After 1945 there was a wave of thrillers about a US veteran going back to Europe to chase up some loose end from the war and invariably fall in love. This came towards the end of the cycle and is among the more entertaining. Ray Milland returns to Britain to investigate the mystery of his brother's death, and dally with Patricia Roc.
Jacques Tourneur had his own style, but there is a strong impression of Alfred Hitchcock here, maybe because the producer Joan Harrison was a close associate of the Master. The plot is standard. Milland basically confronts the survivors of the special operation in which his brother was shot. But this is a well put together suspense film made on a small budget.
The remainder of the running time involves the cute flirtation between the determined, disoriented American and the high maintenance British working girl. Milland played this part many time. Patricia Roc's role is mostly decorative, as an English rose, but with a thorn. Among the support cast, Naunton Wayne stands out as a slippery car salesman with a secret for sale.
This should appeal to fans of film noir, though there isn't any visual expressionism. Or a femme fatale. It's not as good as Tourneur's more celegrated UK film- Night of the Demon- but still a compelling mystery-thriller directed by a real craftsman.