Affair in Trinidad (1952)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Berne Giler (story)
James Gunn (writer)

Release Date:

29 July 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller | Musical

Plot:

Nightclub singer and her brother-in-law try to find her husband's killer.

Plot Keywords:

Trinidad | Caribbean | Seductive Dance | Intrigue | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Rita Hayworth	...	Chris Emery
Glenn Ford	...	Steve Emery
Alexander Scourby	...	Max Fabian
Valerie Bettis	...	Veronica Huebling
Torin Thatcher	...	Inspector Smythe
Howard Wendell	...	Anderson
Karel Stepanek	...	Walters
George Voskovec	...	Doctor Franz Huebling
Steven Geray	...	Wittol
Walter Kohler	...	Peter Bronec
Juanita Moore	...	Dominique
Gregg Martell	...	Olaf, Fabian's Chauffeur
Mort Mills	...	Martin, Wittol's Henchman
Ralph Moody	...	Coroner

Also Known As:

Girl from Amen Valley (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The production of "Affair in Trinidad" is credited to the Beckworth Corporation, named for Rita Hayworth and her daughter Rebecca Welles, but Beckworth wasn't an actual production company. It was a tax dodge set up by Hayworth and Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn to allow her fee for the film to be considered a capital gain rather than a salary, and therefore taxed at a lower rate.

Goofs:

Continuity: An exterior shot of an airborne DC-3 with standard rectangular windows is followed by an interior shot of Emery looking out of a round window.

Quotes:

Trinidad Band: [singing] A chick-a-chick boom, a chick-a-chick boom / Announces your in the room with the Trinidad Lady. / A chick-a-chick boom, a chick-a-chick boom / Your ticker goes boom-boom-boom for the Trinidad Lady.
Chris Emery: [singing] It's only that I do what I love and love what I do / Can't help the mad desire that's deep inside of you. / You realize the fault isn't mine, you are to blame / You want what you can't have, and you're just the same.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Rita Hayworth: The Columbia Lady (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

TRINIDAD LADY

Rekindled and ignited

To address some issues: there is a familiarity with 'Gilda' which is just that and cannot possibly take anything away from what a triumph this film actually is.

Firstly, I love how it is such a classic, straight-to-the-point Hayworth vehicle. Business: Harry Cohn had to 'give away' Born Yesterday, which was intended for his number 1 star, to Judy Haliday; now she was "back!" just like the posters said; she had star power and wasn't given From Here To Eternity as her comeback simply because she had too much box-office to be in an ensemble picture; and what better way than to give fans a sure-fire treat - Hayworth and Glenn Ford in another simmering film noir? Except, this is no 'Gilda' - this is 'Affair In Trinidad'. Hayworth reinvents herself, her talent bristling with abandon in her opening number The Trinidad Lady. The swirling intro to this film is over in seconds and there she is - still the star and definitely not off the pedestal. We can see the transformation is what films can get away with just that little bit more - when Hayworth 'slides' to show off her amazing legs it's like a revelation, a force that cannot be held back. This is Rita dancing with her trademark unearthly grace, yet now she has experience that she can convey like never before.

This is certainly true with her acting too. She had always been able to give spirited performances that she isn't always - superficially at least - given much credit for. But here she handles her scenes with great texture, assurance and (key to most starlets of the era's guaranteed appeal) vulnerability. My favourite scene is when she is 'stealing time' to peek through documents for the police - she gets a rare kind of drama not normally given to her before. It's just en interesting, daft moment that is perhaps just typical 1950's melodrama, but glamorous and crucial at the same time.

We also see the impressive actress Valerie Bettis, who is very much a character that was emerging in this period - a very vamp-like, sardonic lady with a smouldering alcohol-sustained sexuality, in the vein of Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, etc. She eats the scenery, which is an acquired taste, but well worth it. The actress in question is Valerie Bettis who it would appear was a successful TV actress in the same decade. Her character Veronica Huebling certainly tried to use her sex appeal to entrap and exploit men, the way she believes Chris Emery (Hayworth) is able to, which possibly explains her heavy drinking.

Juanita Moore conveys a powerful presence also, managing some interesting lines. Some of which are dated, or perhaps just twee, but to be enjoyed nonetheless.

When Hayworth famously tosses her hair again, we don't need to hear any 'Gilda' comparisons. She had moved on, she had made straight-forward vehicles all through her ascent to super-stardom and fans will definitely appreciate the familiar elements resonating their own special glory, but shaken together as it is, we get something new that is definitely worth investigation.