Gilda (1946)

A small-time gambler hired to work in a Buenos Aires casino learns that his ex-lover is married to his employer.

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

E.A. Ellington (story), Jo Eisinger (adaptation)

Stars:

Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rita Hayworth	...	Gilda
Glenn Ford	...	Johnny Farrell
George Macready	...	Ballin Mundson
Joseph Calleia	...	Det. Maurice Obregon
Steven Geray	...	Uncle Pio
Joe Sawyer	...	Casey
Gerald Mohr	...	Capt. Delgado
Mark Roberts	...	Gabe Evans (as Robert Scott)
Ludwig Donath	...	German Cartel Member
Donald Douglas	...	Thomas Langford (as Don Douglas)

Storyline

Just arrived in Argentina, small-time crooked gambler Johnny Farrell is saved from a gunman by sinister Ballin Mundson, who later makes Johnny his right-hand man. But their friendship based on mutual lack of scruples is strained when Mundson returns from a trip with a wife: the supremely desirable Gilda, whom Johnny once knew and learned to hate. The relationship of Johnny and Gilda, a battlefield of warring emotions, becomes even more bizarre after Mundson disappears...

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Plot Keywords:

jealousy | national film registry | punched in the face | gambler | washroom attendant | 

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Taglines:

"I didn't think I'd be true to a man again as long as I lived..."

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French German

Release Date:

25 April 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Seytanin kizi Gilda

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Goofs

When Johnny is in the casino watching the roulette game, the ball is circling the inside of the wheel, but the wheel itself is standing still. A roulette wheel never stops moving while the table is open.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Johnny Farrell: To me a dollar was a dollar in any language. It was my first night in the Argentine and I didn't know much about the local citizens, but I knew about American sailors, and I knew I better get out of there.

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Connections

Referenced in It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

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Soundtracks

Put the Blame on Mame
by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher
Performed by Rita Hayworth (dubbed by Anita Ellis) (uncredited)

User Reviews

A fusion of sexual heat, jealousy, fear and hatred - terrific stuff!

Johnny is a small time, but talented, hustler who finds himself at the wrong end of a gun on the dark back streets of Buenos Aires. He is rescued by a mysterious and controlling stranger, Ballin Mundson, who ends up being the owner of a club/casino that operates under the radar of the law. Johnny and Ballin form a close partnership with Johnny being the "man who runs the joint" and Ballin the Master. When Ballin takes a short leave and comes back married to the gorgeous Gilda, a threesome develops that puts a strain on the partnership. There is a burning mutual dislike between Johnny and Gilda. When Gilda feigns ignorance over not remembering his name, she coyly replies, "Johnny. So hard to remember . . . and so easy to forget." Of course there's much more to their acquaintance than they are willing to acknowledge, and a fusion of sexual heat, jealousy, fear and hatred keep the tension tightly wound which fuels the film. And of course there is Rita Hayworth up front and center. All the accolades that have been showered on her sexy "striptease" interpretation of "Put the Blame on Mame" are true! And still this film has much more to offer; an economical but effective story line; a tight witty script loaded with innuendo; and superb acting all around, especially the overlooked icy performance of George Macready as Ballin Mundson.