secondtake The Bribe (1949) A loaded cast and crew make this an interesting draw (only the director Robert Leonard is little known to me, though he has two Best Director nominations). But really: Ava Gardner in a dramatic noir, with Robert Taylor the male lead (including a very noir voiceover to start). Throw in Charles Laughton and Vincent Price in smaller roles, and Joseph Ruttenberg doing cinematography and Miklos Rozsa the music. And it starts great, in a lonely room in Central America, rain pouring down the windows at night. And then the flashbacks begin. Maybe all this makes me a sucker. I expected a lot even with the clichés pouring on. But we have a formula noir here with all the elements exaggerated and none of them missed-the woman is even a nightclub singer, and wait for the drug in the drink later on. If you are willing to enjoy the form rather than the specifics of the movie, you have your film. It's almost great, and might someday be considered a classic simply because it makes so clear the elements of that form (the noir-alienated male, femme fatale, flashbacks, dramatic lighting, crime and treachery, short clipped phrases). It's so good at all this, it became the model for the comic send-up, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid." But in a way this isn't fair, because the movie does work on its own, despite its lack of originality. It grows and gets better as you go, and the consistency of the production and the solidity of the plot make it worth seeing. Gardner is not great in the way some leading noir females are, but she has her sculptural poise and is still young as an actress. Taylor has sort of the same problem of not quite rising to the needs of the role, but he is fine. The fact that the two of them are not "amazing" is one of the holdbacks of the film-lots of noirs have formula plots but have such great acting it doesn't matter a bit. So Laughton, then, rising to the occasion, is really amazing. I've heard his performance called campy, but I don't think so, not for the genre. It's subtle, and if he's a character, he's not a caricature. Price, also good, has a someone limited role. Until the end. The final ten minutes is a film wonder. If you can't watch the whole thing for some reason, you can still be thrilled by the ending. The drama, the lighting, the photography, the pace and editing, it's all unparalleled.

HK Hanson Spoiler Warning end mentioned! **A compilation summary in my words of highlights & best thats revealed in the reviews & story summaries: Usual glossy high MGM production values. Federal agent Rigby (Taylor), in Central America island to trace stolen airplane engines, falls for the gorgeous wife of his chief suspect. Wife, sultry singer (Gardner) tries to tempt this federal agent from the straight-and-narrow. Taylor seams uncomfortable playing law man who almost sacrifices all for sultry singer Gardner. All in all the love scenes are sincere, probably due to Taylor and Gardner having an affair at the time of the filming, although Taylor was married to Barbara Stanwyck. The final shot-out between Taylor and villain Vincent Price during a carnival, is stylish, interesting, has the elements of death and joy which are effectively juxtaposed and it is both exciting & visually marvelous. The last sequence is worthy of sticking with the movie until it's end. **In pursuit of the stolen aircraft engines on a Central American island, federal undercover agent Rigby (Taylor) meets his chief suspect Hintten (Hodiak) and suspects wife Elizabeth (Gardner), who's a sultry café singer; and is watched by Bealer (Laughton), a "pie-shaped man" with sore feet. Rigby (Taylor) knows he's on the right track when Bealer (Laughton) offers him money to leave fictional island of Carlotta. When Rigby (Taylor) and Elizabeth (Gardner) are drawn to each other, the gang realizes there's more than one kind of bribe. Everybody sweats. Laughton is fabulous as the slovenly loser whose feet hurt, and Price is excellent, as the head villain. singer; and is being watched by Bealer (Laughton), the "pie-shaped man" with sore feet. Rigby (Taylor) finds he is on right track when Bealer (Laughton) offers him money to leave the fictional island of Carlotta. When Rigby (Taylor) & Elizabeth (Gardner) draw close to each other, the gang realizes there are more than kinds of bribes than money. All sweat in the tropical heat. Laughton is fabulous movie stealer as the slovenly loser whose feet are always hurting, and Price is also excellent, as the head villain.

robert-temple-1 This one really works, because the performances from the stars are so strong. Robert Z. Leonard was the director, and he had worked before with three of the male leads, Robert Taylor, Charles Laughton, and John Hodiak, so it was an old pals' act. Vincent Price is also in the cast, being creepy as usual. Into this mix steps the amazing Ava Gardner, aged 27, slim as a withy and already a veteran of numerous films, such as as the powerful noir, WHISTLESTOP (1946, see my review). Everything is very intense, and frankly I believe that apart from ADVISE AND CONSENT (1962) I never saw a better performance by Charles Laughton. This is one of those confusing stories where it is not possible to be certain who is a good guy and who is a bad guy, not unsimilar to much of that strange thing we live sometimes called Life. Robert Taylor, with his calm and commanding voice and his authoritative presence, is an undercover cop, but will he compromise his principles for love and accept a bribe? Or indeed will he be killed if he fails to accept the bribe? Is Ava Gardner a wicked siren or an innocent victim? Is John Hodiak a scheming conniver or a pathetic dying man with a heart condition? Is Charles Laughton as stupid as he looks, or is he as clever as a fox? And if he is clever, then whose side is he on? Or is there any side for him but his own? All of these ambiguities add vastly to the suspense. The film is set in a fictional island off the coast of Central America called Carlota. In fact, the only real Carlota Island is in the Philippines. But never mind, this is a movie. The War is over and a lot of military scrap is being sold, but mixed amongst the scrap are a lot of military airplane engines which are being stolen and sold at high prices in a scam by criminals. Taylor is sent from the USA to investigate, though he has no powers of arrest in this foreign location. He is told that Hodiak and his wife Gardner are suspects. Investigating Ava Gardner is something anybody would like to do, and Taylor succumbs immediately to her charms, from which in any case no man was safe. (Those lingering looks, and lines such as 'Why don't you kiss me?', make temptation overpowering.) Well, it is all good, indeed very good, Hollywood stuff, and entertaining aplenty. And trying to figure out who the real criminals are, and wondering about Ava Gardner (in between admiring her) keeps you engaged all the way.

edwagreen Film noir with Robert Taylor as the Federal Agent sent to Central America to investigate an airplane engine smuggling ring making plenty of money.As usual, Ava Gardner proves with her soft voice that she really couldn't act.Charles Laughton, as always, steals the film. In a marvelous supporting role, he plays the cunning, assistant to the usually ruthless Vincent Price. Laughton would be the equivalent of Snee of Peter Pan fame.Of course, Taylor falls for Gardner, even while he was sent in to investigate her and husband John Hodiak.Laughton informs Gardner who Taylor really is and things really deteriorate. Price gets what he deserves at film's end and with Hodiak conveniently killed off by Price, Taylor and embrace Gardner.