I saw this film not too long ago, yet most of its second half did not stay with me, which makes sense.

It's just such a baffling swerve, to the point where if I discovered the film had actually been composited from two different stories, I would be shocked, shocked like Captain Renault. I looked for the PCA file to see if I could find any hints of explanation, but it is unfortunately not part of the archive online. It could have been one of these incredible little noirs, fast and scary and startling for their era. I gather it is remembered for introducing Charlton Heston, although I watched it, honestly (a) because I am tracking the Paramount noirs now that they are finally on my radar (b) for Harry Morgan.