Customer Reviews

His Kind of Woman

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fact that "His Kind of Woman" achieves coherence is miraculous. One third of the film rewritten after its completion, reshoots, and scenes recast and reshot again at the insistence of executive producer Howard Hughes transformed this movie into particularly brutal film noir juxtaposed with romantic comedy and topped off with farce. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but "His Kind of Woman" is splendid. The movie's title gives the impression of a clever romantic comedy featuring RKO's biggest stars at the time, Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. And so it is. Sassy and sexy with sharp dialogue by Frank Fenton and Jack Leonard. But this is also, clearly and consciously, a menacing, introverted crime film in which Robert Mitchum's world-weary gambler has sold his fate without knowing what it is, and he's increasingly anxious to find out.

Crime boss Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr) is eager to return to the United States to take control of his troubled syndicate but can't set foot over the U.S. border without being recognized. Ferraro's agent offers gambler Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) $50,000 to leave the United States for a year so that Ferraro can assume Milner's identity to enter the U. S. Milner is to wait it out at a posh Mexican resort, Morro's Lodge. En route to the Lodge, Milner meets Lenore Brent (Jane Russell), a songstress claiming to be a millionaire, headed the same direction. At Morro's Lodge, Lenore tries to get a marriage proposal out of her daffy movie star boyfriend Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price). Cardigan is more interested in hunting. Lenore is more interested in Milner. And Milner is desperate to learn if he should expect a bullet in the head or a nice Mexican vacation. Eventually, an undercover U. S. Immigration agent (Tim Holt) arrives to clear up that mystery.

It's odd to interweave a snappy, sophisticated romantic comedy with existential dread, but Robert Mitchum is as notably introverted and aloof as he is romantic and formidable. Milner sold his fate and thereby lost control of his life. He has no choice but to act like a tourist, enjoy the amenities, and await whatever comes. He tries to find out what the plans are for him, threatening one of Ferraro's men, "I want information, and I'm beginning not to care how I get it." No dice. He's adrift in a world he doesn't understand and cannot control. To emphasize the point, this film has the most low camera angles I have ever seen. We spend a lot of time looking at the ceiling. But Milner has one distraction: The lovely Lenore, who is not what she says. The affable, self-absorbed Mark Cardigan keeps us all amused with his unconscious jabs at Hollywood culture. I can't praise Vincent Price's performance enough.

The unforgettable final act of "His Kind of Woman" juxtaposes the most sadistic violence ever seen in an American movie as of 1951 with some of the most successful farce ever -and gets away with it. Howard Hughes felt that "His Kind of Woman" ended too abruptly and insisted that the conclusion of the film be rewritten. The last 40 minutes were directed by Richard Fleischer, not John Farrow, who directed the original cut of the film, and partly written by Hughes, for a total running time of 2 hours -impossibly long in 1951. Milner's torture by Ferraro and his henchmen is cross-cut with Mark Cardigan's farcical attempts to enlist the Lodge's guests and Mexican police in rescuing Milner. Back-and-forth. One might think that Cardigan's antics were intended as comic relief, but they actually emphasize the horror of Milner's predicament. I found myself laughing out loud one minute and cringing the next. More than once. No one knows how it got past the Production Code Administration, but the last 40 minutes of "His Kind of Woman" are so effective and fascinating that you may want to watch them twice.

The DVD (Warner Brothers 2006): The single bonus feature is a very good audio commentary by UCLA professor of film and television Vivian Sobchack. Ms. Sobchack talks about stars, characters, cinematography, art direction, and the problems that the film had with the PCA. She compares the film's comedic and noir tones. And she provides a lot of detail about Howard Hughes heavy-handed involvement in the last 40 minutes of the film and its results. The commentary is nearly constant, with Sobchack kindly pausing briefly so that we can hear particularly good dialogue. She does not discuss the noir themes in depth, as that does not seem to be her specialty. That may disappoint noir fans, but themes are easy to figure out for yourself, and the commentary offers a wealth of information on other aspects of the film and its amazing recreation. It's worth listening to the entire commentary. Subtitles for the film are available in English, Spanish, and French.

