The master, Alfred Hitchcock, couldn’t have done better. It’s a low-budget thriller that compels attention from the arresting credits to the alarming fade-out.
An unnamed wastrel (Edmond O’Brien) will do anything for money, even to the point of assisting in the murder of ruthless millionaire Harris Chapman (Ralph Brooks), who has made the mistake of falling foul of his secretary, Marian (Laraine Day).
Having been thoroughly schooled in the boss’s speech, life and habits by Marian, O’Brien’s “voice” assumes the millionaire’s identity. By remote telephone control from Mexico, he takes over the murdered man’s business affairs, intending to steal a quarter of a million dollars before the murder is discovered.
The plot is perfect. It’s a film that knows where it’s going and gets there without extraneous detours. It’s as intricate as a jigsaw puzzle and just as emotionless.
The characters aren’t pleasant, but they’re hair-raisingly convincing. Edmond O’Brien contrives just the right mixture of shady self-confidence and nagging nerves as the great impersonator.
Laraine Day is deliciously heartless as the secretary out for revenge.
And as a stray charmer who becomes an integral part of O’Brien’s plot, Julie London is coolly mysterious.
The Man (voice)
Edmond O’Brien Marian Forbes
Laraine Day Corey Scott
Julie London Harris Chapman
Ralph Brooks Blonde Prostitute
Olga San Juan Judge Kendall
George Eldredge Desk Clerk
Tom Hernández Police Inspector
Abel Franco Carreras
Edward Colmans Tourist at Bar
Tom Daly Mrs Kendall
Lucille Curtis Carreras’ Secretary
Shirley O’Hara Bank Official
Raoul De Leon Hotel Miramar Cashier
Sylvia Ray Fisherman
Roque Ybarra Captain Campos
Jorge (George) Treviño
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Having been thoroughly schooled in the boss’s speech, life and habits by Marian, O’Brien’s “voice” assumes the millionaire’s identity. By remote telephone control from Mexico, he takes over the murdered man’s business affairs, intending to steal a quarter of a million dollars before the murder is discovered.
