Macao (1952)

Nick Cochran, an American in exile in Macao, has a chance to restore his name by helping capture an international crime lord. Undercover, can he mislead the bad guys and still woo the attractive singer/petty crook, Julie Benson?

Directors:

Josef von Sternberg, Mel Ferrer (uncredited)

Writers:

Bernard C. Schoenfeld (screenplay), Stanley Rubin (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, William Bendix

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Mitchum	...	Nick Cochran
Jane Russell	...	Julie Benton
William Bendix	...	Lawrence C. Trumble
Thomas Gomez	...	Police Lt. Sebastian
Gloria Grahame	...	Margie
Brad Dexter	...	Vincent Halloran
Edward Ashley	...	Martin Stewart
Philip Ahn	...	Itzumi
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Kwan Sum Tang
Don Zelaya	...	Gimpy - Piano Player

Storyline

A sultry night club singer, a man who has also traveled to many exotic ports and a salesman meet aboard ship on the 45-mile trip from Hong Kong to Macao. The singer is quickly hired by an American expatriate who runs the biggest casino in Macao and has a thriving business in converting hot jewels into cash. Her new boss thinks one of her traveling companions is a cop. One is -- but not the one the boss suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | hong kong | one word title | nightclub singer | boat | 

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Taglines:

On the spot...in the toughest spot on earth. (Lobby card).

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Film-Noir

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in 1950 with retakes and additional scenes shot in 1951.

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Goofs

In the DVD subtitles, some of the Portuguese police commander's dialogue has the words "señor" and "señora," spelled in the Spanish way. The Portuguese forms are "senhor" and "senhora".

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Quotes

Lawrence C. Trumble: By the way, ever think of going home?
Nick Cochran: I can't go home any more than you can even if I wanted to.
Lawrence C. Trumble: Why not?
Nick Cochran: Oh, a little hassle over a redhead, somebody fired a shot, turned out to be me.
Lawrence C. Trumble: Other guy get killed?
Nick Cochran: No, but I got all the way to China before I found that out. Then I just, kept on going...

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Connections

Referenced in Jane Russell - Der Star aus dem Heu (2006)

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Soundtracks

One for My Baby
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Jane Russell

User Reviews

Mitchum and Russell doing what they do best

These RKO noirs sometimes don't make a lot of sense; "Macao" gets a little murky plot-wise, but otherwise, it's an entertaining film with an excellent cast. And as an added bonus, it has Josef von Sternberg at the helm until he was kicked off the movie, and then it has Nicholas Ray. Not bad.

Robert Mitchum, sexy and wide-shouldered in one of those loose-fitting tropical suits, plays Nick Cochran, going to Macao to start over after leaving the U.S. and spending time in the service. He originally thought he committed murder, but even though he hadn't, he kept going. On the boat en route to Macao, he meets beautiful, sexy, non-nonsense Julie Benson (Jane Russell) and a salesman (William Bendix).

When they arrive, Mitchum is taken for a police detective out to get a criminal/casino owner Halloran (Brad Dexter) back to the states. The chief of police (Thomas Gomez) is in cahoots with Halloran. Plus, Halloran becomes interested in Julie, so he really wants to get rid of Cochran. Criminals in Macao avoid the "three mile limit" - because three miles outside of Macao, international jurisdiction rules.

Apparently Mitchum did some rewrites on this script because it didn't make much sense. The cast and crew, all of whom had worked together many times, were a little too friendly for von Sternberg, which caused Mitchum to push all of his buttons. I'm not sure if Ray dragged Gloria Grahame with him or what, but she's wasted here, and she had no interest in this role. Can't blame her.

Despite all of this, Mitchum and Russell are great together, a wonderful, sexy combination. Both stars just ooze sex appeal, and Mitchum's laid-back performance is a great juxtaposition to Russell's character - it's pointed out that she has a big chip on her shoulder. Russell looks fabulous in the costumes, an added bonus.

Pretty music, excellent noir photography, and a good pace help make "Macao" good entertainment. For me it can't touch "Out of the Past" or "The Big Steal," but you can't beat Mitchum and Russell heating up the screen.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese Japanese

Release Date:

11 April 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Macao

Filming Locations:

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,530

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1