Mr. DuLac’s review published on Letterboxd:
I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me.
-Dixon Steele
It's not Nicholas Ray's most famous film, but it's his best. He directed it from a great script by Andrew Solt which is a loose adaptation of the novel by Dorothy B. Hughes and it features Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame at their very best. Ray directed it while going through personal problems of his own and ended up creating a dark masterpiece.
Bogart purchased the story to produce through his own company, Santana Productions. As the main character, Dixon Steele, is a screenwriter, I can't help but think this was one of the reasons that attracted Bogart to the story. He always had great admiration and a bit of envy for writers such as his good friend John Huston, but never had the self-confidence to write himself.
The real reason he was probably attracted to the script is the fact that Bogart had a knack for recognizing great flawed characters when he saw them. Even though his cinematic persona is the tough guy role, Bogey was always at his best playing the tormented soul. In Dixon Steele he's a once successful screenwriter who is now struggling, has a violent temper when he drinks, which wouldn't be such a problem if he wasn't always drinking.
Gloria Grahame's character is flawed herself in a brilliant performance as Laurel Gray. You soon come to the conclusion that Dixon isn't the first broken man that she's been attracted too and tried to "heal" and he won't be the last. While Dixon is suspected of murder, it's not the real problem at hand. It's the tension this causes on their relationship. Even though they are both clearly in love, they are also the ultimate embodiment of the doomed couple.
The dialogue is fantastic and shines especially between the Bogart/Grahame exchanges. Ray and Grahame were married and actually got separated during the filming. They kept it secret in fear of one of them being replaced and somehow through all of that Ray ended up directing his best film while Grahame gave one of her greatest performances. Also ends up being one of Bogart's best roles as well.