Odd. So odd. Why did Lee Robinson/ make it? I know Walk into Paradise worked well but that was an Australian story... this is a French story. I think he was dazzled by stars and the nous of his production partners. I get it. Why did he invest in it though?
The story is wonky. Simple Macguffin - search for the heir to missions. People after it - lawyer (Reg Lye), another lawyer (Roger Livesey), crook (Serge Reggiani), hooker ex of man (Martine Carol), man who's in love with her (Karl Boehm). That's a decent Warner Bros style gang.
But... who's our hero? Carol's top billed... sure, fine. She gets involved, gets Boehm to help her. But then... falls in love with Boehm for real, I think, wants to go straight, then blabs to Reggiani about Livesey for some reason, then sort of becomes passive. Needed to be a proper Carol vehicle. I wasn't sure what she wanted. Money to start off with. But then...? The romance with Boehm is half baked.
Why did Robinson think a film with so much dubbed English dialogue would work? Why not cast Chips Rafferty in the Roger Livesey part? He would've been great. A different variation but more charismatic. I wonder if it was floated. I bet Rafferty thought he could do it.
There's some nice location work but so much of it is inside and there's a lot of chat. Too much. It feels studio bound. A lot is set on a boat. Doesn't play to Robinson's strengths.
I was confused at the end. What was Reggiani trying to do? Who was on his side? Boehm's side? What's the role of the crew? They don't find the heir!It just ends!
Acting pretty good. Carol an odd star - she looks like a Gold Coast cougar, with her deep tan and peroxide blonde hair. Boehm was solid. Livesey and Lye are fine. James Condon has a few lines as ship's purser. Doris Fitton has like one line.
Credits of film different on Australian and French versions. French version ran ten minutes longer to the one I saw and fleshed out more - more Carol, and Carol-Boehm. Felt more logical even if I couldn't understand what was going on.
This film reminds me of late 50s Rank attempts to storm the world market eg Whirlpool with its colour, foreign locations and cosmopolitan casts.
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