For a film about mental illness, this was a real surprise. Hollywood tends to go to extremes: either a violent psychotic killer movie or a preachy story of how people with mental issues are mistreated by society is what one would expect. How refresing that Universal's B unit would make such a serious drama.

I was more than rooting for Ray Danton, since it's was so easy to identify with his predicament - trying to start a new life and readjust to society after a couple of years in a mental institution. The realistic opening of the state hospital's board debating whether he was ready to be released played 100% true.

The setting at cottges off the beach created an idyllic atmosphere for Ray to make progress in the company of sympathetic local folk -like pregnant Merry Anders and her friendly husband. Just when everything finally is going aces for Ray, including a beautiful girlfriend in Colleen Miller, the prejudice and meanness of her dad causes him to explode with fatal consequences. At this point, we know it's only a matter of time before he will meet his fate, but the suspense is well-handled, and the Gothic climax (replete with waves crashing into the rocks on shore) packs a wallop.

The casting against type of pretty boy/suave Ray Danton as our hapless antihero works wonders for the powerful pathos of the ending. Definitely a winner by director Abner Biberman and writer Gene Levitt (who notably produced "Combat!" for TV).