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:

tucson arizona | tourist resort | murder | husband wife relationship | undercover cop | 

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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

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

In later interviews, Robert Mitchum admitted that much of the script was made up as they went along.

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Goofs

When Milner bumps into Cardigan on the stairs, one of the bullets on Cardigan's hunting vest has slipped almost all the way through the holder. In the next shot, all of the bullets are in place and evenly aligned.

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Quotes

Mark Cardigan: I'm out of my mind to ask her... She hates everything I do.
Dan Milner: She likes you.
Mark Cardigan: Yeh, I know, that's what I don't understand.
Dan Milner: If she liked me, man, I wouldn't try to understand.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story: Howard's Way (1987)

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Soundtracks

Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech
(uncredited)
Sung by Tim Holt

User Reviews

A Priceless Performance!

Executively produced by Howard Hughes and directed by John Farrow, His Kind of Woman seems to have it all. It has a great cast under more than competent direction with a good, interesting, and inventive script. The film tells about gangster Raymond Burr, deported from the country, planning on using drifter Robert Mitchum's identity. Mitchum is flown down to a resort for the wealthy in Mexico awaiting further instructions after having been given $5,000 as a down payment on $50,000. Mitchum goes but is very curious as to what he has to do for so much dough. On his way he meets with sultry Jane Russell(Hughes's squeeze - and a LOT at that to squeeze!) who is trying to endear herself to hammy actor Vincent Price. The film really does a good job with the characterizations of all the major and minor characters. Mitchum is rock solid in his role. Russell is just beautiful and believable in her role. Tim Holt, Jim Backus, and the rest of the cast do very well. Burr plays one mean gangster. But it is Price who steals the film(for me). The first 3/4's go quite smoothly with Mitchum wondering what is going on with waiting for instructions and getting close to Russell. Price gives the film an energy boost though when he starts to play the real HAM actor in the final fourth of the film. No actor I know can be as hammy and that good as Vincent Price can. He aids Mitchum with an aplomb of such audacity and rhetoric(quoting the Bard on several occasions) of such depth and exaggeration as to make his role almost camp. But his hammy performance works well with the tension of Mitchum's plight with Burr. Director Farrow does a very nice job pacing the action in the film and adding humour here and there. Russell almost disappears from the end - but what's a girl to do wearing a dress she is barely able to walk in when action is needed. His Kind of Woman is one of those classic Noir type films with a great cast that should have your complete attention. Afterall when all is said and done: Robert Mitchum playing the leading man, Jane Russell wearing low-cut gowns, good vs. evil conflict, Howard Hughes production, character actor Jim Backus, and Vincent Price hamming it up as only he can - PRICELESS!