Although the screenplay hasn't weathered too well 60 years on it is worthy of a watch as a curiosity piece. The performances as parents of Jim Backus and Ann Doran are still worthy of attention.
The screenplay is a struggle for the most part but the pieces then start to fall into place toward the later stages. The set designs are sparse and depressing & the film is best viewed on a cold winter night. Thank goodness it was shot in black and white.
The value of a documentary – which this is not – over a dramatisation is that it is more difficult to embellish the facts. This is important when the story involves the criminal element.