Laird Cregar is on great form here as the increasingly maniacal composer "George Harvey Bone". He is having a bit of a mental block composing his concerto and suffering from worrying blackouts that his doctor (George Sanders) thinks might improve if he takes some time for diversion. To that end he heads to a music hall where he encounters the manipulative "Netta" (one of my favourite performances from Linda Darnell) and her smarmy friend "Carstairs" (Glenn Langan). Quickly he falls for this lady and equally quickly they realise that his musical skills can net them a small fortune. She teases and tantalises him, he writes her songs - he believes the relationship is much more than it is and she's quite happy to indulge him. The blackouts? Well, they seem to be induced by the most innocuous of sonic triggers - and there are always violent incident following them. This attracts the attention of his doctor "Middleton" and his Scotland Yard pals but can they piece two and two together before yet more tragedy ensues? "Bone" has something of the "Mr Hide" to his character and John Brahm's use of tight facial photography and light alongside some cracking Bernard Hermann scoring and a strong effort from Cregar as the increasingly desperate and frustrated musician builds really well to a grand conflagration that befits it's November 5th setting with some rousing piano!
