This 1950 film noir could better be described as falling into rom-com territory. It concerns an LAPD officer Madeline Haley (Claire Trevor) who is assigned to infiltrate a gang of narcotics smugglers led by a hardened criminal Pete Richie (Raymond Burr) down in Mexico. There are some good scenes at the beginning in which Haley poses as a showgirl in a Mexican nightclub and almost has her cover blown when Richie arrives back at his apartment while she's casing the place.
Unbeknownst to Haley, Johnny McEvoy aka Johnny Macklin (Fred MacMurray), a US Customs Inspector posing as a gangster working for Richie's rival Harry Gumblin (Roy Roberts), ends up in a confrontation with Richie (who is wounded by Madeline in self-defense). Believing that Madeline is Richie's girlfriend, Johnny escapes with her and then heads to Los Angeles after Gumblin assigns him to smuggle drugs.
The two principals pose as a honeymoon couple. The bulk of the picture revolves around their burgeoning romance, despite their ignorance about one another's respective missions. There is some suspense as Richie and his gang almost catch up with them along the way. Two significant events occur during this trip: McEvoy's driver Miguel is killed and they must find a way to dispose of the body; and McEvoy and Haley end up traveling in a small plane to get them close to the US border---only to have the plane run out of gas, land on a beach and then finally make their way to Ensenada where there's an exciting scene where it looks like McEvoy will be killed after Richie brings him up to his hotel room at gunpoint.
In a twist, Custom Agents are waiting for Richie and place him under arrest. When McEvoy and Haley do reach the border, McEvoy coldly orders Haley placed under arrest for narcotics smuggling. This is after Haley has fallen in love with him and she's miffed that apparently his feelings for her weren't genuine enough. McEvoy must eat crow after Haley's boss shows up and informs him that she too is in law enforcement.
Haley however is forced to continue the assignment with McEvoy despite h er antipathy toward him. There's a meeting at the LA Zoo and a final showdown in which Gumblin is revealed to be the head of the smuggling ring. Haley changes her mind about McEvoy after he's wounded but stands his ground inside Gumblin's house while the gangsters return fire with the police. McEvoy this time is quite grateful to receive the attention of the smitten Haley, after realizing he's in need of tender loving care from a woman while recovering from his wounds.
Borderline is a decent enough crime picture with more of a focus on the romantic entanglements. The action slows down often to pause for all the romance. Trevor and MacMurray are enjoyable in their roles as unsuspecting law enforcement agents who have fallen for one another. I wouldn't say this is a trifle of a movie but more a breezy footnote in the pantheon of film noir.
Unbeknownst to Haley, Johnny McEvoy aka Johnny Macklin (Fred MacMurray), a US Customs Inspector posing as a gangster working for Richie's rival Harry Gumblin (Roy Roberts), ends up in a confrontation with Richie (who is wounded by Madeline in self-defense). Believing that Madeline is Richie's girlfriend, Johnny escapes with her and then heads to Los Angeles after Gumblin assigns him to smuggle drugs.
The two principals pose as a honeymoon couple. The bulk of the picture revolves around their burgeoning romance, despite their ignorance about one another's respective missions. There is some suspense as Richie and his gang almost catch up with them along the way. Two significant events occur during this trip: McEvoy's driver Miguel is killed and they must find a way to dispose of the body; and McEvoy and Haley end up traveling in a small plane to get them close to the US border---only to have the plane run out of gas, land on a beach and then finally make their way to Ensenada where there's an exciting scene where it looks like McEvoy will be killed after Richie brings him up to his hotel room at gunpoint.
In a twist, Custom Agents are waiting for Richie and place him under arrest. When McEvoy and Haley do reach the border, McEvoy coldly orders Haley placed under arrest for narcotics smuggling. This is after Haley has fallen in love with him and she's miffed that apparently his feelings for her weren't genuine enough. McEvoy must eat crow after Haley's boss shows up and informs him that she too is in law enforcement.
Haley however is forced to continue the assignment with McEvoy despite h er antipathy toward him. There's a meeting at the LA Zoo and a final showdown in which Gumblin is revealed to be the head of the smuggling ring. Haley changes her mind about McEvoy after he's wounded but stands his ground inside Gumblin's house while the gangsters return fire with the police. McEvoy this time is quite grateful to receive the attention of the smitten Haley, after realizing he's in need of tender loving care from a woman while recovering from his wounds.
Borderline is a decent enough crime picture with more of a focus on the romantic entanglements. The action slows down often to pause for all the romance. Trevor and MacMurray are enjoyable in their roles as unsuspecting law enforcement agents who have fallen for one another. I wouldn't say this is a trifle of a movie but more a breezy footnote in the pantheon of film noir.