▁best ▁of ▁months . ▁You ▁will ▁never ▁guess ▁the ▁real ▁murder er ▁until ▁the ▁den ou ement " ▁and ▁pra ised ▁the ▁performances ▁of ▁Dor othy ▁Sebastian . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁Vari ety ▁declared ▁the ▁film ▁" a ▁hop eless ly ▁involved ▁script ▁handled ▁by ▁Lion el ▁Barry m roe ▁in ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁would ▁dis cred it ▁a ▁quick ie ▁director . ▁Wor se ▁than ▁the ▁worst ▁would - be ▁thr iller ▁m eller ▁st aged ▁on ▁Broadway ▁and ▁impress ing ▁as ▁a ▁point less ▁sou ff le ▁bur les qu ing ▁them ▁all " ▁con cluding ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁" a ▁one ▁hundred ▁percent ▁le mon ." ▁Film ▁critic ▁and ▁historian ▁T roy ▁How arth , ▁declared ▁that ▁" If ▁the ▁film ▁is ▁any ▁indic ation ▁of ▁Barry more ' s ▁overall ▁direct ing ▁talent , ▁it ' s ▁no ▁surprise ▁that ▁he ▁eventually ▁returned ▁his ▁focus ▁exclus ively ▁to ▁acting ." ▁and ▁found ▁the ▁film ▁" p ain fully ▁cre ak y ▁and ▁mel od ram atic .... un fold ing ▁in ▁pain fully ▁static ▁medium ▁and ▁long ▁sh ots ". ▁ ▁Ret ros pective ▁Michael ▁R . ▁Pitts ▁discussed ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁on ▁obsc ure ▁genre ▁films ▁between ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁" cons ists ▁of ▁talk ▁with ▁little ▁physical ▁action " ▁and ▁that ▁" the ▁film ▁moves ▁at ▁a ▁fairly ▁good ▁pace , ▁contains ▁fine ▁performances ▁and ▁is ▁atmos pher ic ▁in ▁its ▁London ▁fog