Review of Gilda (1946) by Jennifer D — 09 Jun 2010

An american expatriate living in a foreign land...the action takes place mostly in a nightclub/casino...a local police inspector turns a blind eye to the illegal gambling going on...there is a beautiful woman married to a mysterious european who is involved somehow with Nazis...and the plot revolves around some valuable documents of some sort. This sound a lot like CASABLANCA? Sure, it does!

GILDA may not be on the same level of greatness as CASABLANCA - it's more like a loopy doppelganger of the 1942 Bogart/Bergman classic. If one were to put CASABLANCA into a blender - the resulting concoction would be GILDA...and quite a concoction it is too. The plot being as convoluted as one may find in a classic film. I don't think you are ever completely sure what is going on...or what exactly motivates the characters to do what they do - but one can certainly feel the tension between them.

The action takes place not in Casablanca - but in Argentina. Nightclub owner, Ballin Mundson (George Macready) hires an american expatriate, Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) to oversee the operations of his nightclub - which acts as a front for an illegal gambling casino. Johnny's talent as a card shark and his ability to spot cheats is what lands him the job in the first place. The local police inspector, Obregon (Joseph Calleia) tolerates the gambling only because he is after much larger prey. The nightclub may not be just a front for gambling but the key to some shady global cartel...a cartel hoping to gain the monopoly of a valuable element (no...not gold or silver...but an element which would probably be the last possible element you could conceivably think of.) No...it's not Copper.

Matters become a lot more complicated when Mundson returns from a business trip suddenly married to another american expatriate - torch singer, Gilda (Rita Hayworth). Mundson introduces Gilda to Johnny...but judging by their reaction upon seeing each other - you just know what Johnny is thinking: "...of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world...she walks into mine" ... or something to that effect.

Nope...not Uranium.

Although the plot may not be too memorable...the film did leave it's mark in pop cultural history. If you are to see this film for one reason - it is to see actress Rita Hayworth. Not only is she "hot" in this...she is downright incendiary! The scene in which she performs "Put The Blame On Mame" made her an icon (never you mind that her singing voice was dubbed). Her other, lesser known performance of "Amado Mio" is just as sexy.



Nope...not Platinum.

Hayworth is lovingly photographed by cinematographer Rudolph Mate (he shot Dreyer's VAMPYR, amongst others). Mate's extensive use of backlighting allowed for some very exquisite highlights and silhouette effects.

Who guessed Unobtainium? Not even close!!!