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As befits a film derived from a Cornell Woolrich novel (although written under a pen name), there's an aura of impending gloom and fatality that hovers over No Man of Her Own, a sense that Fate is bound to deal a blow to happiness -- it's merely a question of when the blow will come and in what form. This makes the contrived happy ending -- a definite departure from the book -- all the more ludicrous. Truth to tell, No Man's screenplay has more than its share of hard-to-accept moments. Some of these are the inventions of screenwriters Sally Benson and Catherine Turney, but some also come from the original Woolrich source. Detached from his distinctive literary voice and without the rich atmosphere that he brings to the printed page, the plot twists come across as devices -- and just will stretch credulity too far for some. Fortunately, No Man has a dazzling star and an assured director to help it over these bumpy patches. Certainly no one could ask for a better Helen than the luminous yet down-to-earth Barbara Stanwyck. Seemingly incapable of giving an uncommitted performance, Stanwyck makes her character live and breathe, and one is ready to accept absolutely anything that happens as long as Stanwyck is around. For his part, Mitchell Leisen brings a confidence to his direction that belies the fact that most of his films were not as "tough" as this one eventually becomes. Jane Cowl provides solid support, but Lyle Bettger comes across as a bit much, while John Lund comes across as a bit dull. No Man can't overcome all its flaws to become a great film, but Stanwyck makes it more than watchable.