His Kind of Woman

Infobox_Film
name = His Kind of Woman


caption = Theatrical poster
director = John Farrow Richard Fleischer (Uncredited)
producer = Robert Sparks Executive producer: Howard Hughes
writer = Screenplay: Frank Fenton
Jack Leonard
Story Gerald Drayson Adams Screenplay, uncredited: Earl Fenton Richard Fleischer Howard Hughes
narrator = Charles McGraw
starring = Robert Mitchum
Jane Russell
Vincent Price
music = Leigh Harline
cinematography = Harry J. Wild
editing = Frederic Knudtson
Eda Warren
distributor = RKO Radio Pictures
released = August 29 1951
runtime = 120 minutes
country = United States
language = English
amg_id = 1:22508
imdb_id = 0043643

"His Kind of Woman" is a black-and-white 1951 comedy drama "film noir" starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. The film features supporting roles by Vincent Price, Raymond Burr, and Charles McGraw. The movie was directed officially by John Farrow and based on the unpublished story "Star Sapphie" by Gerald Drayson. [imdb title|id=0043643|title=His Kind of Woman.]

Post-production on the film was rife with problems and Howard Hughes was dissatisfied with John Farrow's work, and a number of scenes were cut, added, and re-shot by the uncredited Richard Fleischer. Hughes also organized a screenwriting team which extensively rewrote the film and added many pages to the first script. Despite the turmoil surrounding the film's production, the film was commercially successful and has developed a cult following, despite its lack of widespread distribution in the decades since its release.

Plot

Deported crime boss Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr) lures Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) and glamorous lounge singer Lenore Brent (Jane Russell) to a remote hideaway in Mexico. When Milner arrives, he finds that all the guests at the luxurious Baja California resort are playing roles, each with hidden motives. He begins to distrust everyone, and questions his reason for being at Ferraro's resort, though he befriends eccentric actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price).

Cast

* Robert Mitchum as Dan Milner
* Jane Russell as Lenore Brent
* Vincent Price as Mark Cardigan
* Tim Holt as Bill Lusk
* Charles McGraw as Thompson
* Marjorie Reynolds as Helen Cardigan
* Raymond Burr as Nick Ferraro
* Leslie Banning as Jennie Stone
* Jim Backus as Myron Winton
* Philip Van Zandt as Jose Morro
* John Mylong as Martin Krafft
* Carleton G. Young as Gerald Hobson

Critical reception

In a review of the film, the staff at "Variety" magazine lauded the pairing of Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell as the lead characters, writing, " [The] two strike plenty of sparks in their meetings as each waits out plot development...Both Mitchum and Russell score strongly. Russell's full charms are fetchingly displayed in smart costumes that offer the minimum of protection. Much is made of Vincent Price's scenery-chewing actor character and much of it supplies relief to the film's otherwise taut development." [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791671.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 "Variety"] . Film review, August 29 1951. Last accessed: January 15 2008.]

Critic Dennis Schwartz called the film, "An oddball tongue-in-cheek crime thriller, filled with ad-libs, from Howard Hughes' RKO studio that strays from its conventional "film noir" plot to try its hand at comedy." Schwartz also appreciated the acting, writing, "It's a part where Mitchum is perfectly at home with being a loner anti-hero and Russell is perfectly cast as the bouncy 'his kind of woman,' who in the last shot kisses him while his pants are being scorched by the iron--a perfect metaphor to end on." [ [http://www.sover.net/~ozus/hiskindofwoman.htm Schwartz, Dennis] . "Ozus' World Movie Reviews," film review, December 15 2004. Last accessed: January 15, 2008.]

Linda Rasmussen liked Mitchum's performance but as a "film noir" proper gave the film a lackluster review, "As a serious "film-noir" thriller, it lacks suspense and depth. However, the film has its moments, and Robert Mitchum is in his element as the loner anti-hero." [Rasmussen, Linda. amg movie|id=1:22508|title=His Kind of Woman. Last accessed: January 15, 2008.]

References

Notes

External links

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* [http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews23/film_noir_classic_collection_v3.htm#his-kind-of-woman "His Kind of Woman"] at DVD Beaver (includes images)
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/00/9/his.html "His Kind of Woman"] at Senses of Cinema