The Big Boodle (1957)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Richard Wilson

Writers:

Jo Eisinger (screenplay)
Robert Sylvester (novel)

Release Date:

14 June 1957 (Finland)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

In pre-Castro Cuba, Ned Sherwood is caught between police and counterfeiters.

Plot Keywords:

Cuba | Counterfeit | Gangster | Beautiful Woman | Based On Novel

Cast

Rosanna Rory	...	'Fina' Ferrer (as Rossana Rory)
Errol Flynn	...	Ned Sherwood
Francisco Canero	...	Police Doctor (as Dr. Francisco Canero)
Louis Oquendo	...	Detective (as Luis Oquendo)
Pedro Armendáriz	...	Col. Mastegui (as Pedro Armendariz)
Charles Todd	...	U.S. Treasury Agent Griswold
Enrique Cruz Álvarez	...	Police Lt. (as Enrique Cruz Alvarez)
Rogelio Hernández	...	Miguel Salcito (as Rogelio Hernandez)
Carlos Mas	...	Chuchu
Jacques Aubuchon	...	Miguel Collada
Guillermo Álvarez Guedes	...	Casino Manager (as Guillermo Alvarez G.)
Aurora Pita	...	Linen Shop Girl
Velia Martinez	...	Salcito's secretary
Gia Scala	...	Anita Ferrer
Sandro Giglio	...	Armando Ferrer

Also Known As:

A Night in Havana (UK)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Havana, Cuba

Company:

Monteflor Inc.

Quotes:

Colonel Mastegui: A man is not a man until he's caught at least one bullet.
Ned Sherwood: Catch it in the right place and a man isn't a man... period.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

CUMBANCHA MORENA

A good Errol Flynn movie in Cuba

"The Big Boodle" (1957)

I love movies about Cuba; "Godfather II", "Havana", "Our Man in Havana", and "Cuba". That must have been quite a big party place for North Americans to vacation to. Of course, if you were a resident, it must have been a totally different kind of place, and you could understand how Castro could get it's citizens to revolt from the powers-that-be.

"The Big Boodle" takes place in Havana, Cuba before Castro came to power. It's a suspenseful mystery movie that showcases the tropical beauty of Cuba.

Italian actress Rosanna Rory plays Fina Ferrer who passes some counterfeit (Boodle) money at the blackjack table to Ned Sherwood, played by Errol Flynn. Ned is a down-on-his-luck croupier, working at a Cuban casino. Normally a croupier is SOL if he gets bogus bills, and, as Ned says, they can only press it into their scrap book. Ned tries to give the money back to Fina without success.

That night Ned gets mugged by a bunch of thugs outside of his apartment, and when the cops question him, they find the Boodle in his pocket. The police Colonel Mastegui, played by Pedro Armendáriz ("From Russia With Love" and "The Three Godfathers") thinks that he's the counterfeiter, or at least he can help them find the counterfeiters.

Surprisingly, Ned is bailed out of jail by an anonymous benefactor. Now he finds that he's the target of the police, the counterfeiters (who think that he's got the printing plates) and other assorted characters. He feels that he needs to solve the mystery before he gets killed himself.

At 48 years old, Errol Flynn looks kind of burnt out. You can obviously tell when they bring in the stunt double to do his fight scenes, but other than that, he still seems in good enough physical shape to do this movie. He is playing a down-trodden character in a film noir movie, so he's playing it like we see it.

Of course one of the biggest stars of this movie is Havana itself. The beautiful palms, buildings and scenery are wonderfully photographed. The sound wasn't the best on the movie that I watched on Turner Classic Movies, but the music was great. Errol Flynn's character does a little bar-hopping, and you get to hear some of the old Cuban Jazz, Mambo, Conga, ChaChaCha; the salsa/reggaeton of the 50s. That was great!

Over all, it's a nice little film. It wasn't a real fast-paced actioner, but a nice little noir movie that showcases a paradise that we might be able to see again some day. It's well worth you taping, or if it ever comes out on DVD, owning.