Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A novelettish story which at least has the merit of being thorough – no cliché associated with the situation is omitted. Playing and direction do nothing to improve on the dismally banal material." [4]
Kine Weekly wrote: "'Arty-crafty' romantic melodrama, unfolded in Bohemian circles. It covers the checkered love life of a talented, though cynical, sculptor who ultimately goes blind and a brilliant young ballerina, but cannot escape from its completely phoney environment. Cliché-ridden from start to finish, it'll exasperate the highbrows and bore the low. ... The picture, primarily a conversation piece, is far removed from reality, and the longer it goes on the more unconvincing it becomes. Griffith Jones does his best to put over the pretentious dialogue and look all 'Chelsea' but fails, as Michael, while Pauline Olsen, although pleasing to the eye, hardly suggests the intense or expert ballerina as Iris." [5]
Picturegoer wrote: "Unfortunately, this film stumbles sadly across the line where drama becomes melodrama. ... but more imagination in the direction could have lifted it out of these depths of romantic gloom. Such a story needs characters larger than life. Here they are under-played and unconvincing. Griffith Jones (the artist), Pauline Olsen (the ballerina) and Kathleen Byron (the other woman) are pleasant and adequate, but they have to battle with a poor script that tries painfully hard to be clever." [6]
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Gloomy, artily written drama." [7]
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