Anyone else just wanna punch Dan Druyea in the face over and over again during this movie?

Lang can do no wrong.

Edward G. Robinson as Chris Cross is (was) absolutely wonderful in this part.

And yes, Dan Duryea's character really is a picture-book or cartoon villain. The effect is to heighten the contrast of greedy shallowness and a failure of 'perspective', on the one hand, with the 'true value' of the artist and the paintings, on the other. Chris Cross could have been more valuable (to them, if not generally) if he'd been treated decently and honestly.

Top noir.