User reviews

Gilda is directed by Charles Vidor. It sees Glenn Ford play a small time gambler Johnny Farrell. Who after cheating in a game of chance, finds himself with a gun in his back. This where George macready's Ballin Mundson comes into the picture. After fighting off the would be mugger they become friends. That is until Johnny gets caught trying his luck in another Casino. This time only to find out the casino belongs to Ballin, the two of them exchange ideas and Johnny agrees to work for him as the manager of his Casino. After a trip abroad Ballin comes back with a new wife. Johnny's Ex, Gilda played by the enigmatic Rita Hayworth.

The film is well made, and is shot in typical noir style. The story itself is fairly basic and offers no real surprises. The first half of the film is engrossing and builds up nicely, however the second half felt dull and bloated. The film would of been better off if it had twenty minutes cut out, the script would of felt a-lot tighter and better paced at ninety minutes.

The biggest strength of the film comes from the excellent performances. The three way dynamic between Johnny, Gilda and Ballin, is engrossing and fascinating to watch as the power struggle switches between the characters thought the duration of the film.

Over-all the films script was written well enough to keep me invested, and the ending makes up for the ponderous middle act. The performances are the main attraction of this film, especially the chemistry between Ford and Hayworth. The film isn't the best noir out there, but one that's still worth watching.

You could not have come up with a better title for this seductive thriller. GILDA is what this film is all about and Rita Hayworth is so engrossing and beautiful, you sometimes forget what is going on and just stare. "Put the Blame on Mame" is one of film history's more memorable singing sequences and we get to see it twice. Look out for the famous "hair-toss" scene the prisoners in SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION cheer at. There is a film to talk about here but the alluring Ms. Hayworth is always on the tip of your tongue.

Glenn Ford is the anti-hero of this excellent Noir portrait of double-crosses, jealousy, and forbidden love. He has many flaws, not the least being his infatuation of Gilda. Director Charles Vidor looked as though he was trying to capture a CASABLANCA-esque feel with the casino in Buenos Aires and people of all walks of life toiling within. There are even some familiar head nods at a roulette table. This is no CASABLANCA, but the end of WWII is somewhere in the backdrop and the stoic "Ballin Mundson", played by George Macready (PATHS OF GLORY), seems to have some foreign matters happening on the side, like "Victor Lazlo". The crisp black and white cinematography is effective, especially in the casino where 2/3 of the film takes place.

GILDA is all Hayworth and, whether you are a male or female viewer, you see a good performance. She is great to look at, but her dramatic scenes are equally great to see. GILDA is an all-time classic that ranks with MALTESE FALCON and DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Throughout the picture, the blame is put on Rita for most of the plot's turning points. There may just be someone as sweet as her flowing red hair inside waiting to come out. Glenn Fords' Johnny Farrel (perfect name for Noir character) cannot look past her deceiving flirtation and realize that the bad guy is right in front of him. Another triumphant film of the 1940's that works every time, GILDA is Rita Hayworth's claim to fame and sent her into the stratosphere as a star. She was more than just a pin-up.

RATING: 9 of 10

And to think there used to be movies without graphic sex scenes that still got the point across, and how. The sexual tension between Ford and Hayworth in this movie is enough to make you run for the cold showers.

Hayworth is gorgeous and so is Ford. They are so good together and in this movie they are positively great. When great screen lovers are mentioned, I've often wondered why Ford and Hayworth aren't among them.

This is one of my absolute favorites.

The 40s and 50s produced many alluring performances from beautiful and sexy actresses and Rita Hayworth's in Gilda is one of the most provocative of all. The film is good and quite deep, the male leads are better, but Hayworth's performance is simply stunning and unforgettable. She may not have been the most beautiful 40s actress (Gene Tierney and Veronica Lake were more classic beauties imo), but if you look closely her ability to show the sweet, the vulnerable, and especially the wanton, in women has not been bettered. Somehow her character gets under the male viewer's skin in the same way as it does to the male characters in the film.

Modern film femme fatales are a pale shadow by comparison, for example Linda Fiorentino or Sharon Stone. I'm not sure why. It could be either that nowadays allure is too much equated with sex or nudity (less tantalising than several dashes of suggestion) or maybe it's that present day equivalents are portrayed as hard as nails without the necessary mix of sadness and vulnerability.

