Lisbon (1956)

High stakes battle of wits and morals between gentlemen crooks, set in beautiful Portugal.

Director:

Ray Milland

Writers:

John Tucker Battle (screenplay), Martin Rackin (story)

Stars:

Ray Milland, Maureen O'Hara, Claude Rains

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ray Milland	...	Capt. Robert John Evans
Maureen O'Hara	...	Sylvia Merrill
Claude Rains	...	Aristides Mavros
Yvonne Furneaux	...	Maria Maddalena Masanet
Francis Lederer	...	Seraphim
Percy Marmont	...	Lloyd Merrill
Jay Novello	...	Insp. Joao Casimiro Fonseca
Edward Chapman	...	Edgar Selwyn
Harold Jamieson	...	Philip Norworth
Humberto Madeira	...	Tio Rabio

Storyline

High stakes battle of wits and morals between gentlemen crooks, set in beautiful Portugal.

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Plot Keywords:

portugal | yacht | fist fight | scenic | criminal | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese French

Release Date:

17 August 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lisboa

Filming Locations:

Lisbon Airport, Lisbon, Portugal

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Trucolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nelson Riddle's instrumental recording of "Lisbon Antigua" (an ancient Portuguese melody) was already on the Hit Charts before this film was made. Republic publicity sent out a story that "Director/Producer Ray Milland took a recording of the music with him and had a Portuguese orchestra adapt it for a sequence in the picture".

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Goofs

Capt. Evans tells Mrs. Merrill that the Seteais Palace is Pena Palace, two distinct palaces in the region of Sintra. The Seteais Palace became an hotel since the early 21st century, and it overlooks the Pena Palace.

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Quotes

Sylvia Merrill: I've never met Mr. Avros.
Capt. Robert John Evans: I have and I don't nothing about him.
Sylvia Merrill: What was your impression?
Capt. Robert John Evans: [almost shouting] A CROOK!
Sylvia Merrill: I know that... but is he a reliable crook?

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Soundtracks

"Lisboa Antiga"
(uncredited)
Music by Augusto Santos and José Galhardo (uncredited)
Lyrics by 'Raul Portela' (uncredited)
Sung by Anita Guerreiro (uncredited)

User Reviews

Beautifully filmed romantic crime thriller.

Elegant is the only word to describe this wonderful example of 1950s film-making at its best. Art direction is usually one of those obscure technical credits nobody ever bothers about, but in this case the entire movie is a feast for the eyes thanks to clever art direction using subtle shades of blue and brown to reflect the beautiful natural locations in Portugal. Almost every frame is a painting in its own right and the movie is worth watching just for its sumptuous looks alone.

Against this delightful visual backdrop, a complex double/triple-cross crime story is allowed to unfold at a leisurely pace as the viewer is gradually let in on the intricacies of the plot. Characters and motives also develop with the story and by its conclusion little is what it first seemed. Claude Rains, Maureen O'Hara and Ray Milland (who was also director and associate producer) are each excellent in their roles. Claude Rains in particular as a raffishly handsome crime boss with impeccable breeding is both lovable and chilling. Ray Milland has all the women falling at his feet, and not without reason. Maureen O'Hara is alternately tough and romantic as we see her character gradually revealed.

Movie buffs might even see some tongue in cheek allusions to the plot of Casablanca, particularly in the final scene, as this cleverly crafted story unfolds. There's certainly something to please everyone. I'm a person who rarely enjoys movies made in the 1950s because of the stifling social values of the era, but for me Lisbon has been a revelation of the artistic heights which could be achieved in that era when the movie makers stopped trying to preach political and social values and just did what they were good at.