The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

Set in San Francisco, a homicide detective (Lee J. Cobb) is smitten with an attractive socialite (Jane Wyatt). When her soon to be ex-husband (Harlan Wade) unexpectedly breaks into their home one night, she shoots him in front of her new lover. Instead of doing the right thing, the detective helps her by taking the dead body away and disguising the death as a botched robbery. Directed by Felix E. Feist (DONOVAN'S BRAIN), this is a strong minor film noir which conjures up James M. Cain. Cobb and Wyatt are cast in atypical roles. The character actor Cobb is here cast as a leading man being lead down the garden path by a  femme fatale (Jane Wyatt). Cobb underplays most of the part while Wyatt overdoes the fatale somewhat. Still, it's a beguiling crime noir allowing us to see two familiar faces stretching themselves. The final quiet exchange between Cobb and Wyatt at the end of the movie is priceless! With John Dall (always uninteresting when he plays "good" guys), Lisa Howard, Marjorie Bennett and Tito Vuolo.