Calcutta (1946)

Neale and Pedro fly cargo between Chungking and Calcutta. When their buddy Bill is murdered they investigate. Neale meets Bill's fiancée Virginia and becomes suspicious of a deeper plot while also falling for her charms.

Director:

John Farrow

Writer:

Seton I. Miller (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Alan Ladd, Gail Russell, William Bendix

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Alan Ladd	...	Neale Gordon
Gail Russell	...	Virginia Moore
William Bendix	...	Pedro Blake
June Duprez	...	Marina Tanev
Lowell Gilmore	...	Eric Lasser
Edith King	...	Mrs. Smith
Paul Singh	...	Mul Raj Malik
Gavin Muir	...	Inspector Kendricks
John Whitney	...	Bill Cunningham
Benson Fong	...	Young Chinese Clerk

Storyline

Neale Gordon and Pedro Lake, commercial pilots who fly the hump between Chungking and Calcutta learn, when they reach Calcutta, that their pal, Bill Cunningham, has been murdered. Neales investigation leads him to the Chalgani Club, run by Eric Lasser. Marina Tanov, the club's Russian singer, in love with Neale, tells him that Bill was engaged to an American girl, Virginia Moore. Neale seeks out Virginia, who admits that Bill gave her the $10,000 necklace she is wearing. Knowing that Bill never had that kind of money, Neale checks up. He learns that Bill had actually bought and paid for it. Neale and Virginia are having a drink at the bar when Pedro shows Neale a valuable star-sapphire which he found in the hangar. The pilots then realize they have stumbled onto a smuggling racket. Neale is convinced that Virginia is not involved.

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Plot Keywords:

deception | american abroad | woman in jeopardy | man slaps a woman | betrayal | 

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Taglines:

LADD MATCHES WITS WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN...MATCHES SKILLS WITH AN ORIENTAL STRANGLER! (original poster-all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 9, 1950 with Alan Ladd and Gail Russell reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

When Neale takes Virginia Moore out for drinks, he orders two gin slings with ice. When the waiter brings their drinks, he announces, "Brandy and soda."

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Connections

Referenced in Chicago, the Beautiful (1948)

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Soundtracks

This Is Madness
(uncredited)
Written by Bernie Wayne and Ben Raleigh
Sung by June Duprez

User Reviews

Alan Ladd at least appealing in cliched Asian hodgepodge

Calcutta is far from Alan Ladd's finest hour on the silver screen (nor director John Farrow's, for that matter). His trademark contempt for women and his android-like affect prove unappealing and tedious when not undercut by plausible psychology or fleshed-out co-stars. Here he has nothing but a murky Asian hodgepodge of noir cliches to wade through, the inevitable William Bendix at his side (and, this time, on his side). Trying to solve the murder of a fellow trunk-line pilot working the route from India to China, he drifts from hotel to casino to airfield encountering a rogues' gallery of grotesques. Edith King, as a stogie-puffing Baby Jane Hudson, promises more than she delivers; Gail Russell, the black widow of the piece, is kind of like Mary Astor to three parts water. This is one film from the noir cycle whose obscurity gives little cause for regret.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1947 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

Calcutta

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1