Howard
Hughes puts his trademarks on this eighty-eight-minute RKO Radio Pictures film, what with the flying
sequences and microscopic closeups of his leading lady. A film that
is hardly unknown, it lost money at the box office. However, with the pairing of Victor Mature and Jane Russell, it is hard to ignore. Despite some inferior projects, Mature never embarrassed himself. He is his usual flawless self, yet his co-star, Vincent Price, takes a back seat to no one. Throw in Hoagy Carmichael and you have the potential for fine entertainment. It was directed by Robert Stevenson and required the trio of Robert Sparks, Howard Hughes, and Samuel Bischoff to produce it.
With
similar “dangerous” facial features, testy pout, and a noteworthy
sneer, Russell may remind one of the female Elvis. She could hardly be
called flat except for her adequate acting and one-dimensional delivery here. Her eyes are
generally expressionless and her potentially witty comebacks are not as
pointed as in the superior, His Kind of Woman, a year earlier, with Robert Mitchum. Nonetheless, she had one of
the most beautiful smiles in Hollywood. But lately, those smiles only
happen when she is around Happy, played by Carmichael, the casino pianist. Thanks to his delivery, he lightens the film
considerably, if not frequently. His opening narration sets up the
background for the film's stars prior to their appearance. Hoagy's
folksy tone of a “country cool cat” is endearing. He performs an
early “rap” song, “The Monkey Song.” The difference with
his rap is that he uses an actual melody. The 1938 song, “I Get Along Without You Very Well” is reused
for this film. Russell is filmed only from the waist up while singing,
providing another comparison to Elvis. But with Hughe's opposite intentions.
Russell's
husband, Price, insists on vacationing in Las Vegas, determined to play the tables in hopes of winning enough to pay his debts. He is
decidedly a character with selfish motives. Russell
preferred a flight anywhere else from fears of running into her
old flame, Mature, now a lieutenant with the Sheriff's
Department. Throughout most of the film, he and Russell get along
without each other very well due to their parting years before, the result
of poor communication skills. Russell's 100 grand necklace becomes Price's gambling collateral with the casino owner attempting to secure it. Getting off the same flight as the newlyweds is "Mr. Smarmy" himself, Brad Dexter. He
has been assigned by his insurance company to watch Price and
Russell's...uh...necklace. Dexter slimes toward the dark side about halfway through the film.
The climax, filmed at the former Tonopah Army Airfield,
was the first car and helicopter chase sequence in a movie. Flying
twice through an open hanger was a groundbreaking sequence and I
imagine amazed the audience. Dexter's useless driving around in circles in his attempt to evade the helicopter is pretty silly. The foot chase between him and Mature is a high-wind final confrontation yet typical of the era. Price is no longer a murder suspect but is found guilty of embezzlement to please the audience. An appropriate wrap to the film. But wait. It is not quite over. After two murders, theft, and an extended chase scene, one might not expect to have another song thrown in. Written for this film and Mature's character, “My Resistance Is Low” is an okay Carmichael song but hard to sit through because of Russell's syrupy delivery and slurred esses. I digress. There will be divorce papers to sign and assuming they can keep their personal blowups restrained, Russell and Mature may roll the dice one more time. Viva Las Vegas!
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