Storm Over Lisbon

The atmosphere is exotic and nice, there is nothing wrong about the cinematography, the music is all the way to great advantage, so what is wrong about this film? Everything else. There is no plausible plot, the dialog is miserable, the acting is stale and sterile, there are a few gunshots now and then interrupting the general boredom, the action is absurd, a few cold-blooded murders doesn't make it any better, and I have seldom seen Erich Von Stroheim in a poorer role. As the owner of a casino he manages some sort of spy central working for the Japanese, disposing of whoever he doesn't have any use of any more. The one thing that makes this film worth watching is Vera Ralston as she dances, her first performance to the wonderful music of Borodin actually lifts the film to some level of interest, she is beautiful to watch and makes a fine performance, but she is the only one. All the others are just standard types of crooks and machos. The three street musicians also help to give the film some attraction, but on the whole it is a sorry display of just the cheapest kind of elegance. I had expected better of Erich Von Stroheim.