Whatever, if you've never appreciated what the appeal of 40s noir is, this is definitely one to try.

Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth made five films together, but when they are talked of as a screen team, it's only Gilda that people are really talking about. Their first film was before World War II, The Lady in Question where both are young Columbia contract players who were in the same film and no effort was made to bill them as a team. The Loves of Carmen which was made after Gilda was a disaster for Glenn Ford, though Rita was at her sexiest. Affair in Trinidad was a good effort to recapture the magic of Gilda after Rita's storm marriage to Aly Khan and the last film The Money Trap was a Glenn Ford film where Rita has a brief role as an old girl friend. She was the best thing in that film by far.

Do you remember in Cabaret how both the Liza Minnelli and Michael York characters find out they are sex partners to the same German bi-sexual man? That's essentially what happens in Gilda though with the Code firmly in place it's not something we talk about. George MacReady, a man of many interests rescues Glenn Ford from the docks of Buenos Aires after he's won some money from sailors in a crap game. They hit it off and Ford becomes his right hand man in running the casino MacReady operates.

Then MacReady brings home a wife and lo and behold it turns out to be an old girl friend of Ford's, Rita Hayworth. Add to that some Nazi refugees have some business with MacReady over some tungsten mines.

The real emphasis in this film is sex and personified by the best embodiment of sex ever on the silver screen. This film raked in a lot of dollars for Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures. Hayworth, voice dubbed as usual, had a big number here in Put the Blame on Mame. It became a signature tune for her the rest of her life.

One thing did disappoint me about Gilda. For a story that took place in Buenos Aires who many say is the most beautiful city in the world, it would have been nice to see some location shots, even if it was just some newsreels to establish the time and place. The film might as well have been in Albuquerque.

But when you've got Rita to look at, it could be at the South Pole.

This film is a great example of a very good film whose style and sense of sex appeal actually surpasses the plot. Now this isn't to say that the film has a bad plot--no, it's good enough. It's just that the wonderfully Noir-like dialog and Rita Hayworth's incredible sex appeal are what you are left with when the film is over--not the plot! Despite being a Rita Hayworth starring vehicle, she actually doesn't take up the lion's share of the screen. In fact, she doesn't even make an appearance until about 20 minutes into the film! This task of anchoring the film is given to a young and very effective Glenn Ford--who does a fine job as a street-wise but smart young punk wanting to make it to "the big leagues" and stop hustling for small change. When Ford meets up with George Macready, it's an incredibly memorable Noir moment. The crackling dialog between them and Ford's not even bothering to thank Macready for saving his life is so stylish and made the Film Noir lover within me happy! Later, in another great scene, Ford has just been worked over by a bouncer from a high class casino when he finds out this is Macready's business! Instead of being angry, both strike up a working arrangement--and Ford dispatches the bouncer is a brutal manner! Only later, after Ford has been Macready's right-hand man for some time does Hayworth enter the film. The reaction to her arrival indicates that there is SOME unfinished business between the two--but now Rita is Macready's new wife! Now this brings me to one problem about the film. It isn't an insurmountable problem, but supposedly Rita and Glenn had been lovers some time before and their meeting now was by pure chance. However, considering that they were in love in New York and the film takes place in Argentina, you are left wondering "what are the odds?". Despite this, you aren't left wondering for long because of the sparkling dialog and chemistry between Rita and Glenn. In other words, because of all the steamy moments on the screen, you tend to forget the occasional inconsistency of the plot. And, speaking of steam, there is a lot. Despite apparently being pregnant during the shoot, Miss Hayworth managed to create the sexiest portrayal on film from the era...period. Her languid singing, her amazing dresses that looked like they were glued on and the dialog between her and Ford all created an amazing atmosphere that just can't be equaled. Sure, the plot was fine, but the mood--that's what makes this an exceptional film.

By the way, it is rather fascinating to see that in many ways this film mirrored the real-life antics of Rita--especially in regard to how she had a devil of a time picking men! Both Gilda and Rita both seemed to have a lot of sex destructiveness within them.

It's Rita Hayworth in probably her most memorable role. Her portrayal of Gilda is rightly remembered as a classic performance. But Gilda the character is much better than Gilda the movie. Hayworth may be a sensation but everything around her in this movie is not quite up to her standard. Not a bad movie by any means but no all-time classic either. It's one of those movies where a performance is remembered so fondly that perhaps people remember the movie as being somewhat better than it actually is. As good as Hayworth is she's not enough to hide the movie's flaws.

Our story unfolds in Buenos Aires. Which as you watch the movie is easy to forget because there is absolutely no South American flavor to the proceedings. The story might as well be set in Milwaukee. Anyhow small-time gambler and successful cheater Johnny Farrell somehow finds himself running a high-class casino after the casino's owner, Ballin Mundson, takes a liking to him. Everything is going swimmingly until one day, completely out of the blue, Ballin returns home from a trip with a beautiful new wife in tow. This woman is going to cause all kinds of complications. This woman of course is Gilda and right from the start, from her first memorable moment on the screen, Hayworth takes hold of the movie. Gilda's a fascinating character with so much lurking under the surface. And what's on the surface ain't so bad either. Not for nothing was Hayworth the era's most popular pinup girl. A shame then that the movie can't take full advantage of the allure and talents of its star.

Hayworth is vibrant, exciting, bursting with life. The movie is not. In playing Johnny Farrell, the character we unfortunately spend more time with than we do with Gilda, Glenn Ford comes across as being somewhat dull. And his character is rather unlikable. The story contains some elements which fall flat. There's something about a tungsten cartel which involves some angry Germans. This of course has nothing to do with Gilda. Can we just get back to Gilda? Please? Somewhere along the way the story really gets bogged down and not even Hayworth can fully rescue it. Everyone will remember Hayworth's big moments. She makes quite the impression with her famous singing and dancing. Well dancing anyway as the singing voice isn't hers. But nevertheless that famous number, "Put the Blame on Mame", is quite the spectacle. Now who to put the blame on for surrounding the fabulous Hayworth with an otherwise very ordinary movie? You'll love Rita. Love the movie? That's a stretch.

Rita Hayworth positively sizzles as Gilda in this film-noir classic. From her initial hair-tossing scene to her near striptease while she sings "Put the Blame on Mame," Hayworth is captivating and more than convincing as the object of every man's desires. However, beyond the overtly heterosexual lures of Ms. Hayworth lurks a complex and ambiguous romantic triangle that provides more intrigue than the surface plot, which involves a gambling casino that is a front for shady operations that originated in a recently defeated, Fascist country.

Hayworth may either be the intruding wedge that comes between Glenn Ford and George Macready or the object of both men's romantic interests. From the initial meeting between Ford as two-bit gambler Johnny Farrell and Macready as Ballin Mundson the casino owner, an ambiguous, possibly homo-erotic, attraction is established between the two men. The lingering looks that they exchange can be read in several ways, but Bogie never looked into Cagney's eyes like Ford looks into Macready's. After Ford begins to work for Macready, his devoted care and slavish attention to his boss's needs exceed the bounds of employee and employer. When Hayworth moves into Macready's home as his new wife, Ford returns the key to the house as though he were a jilted lover. Ford's increasing jealousy becomes apparent after Hayworth's arrival on the scene, but it is unclear of whom he is jealous, Hayworth or Macready or possibly both. Perhaps Ford's character is as unsure of his own feelings as is the viewer, which makes the ambiguity even more intriguing. Macready's jealousy also grows as the heat between Ford and Hayworth intensifies, but, again, it is ambiguous of whom he is jealous.

With a dazzling performance by Hayworth, excellent black-and-white photography by Rudoph Mate, fine direction by Charles Vidor, and layers of psychological possibilities to ponder, "Gilda" is as golden as its title suggests.

George Macready is playing the role that most people remember him for - Balin Munson, nightclub millionaire in Argentina, and a man with pure ice in his veins. He has two friends...Johnny (Glenn Ford), who Balin rescues from some toughs, and a slick, sharp little chum hidden in his walking stick - ever ready to cut up people that Balin doesn't like. He also has bigger plans. Men like Balin are not satisfied with successful nightclub/gambling casinos (however successfully they are run). During the Second World War several German and axis industrialists found Balin a comfortable man to do business with. It seems they were not sure if Der Fuhrer would win after all, so they transferred various papers concerning their international holdings in tungsten manufacturing to Balin for him to watch. Big mistake, for Balin realizes that the documents actually put these interests into his fully capable hands. And since he has managed to bribe a local tungsten manufacturer to sell out his plant in Argentina, if Balin can leave without police interference he can put together a cartel that will control the manufacture of such things as light bulb filaments. Sounds preposterous, but that is Balin's goal. He only has two problems: Johnny and Balin's beautiful wife Gilda (Rita Hayworth) apparently know each other and can't stand each other - but he has to leave them in charge of his nightclub while he's away. The other problem is Detective Maurice Obregon (Joseph Calleia) of the Argentine Police Department. Obregon suspects Balin's involvement in this illegal cartel scheme, and is watching him like a hawk.

