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 | |
Leslye Banning | ... | Jennie Stone | |
Jim Backus | ... | Myron Winton | |
Philip Van Zandt | ... | Jose Morro | |
John Mylong | ... | Martin Krafft | |
Carleton G. Young | ... | Gerald Hobson |
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? Written by Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>
This is an odd but entertaining film.
Don't take any of the story too seriously -- the film seems to be a satire of classic cliches including a slick but really, really evil villain vs. the crude but sort-of worthy hero. I don't want to spoil it for you, but it does have a happy ending which should come as no surprise. The real treat of the film is Price mocking himself as a B-picture actor who gets a chance to be heroic and plays it for all the melodrama it's worth.