Crawford plays a woman who slowly begins to go mad when Van Heflin breaks up with her. She marries rich Raymond Massey to "punish" him only to find Massey's daughter (Geraldine Brooks) falling for Heflin...and pushing Joan to the brink.<br /><br />Exceptional movie...one of Joan's best. This was one of the few Hollywood films of the 1940s to treat mental illness (somewhat) seriously. The director uses sound effects, music and weird camera effects when Crawford's grip on reality starts to loosen. But she slips in and out of madness so quickly that she (and the audience) never knows what's real or not. Crawford is just superb--one of her best performances. Brooks is just great in her film debut. Heflin though, I never liked. He's unattractive and generally cruel--I wondered what Crawford sees in him. And Massey is stone-faced through the proceedings. Still, well worth catching. Love that lake house!<br /><br />The TV print of this is in pretty poor condition. This film needs serious restoration.