A gambler discovers an old flame while in Argentina, but she's married to his new boss.
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CinemaSerf
7
By CinemaSerf
"Johnny" (Glenn Ford) is quite a streetwise gambler who finds himself rescued amidst the Buenos Aires docks by a suave stranger whose cane comes with a rather lethal optional extra. He suggests that he try his luck at a casino and when he manages to fleece the dealer of a modest fortune, discovers that it's owned by his erstwhile benefactor "Mundson" (George Macready). He manages to avoid a beating by suggesting that he put his skills to better use and well, this next bit you can guess. By the time his boss wants to take an holiday, "Johnny" is pretty much running the joint, but he's ill-prepared for the shock when he discovers that there's a new wife on the scene and that it's pretty plain for all to see that "Gilda" (Rita Hayworth) and he have some sort of past. What now ensues sees "Johnny" having to navigate the waters of a marriage in which the wife feels somewhat less engaged than the husband, and all while the local cops are keeping a very close eye on operations at the venue where gambling is illegal and bribery pretty rife. As tensions mount amongst the three, it becomes precarious for a man who has become fond of his boss and even more wary of a woman who is no slouch when it comes to scheming. On the face of it, it's just another love triangle film noir, but there are strong characterisations here from Macready, and on-form Hayworth and there is also an amiable effort from Steven Geray as the sagely "Uncle Pio" - he sort of reminded me a little of a Shakespearian fool. Even Ford, not always the most versatile of actors, turns in a well considered contribution as the smouldering takes us to a denouement that smacks of betrayal and conspiracy. Usually when there is a surfeit of writers, the dialogue can get a bit waffly, but here under the guidance of Charles Vidor, the story gathers pace cohesively and leaves us with a superior thriller that has just enough romance to make it work, but not so much to throttle it. Anita Ellis does the singing, but there are still some classy dance numbers from an elegant Hayworth too and the miming isn't so very clear, either!
