Everybody's looking for the Big Bajour, but what they end up finding is love, sweet love. In this laughable movie about American gypsies, Jane Russell is an independent gypsy, working from town to town to sign contracts to marry a gypsy prince, swipe the dowry & skip town. But when she does that with gypsy prince Cornel Wilde's heir apparent brother (Luther Adler), she plays the bajour (swindle) on Wilde himself, having decided that he will be better as a husband than as a victim. Having gone along with the scam since he had no love lost for his brother, Wilde is furious over this trapped marriage and vows not to honor his vows. Russell vows to get him come hell or high water, and being the hot-blooded gypsy girl she is, gives him a wedding night he won't soon forget, the kind that usually ends up with some interior decorator making a heck of a commission.
Russell and Wilde make one heck of a couple, but it is clear that they are about a decade too old for their parts. Adler is perfectly cast as the older brother and easily wins the acting honors. This is a strange assignment for director Nicholas Ray, being a semi-musical with little plot beyond some catfights, a few flaccid songs and a wedding night whip number that creates a lot of heat for the well paired leads. The massively red color photography is eye-catching, but the entire gypsy atmosphere seems truly forced. The only thing missing is Maria Ouspenskaya giving her werewolf lesson and the view of Dracula's castle in the background.
Russell and Wilde make one heck of a couple, but it is clear that they are about a decade too old for their parts. Adler is perfectly cast as the older brother and easily wins the acting honors. This is a strange assignment for director Nicholas Ray, being a semi-musical with little plot beyond some catfights, a few flaccid songs and a wedding night whip number that creates a lot of heat for the well paired leads. The massively red color photography is eye-catching, but the entire gypsy atmosphere seems truly forced. The only thing missing is Maria Ouspenskaya giving her werewolf lesson and the view of Dracula's castle in the background.