"Gilda" is the film that made Rita Hayworth a star, and (with "Paths of Glory") gave Macready his justifiable claims to being one of Hollywood's best villains. Ironically many people don't think of Macready as anything but a villain in movies. It is true that in films like "Lady Without a Passport" and "The Big Clock" he was a villain, but he also could play decent people. He tries to help Spencer Tracy escape recapture and execution in "The Seventh Cross", and he is the wise minister and reformer who helps thwart Ray Milland (a.k.a. the Devil) in "Alias Nick Beal". But his Balin is pure, malevolent ice. There has been some suggestion that Balin's relationship with Johnny is actually a homosexual one (the business with the knife in the cane possibly being a metaphor for a male sex organ). Perhaps, but it is a weird friendship of two cynics who (briefly) enjoy each other's cynicism.

Curiously enough the business of the tungsten cartel is rarely discussed in going over the film. Like "Notorious" which came out about the same time, "Gilda" reminded American audiences of the large numbers of Nazis and collaborators who fled to South America in this period. In "Notorious" it was Brazil, and the gang (led by Alex Sebastian - Claude Rains) was fooling around with uranium. Here the idea of such people controlling a useful metal's manufacturing was not probed as much, probably because Balin was set to double cross them. But it is worrying to think of them coming so close to it.

In a discussion of the Warner Baxter film, "Such Men Are Dangerous" I mentioned that (like that film) there is a hint here of the 1928 mysterious death of millionaire Alfred Loewenstein, who managed to fall out of his private airplane over the English Channel. Here, to evade both the Nazis and Calleia, Balin arranges his plane to explode over the ocean (although the audience and Calleia see a figure parachute before it does so). Not quite the same problem as the Loewenstein mystery, but one can see the seed of the idea was there.

I would say this was certainly one of the better film noirs. It even was somewhat thought provoking.

This is one of my all time favourite films, much watched with all its faults. Even the best things can't be faultless but any faults can be more easily overlooked.

There is no golden age film I've seen quite like Gilda, full of strange people with highly-charged emotions saying and doing odd thought-provoking things in semi-comical ways - if you include violence and swearing you could say that's 90% of modern movies though! The subject of hate = love has been explored better since Gilda, but with me the first cut is always the deepest - I first saw this when I was a more impressionable youngster. What we have is a scintillating four way love/hate relationship between Ballin, Johnny, Ballin & Johnny's little friend with no name, & Gilda that ultimately becomes the "usual" tawdry tangle, resolved by their nightclub's toilet-attendant. Huh? When you're in the middle of this fantasy world you can swallow all of this and more.

Probably the second best B picture ever made it only starts to feel like one during the last 30 minutes down to the metaphorical walking into the sunset ending. There's so many good bits: The inventive and relentlessly snappy dialogue between the main characters throughout the film; Johnny quoting statistically that there are more insects in the world than women; Johnny waking up at 5am to the sound of Gilda singing to Pio the toilet-attendant; Pio's reaction after the midget industrialist killed himself in the toilets; Ballin describing his little friend's attributes to Johnny who claims he's just as good; Ballin asking Gilda if she was decent when she was; Johnny telling Ballin categorically that he taught Gilda ALL she knew; Gilda's little striptease - what creeps there were in that club - and fancy stopping her!

Not quite as good as, but a worthy bookend for Casablanca, THE best B picture ever made.

Gilda is very much a star vehicle for Rita Hayworth's provocative sexiness and, in truth, she comes across, esp in the finale, as a vulnerable minx rather than an acid hearted femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck in 'Double Indemnity).

