Crawford is a rich heiress and also a very successful playwright. During rehearsals, she demands that Palance be removed as the romantic lead in her latest play because--well, because he looks like Jack Palance! Later, however, she meets him on a train to San Francisco and romance ensures. But, evil Gloria Grahame has other plans. Unfortunately, before the climactic scene, in one of the strangest turns in all of film noir, the entire cast dies of lung cancer! At last, a noir picture that recognizes the dangers of smoking. As a result, several of the actors in the film quit smoking immediately and lived longer lives as a result. Except, of course, for evil Gloria Grahame, who was simply beyond redemption. ( )