A routine story about a woman who unknowingly gets involved with a killer transcends its formula roots, thanks to the fine ensemble performance and some good direction. Sidney plays newcomer Baxter's lover. Through circumstantial evidence she is arrested and sent to prison on trumped-up

charges. She soon escapes and meets a new love, Douglas, who helps her hide from the law until her name is cleared. Although Sidney's role is probably the most stereotypical, she gives an effective and realistic performance. Baxter, a veteran of Broadway's Group Theater, makes a fine screen debut

as her cold-blooded lover. Howard uses his actors well and shows a good hand with his direction, making the film a good deal better than its script. In lesser hands this would have been just another B gangster film, but Howard and his cast turn it into something fresh and out of the ordinary.