Movie review - "Fire Down Below" (1957) **

A more expensive work from Warwick Films, with three big Hollywood names instead of the normal one plus a British star. There's no Pom even though the story is set in the Caribbean - Jack Lemmon and Bob Mitchum are two sailors who give a ride to sultry Rita Hayworth; Lemmon falls her her, only she's got the hots for Bob. Yep, it's another retread of Gilda with Rita as a mystery woman with a Past who sings and dances and is loved by two men who really love each other. But it doesn't have Gilda's atmosphere, eroticism and tang.

There are some Warwick regulars in small roles: Anthony Newley (thankfully only a small part), Bonar Colleano, Bernard Lee. Indeed in the second half Lemmon gets stuck below decks in an accident and Colleano and Lee become the heroes to get him out - Hayworth and Mitchum disappear from the movie for something like half an hour. Then they come back to help Lemmon get out of being stuck, by provoking him I think. Well, Mitchum does, Hayworth just hangs around.

Lemmon tries but is really miscast - he's never a sexual threat for Mitchum. Hayworth also tries, wears a swimsuit, dances well, does her schtick - but she was getting too old to play a Destroyer Of Men (you believed Gilda could sweep all before her but not Rita here). 

 

It's also a sexist film - everything is the fault of Hayworth, the noble black character hates her. Yet she goes off with Mitchum at the end - even though everyone is sad poor Lemmon's had his heart broken. Why? The girl was plainly trouble, Lemmon is an idiot for falling for her - it's not as though she led him on. Why does the finale concentrate on Lemmon and getting his leg amputated and not smuggling?

It's a really dumb story. There are pleasant views of the Caribbean in colour and some enjoyable tunes and carnival sequences.