The plot's noir elements initially hold your interest - the downbeat narrator, the love triangle, Mundsen's shadowy dealings with Germans/Nazis, double-crossing - and the dialogue fizzes brilliantly at times especially when Gilda & Johnny, her former paramour, encounter one another again (the talk on hate as an emotion).

Yet one gets the feeling that plot & character development are secondary elements and I found my attention wondering now & again due to the uneven pace of the plot.

I did like the idea of Farrell (Glenn Ford) becoming insanely jealous of Gilda - like Mundsen before him - after their marriage. She looks at a portrait of her supposedly dead husband and Farrell suddenly remembers her apparent faithlessness. Their love quickly turns again into mutual antagonism.

The ending is underpowered and appears tacked on. We've been waiting for Mundsen's return to settle an outstanding matter. This just highlights how far removed from standard noir films Gilda really is.

Some critics have read a gay subtext in the relationship between Johnny and Mundsen, but I think whatever nuances, if any, are quickly subsumed by the film's attention on Hayworth & her charms. Besides the character of Mundsen is simply not developed enough to cater for such emotional complexity.

Later generations like mine are perhaps not so aware of Hayworth's allure, so, in some ways, the film's mystique has diminished over time. Still, I can imagine the film's attraction especially for those returning from the grim battlefields of WW2. It is easy to understand how so many found this film captivating. I read somewhere that the film's chereographer actually based Hayworth's dance to 'Blame It On Mame' on a professional stripper he knew. Little wonder then that she became a pin-up on the first A-bomb dropped in peacetime. But it would be wrong just to class Hayworth as merely a pin-up. Her Gilda is also a vulnerable figure, hurt in the past, and on the rebound.

Like "Casablanca," this film involves a saloon keeper in a love triangle, but that's about all this lackluster film has in common with that classic. Hayworth looks fabulous, especially when putting the blame on Mame, and she puts her considerable assets on display, but acting talent is not among them. Ford is the angry young man, although his anger towards Hayworth is never clearly explained. One would expect a flashback to their earlier relationship, but it never comes. Although it is a good-looking production, the script is anemic, with nothing interesting happening for at least the first half, and then some poorly contrived situations are presented.

Johnny is a small time, but talented, hustler who finds himself at the wrong end of a gun on the dark back streets of Buenos Aires. He is rescued by a mysterious and controlling stranger, Ballin Mundson, who ends up being the owner of a club/casino that operates under the radar of the law. Johnny and Ballin form a close partnership with Johnny being the "man who runs the joint" and Ballin the Master. When Ballin takes a short leave and comes back married to the gorgeous Gilda, a threesome develops that puts a strain on the partnership. There is a burning mutual dislike between Johnny and Gilda. When Gilda feigns ignorance over not remembering his name, she coyly replies, "Johnny. So hard to remember . . . and so easy to forget." Of course there's much more to their acquaintance than they are willing to acknowledge, and a fusion of sexual heat, jealousy, fear and hatred keep the tension tightly wound which fuels the film. And of course there is Rita Hayworth up front and center. All the accolades that have been showered on her sexy "striptease" interpretation of "Put the Blame on Mame" are true! And still this film has much more to offer; an economical but effective story line; a tight witty script loaded with innuendo; and superb acting all around, especially the overlooked icy performance of George Macready as Ballin Mundson.

Gilda (1946)

You know from the first few minutes that this movie will look great and move fast. By twelve minutes in you have a swirling shifting plot line and two memorable lead players. And that's before Rita Hayworth has even appeared (as the title character).

Glenn Ford is young and almost baby-faced here, but a mature presence, great to see in this demanding role, at least for a film noir. And yes this is a noir, a great one, with all the archetypes--the lead male floating anchor-less through a sinister world, a femme fatale, and a complex plot with a backstory that matters. It's filmed in fluid moving camera black and white, with lots of night stuff. And it's over the top dramatic.

Ford is Hayworth's favorite leading male, and you might sense why here. They are very evenly matched, and the scenes with the two of them (often with others, too) are great. But then, all of it is pretty terrific. There is a true Hitchcock style McGuffin involved --tungsten, this time--and it really doesn't matter. You do have to pay attention to every look and remark to fully follow the deceptions, and to be let in on the secrets as they come out. And it's worth it.

