husband of Ida Lupino and also Joan Fontaine. He turns in a complex and conflicted portrayal of a bigamist. I felt sympathy for his situation, but he was his own worse enemy. Interestingly, old Edmund "Kris Kringle" Gwenn plays the state adoption investigator who exposes O'Brien's double life. Several references are made about Santa Claus, a humorous touch. I liked O'Brien in this world weary traveling salesman role. His loneliness while on the road is what brings him into Lupino's orbit. The ending is pretty numbing and ambivalent. Lupino doesn't sensationalize or exploit the bigamist topic. Worthwhile viewing for fans of the film noir genre.
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