Caught is somewhat controversial in its appraisal by critics. Most consider it less accomplished than Max Ophüls's better known films, such as Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) and Lola Montès (1955), but none other than Jean-Luc Godard and Pauline Kael regard it as the director's best American work. It's the story of a model who dreams of a rich husband, only to have it realized. Ophüls tones down his characteristic ornate style here, and the film's brilliance only attest to the magic of cinema, when an artist handcuffed by circumstances manages to produce great art. The husband in the film is modeled after Howard Hughes, with whom Ophüls had a bitter experience working on Vendetta (1946).

The film was restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive from a 35mm nitrate positive, in cooperation with Republic Pictures.