His Kind of Woman should be a mess, but somehow it emerges as a highly enjoyable insane asylum of a movie as much thanks to as in spite of the constant interference by Howard Hughes: credited to John Farrow, Richard Fleischer spent months shooting and reshooting the yacht finale at the mogul's whims in a desperate attempt to get out of his own studio contract. Even Raymond Burr's villain is a case of third time lucky after Howard Petrie and Robert J. Wilke played the part without meriting Hughes' approval. Snappy dialogue ("You're the guy who shot (him). How did it feel?" "He didn't say.") unlucky gamblers, fortune-hunting gals, randy Wall Street types (played by no less than Mr Magoo himself, Jim Backus), Nazi plastic surgeons, Italian mobsters, Robert Mitchum betting his shoe and ironing his money, and a very wonderful hotel set courtesy of Albert D'Agostino - this has everything Hughes' money could buy. Mitch and Jane Russell have real chemistry, and she comes over as far more genuinely likeable than in many of her contemporary roles: for all the chaos, you get the sense that they're actually having fun (certainly she looks genuinely happy when she sings in her opening scene). But the show belongs to Vincent Price's ham actor, who doesn't fear death - he's too well-known to die - loves guns, never shuns the spotlight - even if it is wielded by gun-toting mobsters - but isn't too wild about his wife. He should destroy the movie if you're still expecting the bleak noir it began as, but by the time he appears you know that this is a log ride that drifts with the prevailing current and his outrageous hamming somehow compliments the sadism and prolonged action of the extended finale perfectly.

A shame that the DVD has a noticeable scratch during the yacht sequences

Another S/M role for Raymond Burr (a la "Raw Deal") and what struck me as the strangest Vincent Price role ever...but they both work. Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell are a good match--very sexy and sort of touching for two tough cookies. One of the other reviews mentioned the strange juxtaposition of gut-wrenching violence and humor...you find yourself laughing and then wincing in the same two seconds. I loved this movie.

This is an early gangster film that is great fun. Mitchum is duped into going to a resort in Mexico. Why? So his identity can be stolen and used by Raymond Burr, a gangster, who wants to return to the states but can't because he has been deported. The battle to maintain his ID is great fun to watch. Jane Russell is his love interest and is typical sultry Jane. Vincent Price is great as a Hollywood matinee idol who longs for real action rather than staged swordplay. This movie needs to be released on DVD. It is very hard to find on VHS and shows up occasionally on AMC or TNT. By the way this filmed all on the backlot of the studio but it sure feels like your in Mexico. I love this film, hope you will too. DCC

This will be an odd offbeat review so consider yourself warned. I first saw this movie on the late night channel as I was laying in a hospital bed at the age of 17. I was in agony I had driven myself to the hospital after I had an attack of a infected appendix. They could not get the surgeon sooner and I was NOT allowed any pain meds. A stupid bag of ice was all I had for the awful pain. So I had nothing to do while my surgeon sobered up except watch tv. So when this movie came on and I saw both Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price in his funniest role ever, I concentrated hard to avoid thinking about the pain. So I LOVE LOVE this movie because for me it kept me company and my mind off the agony of a inflamed appendix as I layed doubled over in a hospital bed alone at 4 a.m.. RKO built it's first new set since the war for this movie and it looks great. Just the combo of all the actors and the added comedy made 'this mess of a movie' quite good. It worked. Actually the whole idea and the way this film was made is really quite modern with many films doing the same thing today mixing crime, comedy and sadism together a la Pulp Fiction.

Produced by Howard Hughes, His Kind of Woman! is a blending of a little bit from several genres, including film noir, over-the-top comedy, and action. Surprisingly enough, it all works really well. Dan Milner is typically a gambler who has everything go his way, but of late he's hit an unlucky streak. When he's at his lowest, Milner is approached by some shady characters with a way to make some easy money. All he has to do is go to a remote Mexican resort and wait to meet a man. Arriving at the resort, Milner starts to smell a rat as the plan comes together, a deported mobster wants to buy his identity so he can get back into the US. Of course that's just the basic storyline. There's a wide variety of crazy, eccentric characters at the resort all with their own motives. The blending of noir, action, and comedy works perfectly together and makes for a very enjoyable movie.

Leading the ensemble cast is the always cool Robert Mitchum as Dan Milner, a down and out gambler looking for some easy money. Mitchum could pull off action star and romance equally well which serves him well here. He teams with sex symbol Jane Russell for their first of two movies together. Russell plays Lenore Brent, a heiress looking to nab a rich husband. Her scenes with Mitchum are great, and her character is basically a chance to show off her good looks in any number of outfits. Vincent Price really seems to be enjoying himself as over-the-top Mark Cardigan, a Hollywood actor who jumps at the chance to get into some real action when trouble arises. The solid supporting cast includes Tim Holt, