Ralph Meeker is a vet who has headaches, blackouts, and the alarming things that in classic cinema make him an easy target for a suspicious cop. Paul Henreid, the suspicious cop, is ready to toss the guy into a prison cell. Can A WOMAN'S DEVOTION, supplied by Janice Rule, keep Meeker out of a nasty prison in beautiful Acapulco?
This is one of those films that gets called noir -- in this case because the plot, featuring a vet who have gone bad, seems to cry out for black and white photography, bleak cynicism, and gun play amongst the Venetian blinds. But it really does not belong in that category -- partly because the focus of the picture is really on a well acted cat and mouse game between Paul Henreid -- playing a bitter Mexican cop to perfection -- and Janice Rule, who is a devoted wife, but a smart one, determined to get her husband out of the mess that is slowly surrounding him. The other star, one rendered in Republic's Technicolor variant, is Acapulco, which is seedier than what one usually sees in the movies.
The film starts slowly -- because Henreid (the director) is determined to show happiness between Rule and Meeker -- and he is also giving himself time to establish the true sour core of his character. The result is once the mystery elements finally get going, we actually feel for these characters, and that makes the (alas) inevitable end that more powerful.
Yet another scarce film that needs a release, but does not have the obvious hook for it. And the next time TCM does a Paul Henreid retrospective, they need to find this one. His direction draws out the best in his actors (except for Meeker, who misplays his part in the later reels). His own acting seems inspired by being cast a bit against type.
