This is one of the best films that Howard Hughes tried to ruin.� The principal photography was completed but Mr. Hughes kept asking for more scenes to be shot. Scenes of Robert Mitchum getting beaten up in various stages of shirtlessness and scenes of Jane Russell heaving her bosom in various stages of costume duress. � The director John Farrow (Mia’s father) had already left the picture when this happened and the movie wasn’t released for almost a year while Mr. Hughes tinkered with the editing.� I do not know what the picture was like when it was in John Farrow’s hands but even with his messing around with it, Howard Hughes did not ruin it.

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Robert Mitchum plays Dan Milner, a wry and very down and out gambler.� He is so down and out that he is “visited” by some goons within the first ten minutes of the picture.� He owes the mob a great deal of cash.� Then he is offered a deal that sounds to good to be true; a clean slate (his debt to the mob canceled) and all he has to do is take a trip to a beautiful Mexican resort. � Simple enough but on the way he meets the beautiful Lenore (Jane Russell), a singer who is also on her way to the same resort.� Thank god for coincidences. � Of course Dan falls for her. Who wouldn’t?

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The reason Dan is offered this clean slate is made clear to us right from the get go.� The big man behind the all of this is Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr), an Italian gangster who has been deported from the USA for his criminal activities.� Like “Lucky” Luciano who was also deported, Ferraro is very bitter and will stop at nothing to get back to the US. � Ferraro wants to return without attracting the attention of the US authorities, and is hoping to do so using Milner’s passport, having first disposed of Milner himself and undergone plastic surgery to make himself look like the dead man.� Quite a scheme.�

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What separates this picture from other movies Mr. Mitchum did at the time as well as a good many other “film noirs” is once the picture gets to Mexico everything becomes much brighter.� The picture turns from a dark moody typical “noir” picture to almost an action – comedy.� The atmosphere is replaced with a much lighter tone all around, form the dialogue to the clothes.� It is after all a high class resort.� Lenore is on her way to meet with her married lover the famous actor Mark Cardigan.� Practically stealing the picture, Vincent Price is pure comic genius.� Mark Cardigan is a hambone on screen as well as off.� The movie is worth seeing just for his performance, especially during the rescue sequence at the climax of the picture.

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Mr. Mitchum and Ms. Russell worked together a year later in another crime drama Macao. � The chemistry between them is incredible.� The two actors remained good friends up till Mr. Mitchum’s death in 1997.� She was the presenter of the lifetime achievement Golden Globe award given to Mr. Mitchum.� I remember she spoke so lovingly of him that I wished they had made more pictures together.� At least we have these two pictures and particularly this one.

Turner Classic Movies, Thursday June 21 at 7:45 AM.

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