Affair in Trinidad

Last updated
Affair in Trinidad
Affair in Trinidad film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Vincent Sherman
Screenplay byBerne Giler
James Gunn
Story byVirginia Van Upp
Berne Giler
Produced byVincent Sherman
Rita Hayworth
Starring Rita Hayworth
Glenn Ford
Alexander Scourby
Cinematography Joseph Walker
Edited by Viola Lawrence
Color process Black and white
Production
company
The Beckworth Corporation
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • July 29, 1952 (1952-07-29)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2 million
Box office$7 million (domestic receipts) [1]

Affair in Trinidad is a 1952 American film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. It was produced by Hayworth's Beckworth Corporation and released by Columbia Pictures. [2]

Contents

It is notable as Hayworth's "comeback" film after four years away from Columbia, [3] as a reteaming of the stars of Gilda (1946) and for a fiery opening number in which Hayworth dances barefoot to calypso music. [4] Hayworth's singing voice is dubbed by Jo Ann Greer, who later also sang for her in Miss Sadie Thompson and Pal Joey . The film's gross take at the box office exceeded Gilda's by $1 million. [5]

Plot

Chris Emery works as a nightclub singer and dancer in the British colony of Trinidad and Tobago. One night after her performance she receives news from Inspector Smythe and Anderson, a member of the American consulate, that her husband Neil has been found dead. She is comforted by Neil's friend Max Fabian.

Initially, the police conclude that Neil committed suicide based on his gunshot wound and the discovery of a pistol at the crime scene, but on further investigation, they believe that he was murdered. Smythe and Anderson take Chris into their confidence and inform her that Neil's boat was seen outside Fabian's property at the time of Neil's murder. Chris learns that Fabian is a crook who has built his fortune by trading information and aiding in treason. Thus, Neil could have been murdered because of his involvement in Fabian's latest project to allow Nazis to launch rockets from Trinidad to attack the United States. Chris agrees to exploit Fabian's love for her to gather information for the police. [6]

Neil's brother Steve Emery arrives in Trinidad at the request of his late brother, who had written to him about a prospective job. Steve is shocked to learn that Neil committed suicide shortly after writing to him and sets out to investigate matters on his own. After the inquest, Chris and Steve spend time together and she begins to fall in love with him, but she cannot reveal her motive behind getting friendly with Fabian.

At a party at Fabian's estate, Steve recognizes Walters as a man who sat next to him on his flight to Trinidad and became agitated at the mention of his brother's name. Since Walters' portion of research has been completed, Fabian judges him a liability and has him killed by a hit-and-run driver. This increases the authorities' suspicion of him.

As Chris inches closer to discovering the truth about Fabian, Steve gathers proof of Fabian's involvement in Neil's death, leading to a climactic showdown. During the struggle for a gun, Fabian is accidentally shot in the stomach. Sensing his wound might prove fatal, he orders his accomplices to take the secrets and leave him behind. But local authorities have surrounded the estate and they are either killed or captured. Steve finishes Fabian off in a climactic gunfight; and with Chris cleared, they leave for Chicago.

Cast

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times , critic Bosley Crowther panned the film as "as apparent and monotonous as a phonograph record on which the needle is stuck before it has traveled half the distance of the hour and forty minutes that it runs." Crowther was especially critical of Hayworth's performance: "[T]he demurely returning Miss Hayworth proves no bargain after an absence of four years. In that time, we had probably forgotten what a mediocre actress she is, and now the bald fact—politely winked at in the past—hits one right between the eyes. Tawny she is and sometimes handsome in a highly shellacked and tailored way, but her acting is vastly unexpressive of anything but the postures of a doll. And the dancing she does in this picture makes her look both vulgar and grotesque." [7]

The film earned an estimated $2.7 million at the North American box office in 1952. [8]

The film was nominated for Best Costume Design, Black and White at the 25th Academy Awards.

Music

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Hayworth</span> American actress, dancer, pin-up girl (1918–1987)

Rita Hayworth was an American actress, dancer, and pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and appeared in 61 films in total over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth, after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s. She was the top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II. It is also rumored that she had a negative feeling towards the fact that America would paint her face on atomic bombs during testing. America's reasoning was because, "She's a bombshell." She called for a press conference to condemn these actions but was convinced by Harry Cohn that it would negatively impact her career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playback singer</span> Singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in film

A playback singer, as they are usually known in South Asian cinema, or ghost singer in Western cinema, is a singer whose performance is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and the performers lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not appear on the screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenn Ford</span> Canadian actor (1916–2006)

Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford, known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-American actor. He was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and had a career that lasted more than 50 years.

<i>Gilda</i> 1946 American film noir by Charles Vidor

Gilda is a 1946 American film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.

<i>The Lady from Shanghai</i> 1947 film by Orson Welles

The Lady from Shanghai is a 1947 American film noir produced and directed by Orson Welles and starring Rita Hayworth, Welles, Everett Sloane, and Glenn Anders. Welles's screenplay is based on the novel If I Die Before I Wake by Sherwood King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Louis</span> French costume designer (1907–1997)

Jean Louis was a French-American costume designer. He won an Academy Award for The Solid Gold Cadillac (1956).

