His Kind of Woman (1951)

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

Frank Fenton (written by) and
Jack Leonard (written by)

Release Date:

29 August 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

They were two of a kind ! ...and bound to meet, but neither of them knew what such a meeting would mean!

Plot:

A deported gangster's plan to re-enter the USA involves skulduggery at a Mexican resort, and gambler Dan Milner is caught in the middle.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Mexico | Belt Whipping | Shooting | Whipping

Cast

Robert Mitchum	...	Dan Milner
Jane Russell	...	Lenore Brent
Vincent Price	...	Mark Cardigan
Tim Holt	...	Bill Lusk
Charles McGraw	...	Thompson / Narrator
Marjorie Reynolds	...	Helen Cardigan
Raymond Burr	...	Nick Ferraro
Leslie Banning	...	Jennie Stone (as Leslye Banning)
Jim Backus	...	Myron Winton
Philip Van Zandt	...	Jose Morro
John Mylong	...	Martin Krafft
Carleton G. Young	...	Gerald Hobson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert J. Wilke	...	Nick Ferraro (scenes deleted)

Also Known As:

Smiler with a Gun (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #14533) | Sweden:(Banned) (1951-1965)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

In later interviews, Robert Mitchum admitted that much of the script was made up as they went along.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Milner bumps into Cardigan on the stairs, one of the bullets on Cardigan's hunting vest has slipped almost all the way through the holder. In the next shot, all of the bullets are in place and evenly aligned.

Quotes:

Lenore Brent: Wherever I am, I sing at the drop of a hat.
Dan Milner: Even if you have to supply the hat?
Lenore Brent: Exactly!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Private Screenings: Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell" (1996)

Soundtrack:

You'll Know

Superior Fun; a Noir Satire with Adventure; Intricate and Enjoyable Fare

Noir comedy adventures starring Robert Mitchum are a Hollywood rarity; especially this is true when the storyline is a good straight mystery to begin with adding fine touches of first-rate satirical comedy. He and Jane Russell, beautifully teamed as an adventurous tough-guy and a brave saloon singer are very smooth together, in a movie where Vincent Price supplies many of the laughs, and everything works as effortlessly as a wave crashing onto a Mexican beach's sands. The plot line is innately interesting. A gambler played by powerful Raymond Burr ensnares Mitchum by wrecking his enterprises. He then pays him to come to work for him. Object: to get back into the US from which he was deported as a crime boss--as a dead Mitchum, using his papers, etc. But where does Jane Russell fit into the plot? The joker in the deck is Price as a ham motion picture star who jumps at the chance to play a death-defying adventurer, and ends becoming a hero. The best moment in the film comes as Price and a mountainous cowardly deadpan brother-in-law of the Police Chief start off in a small boat overloaded with help for Mitchum--and slowly sink like a stone. But the battle on a boat is finally won, Price is thrilled to be wounded, Mitchum gets Russell and all comes out favorably in the end. The film was finished by Richard Fleischer with Howard Hughes after John Farrow had shot it already. Leigh Harline provided the music, Albert D'Agostino the inspired art direction. A very stylish B/W film all in all, with a leaven of comedy. The pace is surprisingly good, the gambling joint depicted very believably and the intricate storyline by Gerald Drayson Adams and Frank Fenton, Jack Leonard and others, holds together amazingly. This film was an enjoyable experience for many viewers when it was first released; a sultry romance, played by believable leads, added to the pluses. Mitchum and Russell are fine. Others in the huge cast include Charles McGraw, Tim Holt, Marjorie Reynolds, Jim Backus, Philip Van Zandt and many more, some familiar faces. A most enjoyable romp and a surprisingly good mystery.