Jean Simmons is luminous, despite attempts to dowdify her. All other actors are strong. This is in spite of the silly plot. Never understood why Charlotte fell in love with her future husband, why she continued to love him later, why he didn't divorce her and marry Joan (since he does not seem to be after her money). Did someone try to drug her? Did she become better after she stopped drinking the supposedly doctored drinks? Was there a liaison between the husband and Joan? Was the mother malicious or just a loud, insensitive woman? Most of all - why is it that Hollywood movies always have a nice, sensitive guy waiting in the wings for the mistreated, at-risk heroine in its suspense movies? (See Gaslight, Midnight Lace, this movie, and many others.)
Review of Home Before Dark
