Sunday, December 09, 2012

Movie review - "Macao" (1952) ***

Not a great movie, not even then, but cherishable today because they don't make 'em like this anymore. And Jane Russell rarely had a better partner than Bob Mitchum, all sleepy eyed sexuality perfectly matching her Amazonian physique, and they have some enjoyable bantering dialogue to match.

They both wind up in Macao, quite seedily depicted here. Russell is looking for work and winds up as a singer in a nightclub (of course - she sings "One for My Baby and One for the Road"); Mitchum is travelling through  and takes a shine to her, and is mistaken for a copper. Brad Dexter the baddy can't leave the city without being arrested which makes him unexpectedly sympathetic. Gloria Graham is wasted as his moll, William Bendix is great fun as a travelling salesman/investigator as is Thomas Gomez as a local.

There's some great shots of side streets and slinky bars and a plot that's a bit confusing; Mitchum is too passive and occasionally it's too silly. But it's fun, and I really wish Mitchum and Russell had made more movies together.

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