Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This movie might have been called The Cutting Edge for all the boundaries of 1961 it pushed! It utilizes innovative camera and editing techniques that echo Alfred Hitchcock's scary scenes from Psycho, alludes to sex in a way few films had been able to do since the fall of the Hays Code, and put the word "naked" in the title! Even the first shot of the film is unusual, making you wonder, "Why did they show that? What am I missing?" for the first of many times as the mystery continues throughout the film. A bead of sweat is shown running down Gary Cooper's face. He's in court, ready to testify as a key witness to a murder. His accounting condemns a man to life imprisonment, and the guilt rattles him after the trial. Years later, he's a successful businessman, and he and his wife Deborah Kerr are living a life of luxury. He receives a threatening letter, making Deborah doubt his testimony all those years ago. . .The Naked Edge is one scary movie! I'm not his biggest fan, but Gary Cooper gives a more energetic performance than he usually does. Although Deborah's character isn't written to be the smartest tool in the shed, she does a good job exuding her fear and doubt without turning it into a melodrama. Usually, Gary plays likable, earnest roles. This is the only movie I've seen where Gary Cooper plays a bad guy! This one's pretty scary and very suspenseful, so rent it on Halloween and cuddle up to your honey—or don't. . .DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, there's one part of the movie that might that will make you sick. There's a scene where Deborah Kerr gets lost and when she runs up and down the streets, the camera is hand-held. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

I watched this film because of the two lead actors. However, the casting was the ONLY good thing about this stinker. This was easily one of the worst films I have sat all the way through.While Gary Cooper and Deborah Kerr did the best they could with a repetitive, unimaginative script, the two stars lacked chemistry which didn't help.Further holding back the film was the laughable music, an early instance of music telling people exactly what to think, feel and expect.The directing was uninspired, etc. etc. etc.I wish I had anything positive to say to about this, but sadly, I don't.

There is a stylistic feel to this film, a clever use of dark and light tones and an impressive use of camera angles and close ups which does give more than a nod towards Hitchcock, though perhaps at times it is a little overdone. The story itself is a good one, with a number of clever twists and turns, and the two leads give good solid performances. I did enjoy this film; the sort I felt could bear more than one watching. Unfortunately, the ending is too obviously hurried in its attempt to tie up all the loose ends, and this, for me, is what lets it down.

Gary Cooper's last film is a Hitchcock like tale of a man who wrongly identifies the killer of his boss during a robbery. It was an inside job so we have a closed pool of suspects. Years later a mail pouch that was lost during another robbery and a blackmail letter is delivered to Cooper. Wife Deborah Kerr now thinks her husband did it and becomes fearful.This sounds a lot like Hitchcock's Suspicion and in fact the whole film is a case of Hitchcock wannabe. I won't identify the real culprit, but if you watch the first half hour, you'll know. Very little suspense involved at all. Cast does the best it could with the material they were given.