Bad. Starts promisingly with location footage of Istanbul but most of this is shot on the backlot. Errol Flynn looks too old - if the role suited that it was good but it doesn't here. The role is clearly meant for someone like Jeff Chandler who would be channelling someone like Humphrey Bogart.
There are echoes of Casablanca - black pianist friend, girl from his past, mysterious police chief, exotic types hanging around - but this is no way near as good. I haven't seen Singapore but that would have had the extra element of the war... Istanbul was neutral during the war.
The guy who plays the police chief is pretty good, but having Colonel Klink as a villain is distracting (not the poor actor's fault, it's just the way it is). Cournell Bourchers or whatever she is is a dull female lead and they do nothing with the character of her husband. It lacks suspense, excitement, mystery, atmosphere. It does have Nat King Cole singing 'When I Fall in Love'.
No comments:
Post a Comment