Part of the joy here is the new film noir mood fully blossomed, complete with the snappy dialog of short pithy quips, and with a contrasty filming style. This is a great one, set in Argentina in those years when the Nazi refugees were roaming South America.

Don't miss it. Highly recommend seeing "Notorious" by Hitchcock at the same time, because they both travel through similar external circumstances. But the differences in feel and style are clear as day. Both are great, and both are moving in different post-War directions.

Everything that people say about Rita Hayworth is true. She's wonderfully sexy and seductive throughout the movie. She has the best dialogue and has about half a dozen wonderful scenes, including two nice musical numbers.

The problem is the 60% of the movie that she is not in. The plot is dull, the other characters unlikable, and the production values mediocre.

The movie isn't quite film noir, isn't quite, gangster, isn't quite, romantic action. It is really a hodge-podge mess.

Perhaps the biggest problem is Glenn Ford's "Johnny" character. There is nothing sympathetic about him. He is not witty or cool, but morose, with a nasty streak. The movie really needed a hero to save Gilda from him, but he plays the hero and the villain in a confused, uptight manner.

Besides Rita, George McCready gives a nice menacing performance as casino owner/crime boss Ballan. Unfortunately, his character fakes his own death halfway through the movie and he only appears again for three minutes in a final scene.

So ten stars for Rita and four stars for the rest of the movie balances out to a seven star movie.

"Gilda" may very well be one of the most unusual Hollywood films ever made. What exactly is the relationship among the three lead characters, Gilda, Johnny, and Ballin? How is Uncle Pio a key figure in the story? If you can unravel the threads to discover the answers to these two questions, then you're on your way to understanding this extremely complex, intriguing, yet highly entertaining cinematic gem.

The three leads, Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, and George Macready turn in what should have been award-winning performances. Rita is at her most seductiveness. She danced in a natural way that left little to the imagination. She understood her every movement and made every twist and turn tell a story. One of the most enchanting scenes in the entire film is when she strums the guitar and sings "Put The Blame on Mame" to a hypnotized Uncle Pio. The camera work under the direction of Rudolph Maté, dazzling throughout, is particularly noteworthy in this scene with just the right zooms and angles to capture the essence of the magic moment.

Glenn Ford as the sexually frustrated Johnny delivers one of his best acting jobs ever. Most viewers have experienced relationships that began with doubt and ambivalence but led to love. Johnny perceives Gilda at first as a dangerous rival and as a threat to his position of power and prestige provided him by Gilda's new husband, Ballin. Johnny was nothing but a two-bit hustler, a small time gambler, before Ballin saved him with his "Little Friend" from being robbed and maybe killed outside a gambling dive in Buenos Aires. Made his casino manager and possible successor, Ballin takes Johnny into his confidence, even giving him the combination to the safe in his office. Johnny sees Gilda as an interloper. Gilda views Johnny in much the same way, a threat to her new found wealth with her sugar daddy.

Ballin Mundson is arrogant and ambitious, seeking to actually rule the world through a business cartel involving the Germans. Set up during World War II, it is not quite clear if Ballin was in collusion with the Nazi's or if it was all just a business deal. Since he is now hiding out in South America, collaboration with the Nazi's is a possibility. Though he uses Gilda for decoration and exploitation, he obviously loves her to the point of obsession. She is his possession, not to be touched without his consent.

When it seems that Ballin has committed suicide, Johnny takes both the casino and Gilda. What seems to be mutual hate contaminates Gilda and Johnny's relationship to the point that Gilda becomes his prisoner. The viewer cannot imagine a happy ending for all this, but one does take place.

This cinema classic invites repeated viewings to unravel the motives and intentions of the three leading characters. At one point, Gilda hisses, "Hate is a very exciting emotion." But then so is love. While trying to understand exactly what is going on, savor the sensuous, titillating movements of a true screen goddess, Rita Hayworth.

I was somewhat disappointed in this movie, which was much less than I thought it would be. Stylistically it was very good, but there was little beneath the shimmering surface. The plot made little sense, nor did I understand the motivations of the characters. It was pleasing to look at film noir, but I never connected with it emotionally, unlike many other films of that genre. For example, a few people remarked on the ending. It took me a while to even remember it.

The cinematography was great, the famous dance number was sizzling, and the actors, even the bit parts, filled out their roles well. But I never really cared what anyone was actually up to, nor did their fate matter to me.

