Sleep, My Love Reviews

After 12 years away from films, Mary Pickford was the backstage executive producer of this murder-mystery with her husband Buddy Rogers. Wealthy Colbert, a socialite married to Ameche, is found aboard a train chugging toward Boston. She has no idea what she's doing on the train or how she got there. Smith, a nice old lady, helps her get in touch with Ameche, at their residence with police, whom he's called after Colbert's disappearance. The phone conversation is heard by officer Burr, as Ameche reminds Colbert that she had earlier threatened his life with a revolver, a fact Colbert does not recall. Colbert hops the commuter flight back to New York and runs into charming Cummings, who shares an acquaintance with Colbert. Cummings is taken by Colbert and is rapidly moon-eyed. Back in Manhattan, Ameche suggests that Colbert see psychiatrist Coulouris. In their session, Coulouris browbeats Colbert, who can't stand up to his aggressive attitude. Coulouris exits, leaving Colbert and Ameche together. Ameche leaves their residence, where the session was taking place, telling his wife that he has an important business engagement. His business is with Brooks, his voluptuous mistress. Now we discover that Ameche and Brooks have brought in Coulouris, a photographer, to masquerade as the psychiatrist and attempt to cause Colbert to take her own life, thus leaving Ameche her huge riches. Cummings arrives at the Colbert-Ameche residence and finds Colbert sleepwalking on a high balcony, just inches from going over the side. Cummings smells a rat, does a bit of sleuthing, goes to Coulouris' photo studio, and tells the man he needs a small passport picture. Colbert's description of her "psychiatrist" matches Coulouris' features, and Cummings is now hip to what's happening. At their apartment, Ameche attempts to drug Colbert but she is wise and only pretends to be under the influence. Ameche, knowing that Coulouris can use his information to blackmail the illicit couple, plans to have Colbert kill Coulouris. When Coulouris arrives to have a session with his "patient," he realizes what the plan is and tries to escape but is shot by Ameche, who then turns his gun on Colbert and is about to shoot her when Cummings arrives and saves the day. The explanation is easy, once we learn that the nice old lady on the train was, in fact, the wife of Coulouris and the whole ploy was planned from the start. Some good suspense, a few shocking moments, but nowhere near many of the other noir classics for style, wit, and cinematography. The lack of sharp lines is odd because one of the screenwriters was a very funny writer, Rosten, who also used the named "Leonard Q. Ross."