<i>The Strawberry Blonde</i> 1941 American romantic comedy film by Raoul Walsh

The Strawberry Blonde is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland, and featuring Rita Hayworth, Alan Hale, Jack Carson, and George Tobias. Set in New York City around 1900, it features songs of that era such as "The Band Played On", "Bill Bailey", "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louie", "Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie", and "Love Me and the World Is Mine". It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1941 for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture. The title is most often listed beginning with the word The, but the film's posters and promotional materials called it simply Strawberry Blonde.

<i>The Loves of Carmen</i> (1948 film) 1948 film by Charles Vidor

The Loves of Carmen is a 1948 American adventure drama romance film directed by Charles Vidor. The film stars Rita Hayworth as the gypsy Carmen and Glenn Ford as her doomed lover Don José.

<i>Circus World</i> (film) 1964 film

Circus World is a 1964 American Drama Western film starring John Wayne, Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth. It was directed by Henry Hathaway and produced by Samuel Bronston, with a screenplay by Ben Hecht, Julian Zimet, and James Edward Grant, from a story by Bernard Gordon and Nicholas Ray.

<i>Miss Sadie Thompson</i> 1953 film by Curtis Bernhardt

Miss Sadie Thompson is a 1953 3-D American musical romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Rita Hayworth, José Ferrer, and Aldo Ray. The film was released by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1921 short story "Miss Thompson". Other film versions include Sadie Thompson (1928) starring Gloria Swanson, Rain (1932) starring Joan Crawford, and Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946).

<i>Salome</i> (1953 film) 1953 film

Salome is a 1953 American drama Biblical film directed by William Dieterle and produced by Buddy Adler from a screenplay by Harry Kleiner and Jesse Lasky Jr. The music score was by George Duning, the dance music by Daniele Amfitheatrof and the cinematography by Charles Lang. Rita Hayworth's costumes were designed by Jean Louis. Hayworth's dances for this film were choreographed by Valerie Bettis. This film was the last produced by Hayworth's production company, the Beckworth Corporation.

<i>The Prisoner of Zenda</i> (1952 film) 1952 film by Richard Thorpe

The Prisoner of Zenda is a 1952 American Technicolor adventure film version of the 1894 novel of the same name by Anthony Hope and a remake of the 1937 sound version and the 1922 silent. This first color version, made by Loew's and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman. The film stars Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, and James Mason, with Louis Calhern, Robert Douglas, Jane Greer, and Robert Coote in supporting roles.

<i>Pal Joey</i> (film) 1957 American musical film directed by George Sidney

Pal Joey is a 1957 American musical comedy film directed by George Sidney, loosely adapted from the Rodgers and Hart musical play of the same name, and starring Rita Hayworth, Frank Sinatra, and Kim Novak.

<i>The Private Affairs of Bel Ami</i> 1947 film by Albert Lewin

The Private Affairs of Bel Ami is a 1947 American drama film directed by Albert Lewin. The film stars George Sanders as a ruthless cad who uses women to rise in Parisian society, co-starring Angela Lansbury and Ann Dvorak. It is based on the 1885 Guy de Maupassant novel Bel Ami. The film had a 1946 premiere in Paris, Texas. The score is by Darius Milhaud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Ellis</span> American actress and singer (1920 -2015)

Anita Ellis was a Canadian-born American singer and actress. She famously dubbed Rita Hayworth's songs in Gilda.

<i>I Want You</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Mark Robson

I Want You is a 1951 American drama film directed by Mark Robson taking place in America during the Korean War. Gordon E. Sawyer was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound.

<i>The Lady in Question</i> 1940 film by Charles Vidor

The Lady in Question is a 1940 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Brian Aherne, Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. It is a remake of the 1937 French film Gribouille.

Katherine Joan Greer, known professionally as Jo Ann Greer, was an American singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Van Upp</span> American screenwriter

Virginia Van Upp was an American film producer and screenwriter.

<i>Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess</i> 1983 television film directed by James Goldstone

Rita Hayworth: The Love Goddess is a 1983 American made-for-television biographical film directed by James Goldstone. Based on the 1977 biography Rita Hayworth by John Kobal, it deals with real events in the life of actress Rita Hayworth from 1931 to 1952. It was broadcast by CBS on November 2, 1983.

References

  1. ↑ "Affair in Trinidad (1952) - Articles". TCM.com. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  2. ↑ Silver, Alain (2010). Film Noir: The Encyclopedia. Overlook Duckworth. p. 27. ISBN   978-0715638804.
  3. ↑ "Affair In Trinidad: Review". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2011-11-29.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ "Martini Movies - Movies - Affair in Trinidad". Sony Pictures. Archived from the original on 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  5. ↑ Affair in Trinidad at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films .
  6. ↑ Bosley Crowther (1952-07-31). "Movie Review - Affair in Trinidad - The Screen in Review; Columbia's 'Affair in Trinidad' at the Victoria Brings Rita Hayworth Back to Screen". The New York Times . Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  7. ↑ Crowther, Bosley (1952-07-31). "The Screen in Review". The New York Times . p. 14.
  8. ↑ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.