The story does have a resemblance to Huston’s Falcon, from members of the cast to the characterizations and plot. The basic plot is this - a group of six find themselves stranded in Italy after their steamboat has broken down. Early on the audience is introduced to the motley crew – Billy (Bogart) and his wife Maria (Lollabridgida), the charismatic and plotting Peterson (Robert Morley, in a role that is reminiscent of Sydney Greenstreet’s in Falcon), the suspicious German O’Hara (Lorre), the Italian and quiet Ravallo (Marco Tulli), and the outspoken and violent Maj. Ross (Ivor Barnard). Just like Falcon, the viewer is let in on the fact that these six are up to something.
Maria reads in the paper that a man has been killed and informs Billy. It’s clear that they knew this man and that his murder may spoil things for whatever they’ve got planned; this plot point returns towards the end. While out for a walk, Billy runs into the English couple, Harry and Gwendolyn Chelm (Edward Underdown and Jennifer Jones). Gwendolyn is immediately taken with Billy, while her husband Harry is taken in by Maria. Somewhere near the middle, the viewer finally knows what this group is after – an apparent uranium field within east Africa that everyone would like to get their hands on.
The movie itself is slow starting and doesn’t seem to get to the irony and parody until the end. While Bogie has the same charm and wit as he does in his other movies (like Falcon and Dark Passage), it’s actually the surprising performance by Jennifer Jones that’s the highlight.
At first, her character of Gwendolyn seems to be an innocent wife taken by the roguish Billy, but as the film goes on, there’s more to Gwendolyn than the audience first imagined. The best scene is after Harry has been attacked by Maj. Ross (after Harry has discovered and threatened the group with legal intervention) and the captain of the boat wonders what’s going on. Gwendolyn has by now weaved enough stories to different characters on different subjects, but the one she gives the ship’s captain is probably the best.
Obviously striking is the casting of the lead actors from Falcon – Bogie and Lorre. Sydney Greenstreet, who had played the fat man Kasper Gutman in Falcon, had retired due to illness during casting, so Morley was then cast. He does a remarkable job of incorporating the style, voice, and laugh into his character of Peterson; the character is just as slimy and greedy as Greenstreet’s portrayal, but with a bit more comic flare.
As mentioned, the real parody is probably towards the end, where it seems the group of schemers (including the Chelms) goes from one bad episode to the next. It’s a rather short movie, but it’s only after the hour mark do the things learned at the beginning start to make sense and by then, interest has been lost. When it was released in 1953, many movie goers and critics had a hard time following the story and seeing the point that Huston seemed to be making. Fifty seven years later, that fact still remains; however if you’re familiar with The Maltese Falcon and other film noir movies, you’ll be able to recognize some the marks that are being parodied.
While not a blockbuster, the movie is interesting and would do would more than one viewing, just to see if you get all the tricks being played on the characters. Bogie fans will enjoy the witty repartee that the actor is known for – his scenes against the four schemers (Peterson, O’Hara, Ravallo, and Ross) are comical and will get a laugh and the characters of the Chelms are definitely delightful as the ‘innocent’ victims seemingly caught up in the scheme around them.
Overall, a good movie to watch over the weekend or during a rainy day.
Author Resource:
Posted by Den for FreeMooviesOnline.com , he has been an entertainment and technology writer and editor for more than 12 years. Jorge developed a love of film in the late '70s, when his parents forbade him from seeing Rocky and the R-rated version of Saturday Night Fever. He's passionate by watching TV Shows online . As a moviegoer, his recent loves are Avatar, 2012 and The Box.
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