It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Not bad, but aside from the "surprise" last denouement, quite an unremarkable period piece. A heavy bit of Melodrama with some interesting Dialog exchanges. It all seems rather confined and is not as much gloomy as it is less roomy.Things are strung together with as much threading as necessary but it does seem to ramble a bit and is lesser for it. The suspense suffers as things can get a bit talky with much ado about drinking and fortunes.But it is Worth a Watch for its sums are better than the parts and it comes together nicely, if suddenly, and makes the experience worthwhile. There are some offbeat Characters and some nice interplay, but in the end it could have used more tension and less talk.

Joseph Cotten, Barbara Stanwyck, Louis Calhern, and Leslie Caron star in "The Man with a Cloak," a 1951 thriller set in 1848 New York. A young woman (Caron) comes to New York to get money for her boyfriend's political cause from his grandfather (Calhern). Grandpa is in the clutches of his ex-girlfriend turned housekeeper (Stanwyck) and a surly butler (Joe De Santis) who are waiting for the old man to die so they can get his money. The Caron character thinks they are trying to kill him, so she appeals to an apparent ne'er do well who hangs at the local bar, Dupin (Cotten) for help.This is a slow-moving story for sure, but Cotten has some great dialogue nonetheless. Stanwyck looks beautiful and is very good as the duplicitous woman. Alas, these are film careers on the wane, as evidenced by the smallness of the film. Caron is quite young and appealing, and of course, her star would go up and up. The ending has a twist that is quite fun. I have no idea if it's historically preposterous or not, but this movie needed a kick and it was a good one. Certainly worth seeing for its stars.

Cotten is the title character, confessing to be a poet and living on the charity of his landlady and the local barman. He feels great affection and admiration for Caron's character, who's come from France to try to secure an inheritance from her fiance's grandfather (Calhern) for her husband-to-be so he can use it to help his people, or something like that. Anyway, a faded theatre diva (Stanwyck) and the manservant are counting on that inheritance and won't let Cotten and Caron get away with it. Some very contrived moments, but on the whole a mood and tone consistent with its 1840s setting, and a story that is interesting to watch. Calhern is a standout as the dying man. The film's most memorable scene is when Calhern, on his deathbed, concocts a potion to end his life with, only to watch his lawyer unwittingly drink the drugs and die before him in the prime of life. Calhern's character can't speak, and this scene generates a very high level of suspense. Good show all around.

A semi-historical costume drama about literature's first detective (or his author), as played by Joseph Cotton. The acting is excellent all around. Cotton is good, he doesn't try to do too much with his role, & it would have been tempting to ham it up during some drinking scenes, but he underplays his part nicely. Barbara Stanwyck is deliciously evil as she tries every imaginable trick to achieve her goal. Leslie Caron is cute & believable as a French woman in a role tailor made for her. Joe De Santis does well as the heavy. Louis Calhern overpowers each scene he's in, but that's what his character calls for. Another thing I enjoyed about this film is that it's apparently headed towards several cliches, but manages to avoid them before getting there & doesn't follow the usual expected plot pattern. It's by no means a Film Noir, but it shares some very snappy dialog with that genre, especially between Cotton & Stanwyck. If the film had a little more suspense or mystery, & it would have been a real winner. I rate it 7/10.