Anne Francis stars in a memorable performance as a deeply-troubled young waif in this live show, backed by a terrific ensemble cast. There's zero comic relief as a crime story unfolds in a cold, cruel atmosphere of selfish, cruel people surrounding her.
Only glimmer of hope is in her neighbor, a kindly psychiatrist played by Skip Homeier with suitable intensity, nearly matching that of Anne's. Betty Field as her tough-facade stepmom, Sidney Blackmer as her mean-spirited dad, and William Talman, instantly shifty and villainous as the bartender at her parents' bar complete the front-line cast, all of them ready to explode at a moment's notice.
Performing live adds immeasurably to the sustained sense of dread as the show rapidly shifts into melodrama and venal crime, climaxing at the end of the first act with Blackmer's death. Anne's guilt and the gimmick of Skip the shrink using narcosynthesis to try and pry the facts of dad's violent death from Anne's mind lead to a police procedural solution, with the viewer treated quite fairly in witnessing the facts of the case before Skip and the cops can find out.
Obviously a must for Anne Francis fans, it stands up quite well 66 years (wow!) later as potent dramatics from the small screen.