Nightmare Reviews

A fast-paced, although at times a bit silly, espionage-suspense film starring Donlevy as a down-and-out American gambler who breaks into the home of London lady Barrymore looking for food. There he finds the corpse of Barrymore's husband in the study with a knife in its back. Barrymore catches Donlevy and gives him the option of waiting for the police to arrive or giving her a hand in disposing of the body for a price. Donlevy opts for the latter, but the cops get wise, forcing the pair to flee to Barrymore's family estate in Scotland. There Donlevy meets with Barrymore's adopted cousin Muir who runs a distillery. While hiding out, Donlevy and Barrymore find things a bit strange at the estate and soon discover that Muir is a spy for the Nazis whose compatriots are being flown from Germany and parachuted over the secluded distillery. Deciding it is more noble to risk jail on a murder charge than blithely watch as the fate of the free world grows dimmer, Donlevy and Barrymore set a plan into action that will smash the spy ring. Eventually the Nazis are routed, Donlevy and Barrymore fall in love, and everybody buys more war bonds. Donlevy, Barrymore, and director Whelan establish an engrossing thriller in the first part of the film, but then dismantle it to get to the Nazis. When the viewer realizes that the murder was only a plot device to get the characters out of London and off to Scotland, there is a feeling of betrayal and manipulation. While NIGHTMARE is really nothing more than a competently crafted thriller anyway, the point is moot, but perhaps it may have been something special if it had proceeded along the opening story line.