Film noir master cinematographer John Alton makes brilliant use of Technicolor in Allan Dwan's alternately acerbic and operatic late studio era crime film. Considered to be one of the only color film noirs, Slightly Scarlet bathes the criminal underworld in sublime shades of rose, grey and, of course, scarlet. Backed by a superb cast of character actors – Ted de Corsia, George E. Stone – John Payne stars as a street smart private eye whose plan to play the mob against the latest crop of reform minded politicians runs into female trouble.