Walter Reisch's only film as director and it's an entirely decent effort, helped by Universal giving him a good budget and Technicolour. I wasn't that wild about his story but it was a bit different - a biopic of some Russian composer Nicky Rimsky-Korsakov. I'd never heard of this bloke and to be honest wasn't that familiar with his tunes but apparently he's famous. And he was genuinely a sailor as this film has it - he stops off Tangiers while on a world trip and falls for a dancer, who inspires him to write music.
The lead is played by French actor Jean Pierre Aumont, a drippy type with a sappy face who doesn't seem to be that much of an actor. He had a good career, getting a Hollywood push in the 40s - he lacked Louis Jourdan's looks and Jean Gabin's talent, but he did have a good story, fleeing France when it was occupied. He also had solid war service, fighting for de Gaulle's forces, and an interesting personal life, being married to Maria Montez. He's not that memorable on screen though, at least not to me and I didn't care much about his character's worries.
Better value is Yvonne de Carlo as the dancer... who also happens to be an impoverished noble, so she's doing it on the sly. De Carlo is sexy and engaging and a good dancer; I agree with Sam Spiegel's verdict that her persona was "plebian" - she's not entirely convincing as an aristocrat. I wonder if Universal intended Maria Montez to play this role - it would have suited her.
The support cast is interesting. Eve Arden is far too young to play de Carlo's mother but is fun. Philip Reed is a bit wet as a Russian prince who has a whip duel with Aumont but then becomes his mate .Brian Donlevy is an extremely American Russian ship captain. Someone called Charles Kullman sings a few songs. There are some entertaining dance numbers and production values are high; I enjoyed the comedy interludes too.
I wouldn't call this an entirely successful movie, and no one seems completely well cast, but it entertains.
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