His Kind of Woman (1951)

A deported gangster's plan to re-enter the USA involves skulduggery at a Mexican resort, and gambler Dan Milner is caught in the middle.

Directors:

John Farrow, Richard Fleischer (uncredited)

Writers:

Frank Fenton, Jack Leonard

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Vincent Price

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum	...	Dan Milner
Jane Russell	...	Lenore Brent
Vincent Price	...	Mark Cardigan
Tim Holt	...	Bill Lusk
Charles McGraw	...	Thompson / Narrator
Marjorie Reynolds	...	Helen Cardigan
Raymond Burr	...	Nick Ferraro
Leslie Banning	...	Jennie Stone (as Leslye Banning)
Jim Backus	...	Myron Winton
Philip Van Zandt	...	Jose Morro
John Mylong	...	Martin Krafft
Carleton G. Young	...	Gerald Hobson

Storyline

Nick Ferraro, deported crime boss, needs to re-enter the USA. His plan involves "honest" gambler Dan Milner, who's subjected to a series of "misfortunes," then bribed to take a trip to Mexico. En route, Dan meets chanteuse Lenore Brent, truly his kind of woman. But on arrival at posh Morros Lodge in Baja California, Dan finds the ostensibly rich, carefree guests all playing roles...except, possibly, ham actor Mark Cardigan. What does Ferraro want with him? Can he trust anyone?

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | tucson arizona | tourist resort | murder | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

They were two of a kind ! ...and bound to meet, but neither of them knew what such a meeting would mean!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish Italian

Release Date:

21 November 1951 (Congo)

Also Known As:

Smiler with a Gun

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$850,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nick Ferraro's yacht was built entirely on RKO's Stage 22 - at the time the largest sound stage in the world. Initially, only a bridge set was called for, but studio owner Howard Hughes wanted more fighting scenes and more of everything in the finale, so an entire ship set was built to satisfy his wishes.

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Goofs

When Thompson's two henchman are trying to outflank Cardigan, the grey haired henchman, who is wearing light coloured trousers, runs from the left of the shot and passes behind a rock. However, the man who emerges from behind the rock, and is immediately shot by Cardigan, has dark hair and is wearing dark trousers.

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Quotes

Dan Milner: Are you in the oil business, or are you just spending your alimony all at once?
Lenore Brent: I'm what you'd call a spoiled child of the rich.
Dan Milner: Well, how do you do? I'm what you'd call a spoiled child of the poor.

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Connections

Featured in Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light (2006)

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Soundtracks

Five Little Miles from San Berdoo
Written by Sam Coslow
Performed by Jane Russell

User Reviews

Schizophrenic Noir

A broke California gambler is paid thousands to travel to a resort in Mexico and meet someone who'll instruct him on what comes next. The plot is initially quite muddled and does not become clear until about halfway through. It starts as a film noir, turns into a romantic comedy, and finishes with furious action. Russell is a sultry presence and she and Mitchum have good chemistry. However, Price steals the film in a hilarious turn as a hammy Hollywood actor. The action scenes are not convincing. The bad guys take forever to aim their guns, allowing Mitchum and Price adequate time to react. There is also a ridiculously protracted scene where bad guys try to stick a needle into Mitchum.