Great for film buffs, so so for regular audiences.

Gilda (played by Rita Hayworth) comes in between the strong and intense friendship between two men (Glenn Ford and George Mcready) who run a casino together in Argentina. It is an age old story. But there is a really far fetched twist at the end involving a faked death. Rita Hayworth looked gorgeous. I found it hard to take my eyes off her. Ford is effortless as usual. George Mcready looked sinister with his cane.

The supporting cast was quite noteworthy. The relentlessly pessimistic casino employee Uncle Pio keeps reminding Ford and Hayworth that they have no real future. That annoying character was a nice touch and very pivotal in the end. Not very subtle though. Joe Sawyer (who can forget this guys face) is one of the heavies employed by Mcready.

Most of the action takes place indoors - inside the casino. Except for the beginning and the scene involving the faked death. It is all very far fetched when you think about it. The happy ending was a bit of a let down. I enjoyed it, nonetheless.

You're out of practice, aren't you? Dancing, I mean... I could help you get in practice again, Johnny... Dancing, I mean."

As tawdry a film noir could get in 46. Not sure if it needed narration - or if they had to to have more of it - and then it gets too much in the second half. It also helps to check out the special features on the Criterion disc, in particular the segment with Eddie Muller. I had a sense that some thing is sort of 'off' with Farril and Ball in, which is what their connection is in this love triangle.

At first you think it is just the 'employee has a thing with his employers gal who used to date the employee, what are the odds'- but the pull from Johnny to this guy who *sounds* immediately like a Nazi (the actor was later in Paths of Glory) had the air of salacious tension. That it got by the censors or Hayes people is extraordinary; it's classy and steamy at once. It's also produced and co-written by women, and that gets reflected in how Hayworth is depicted: she's powerful and sexy, But her vulnerability and conflicts are even stronger and grow in pofundity; who is Gilda to Ballin, what is he to her, how is Johnny keeping his composure not exploding as he looks at her in every scene? Its not just eye candy, it's a real performance with depth. Ford matches her beat for beat in his own, and made his breakthrough by creating a performance with a ton of subtext and pain.

But goddamn does Hayworth make an all time masterpiece of a dame here, with an intense, mostly hot but almost nasty connection. Gilda also has the added benefit of getting more twisted and (for its time) sordid in the melodrama as it goes on, and Macready as the cold-blooded husband. All three work so well together, and this coupled with the whole sensual/dangerous mood to it all, how it is photographed by the great Rudolph Mate, and those songs that are fun cinematic set pieces first, like any good dance number, and iconic for their sexy allure second (the acoustic Blame on Mame is sweet too), and you got a minor classic.

Shame the end tops Woman in the Window for 'whaaaa?'ness

When Johnny Farrell, a professional card shark, is caught cheating at blackjack in a Buenos Aires casino he convinces the owner, Ballin Mundson, to give him a job. Soon he is the manager of the casino and he and Mundson are good friends. Out of the blue Mundson gets married...to Gilda, and ex-flame of Johnny's. Their relationship ended badly and soon Johnny realises that Gilda is just after Mundson's money. She starts cheating on Mundson and Johnny covers for her to prevent his friend from being hurt. Johnny also discovers that Mundson is involved with some shady German characters.

A film that started very well. We have the slick-talking, quick-thinking, streetwise Johnny getting a job on the hire-a-thief-to-catch-a-thief principle, the success he makes of this and his relationship with his employer, Mundson.

Enter Gilda, played by Rita Heyworth. Stunningly beautiful and beguiling, she threatens to ruin Johnny's perfect world. What secrets do Gilda and Johnny have that they can't speak about them?

Johnny's covering for her infidelity can only end badly and what's up with the shady Germans (especially considering that this is Argentina immediately post-WW2)?

The tension is high and it's all set up for some very intriguing plot developments and twists, Hitchcock style.

Unfortunately, after such a great setup, the remainder is rather disappointing. No great twists, intrigues or thrills, everything unfolds in predictable, linear fashion. Rather than being a thriller it's more a romantic drama and a fairly conventional one at that.

Ultimately it's interesting enough but it seemed destined to be far better than that. The most memorable aspect to the movie will always be Rita Heyworth's smouldering femme fatale performance and appearance rather than the overall quality of the film.