The basic story involves a drifter, Frank Chambers, who has an affair with a married woman, and then is persuaded to help kill her husband.

The trouble begins when a middle-aged owner of a roadside diner / gas station, Nick Smith (John Colicos) hires a drifter, Frank Chambers (John Garfield) to work as a handy man. Nick's beautiful, but immoral wife, Cora (Lana Turner), and Frank develop an intimate relationship. Cora and Frank hatch a plan to bump off poor Nick. But, as the saying goes, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray." As the story progresses, we are drawn further and further into the plight of doomed drifter, Garfield, with considerable suspense generated along the way.

The story has elements in common with "Double Indemnity." The screenplay, by Harry Ruskin and Niven Busch, was based on the James M. Cain novel, who wrote the source novels for "Postman" and "Indemnity."

The film is a classic because of the power of its tale of lust and murder, as the screenplay explores the seedy side of human naure. Turner and Garfield have great chemistry together. We feel their passion. The morally bankrupt Cora (Lana Turner) is so hot and sexy here that its easy to see why Garfield would murder for her, if he lacked in moral conviction and character.

My favorite scenes are those with Turner and Garfield, which really heat up the screen. Some actors have chemistry, but with Garfield and Turner you can practically see the sparks jumping between them.

If you are a fan of stories involving "doomed romance and double crosses," you'll enjoy this film.