Industrialist Paul Raden (Albert Dekker) returns to his ancestral home to attend his father’s funeral. He’s shocked to learn from the family doctor (Harry Carey) that his twin brother John, whom he believed died as a boy, has been locked in the attic of the abandoned mansion, insane from a scandalous childhood trauma. Soon enough, John is loose and making up for lost time, particularly with lushly nubile Susan Hayward. Soon-to-be-blacklisted Lester Cole also slips some political subtext into this horror-noir Southern Gothic hybrid. Heisler’s strong, swift direction is abetted by the stunning cinematography of Theodor Sparkuhl.

Presented in 35mm courtesy of Universal Pictures.