Films that involve the behind-the-camera workings of the film industry have a certain fascination for viewers, which works in favor of Finger of Guilt. This is all to the good, as the industry setting helps to cover over the fact that the mystery which is at the real heart of the story is not terribly interesting. Finger flirts with some aspects of noir, but it never really engages with them, which is frustrating; had it really explored its lead character as noir leading man, it would have added some dimension. Instead, what we're left with is an interesting set-up, but one that requires considerably more imagination to bring to life than screenwriter Howard Koch is able to supply here. Perhaps Koch and his director Joseph Losey, both of whom were blacklisted at the time, were too drawn in to the plot's semi-metaphorical take on blacklisting to see that the scenes are not properly focused, the dialogue lacks enough sparkle and that the string of coincidences causes some plausibility problems. Fortunately, Finger is helped immensely by the on-target performance of leading man Richard Basehart and the beautifully wicked one of Mary Murphy, as well as the solid turn from Constance Cummings.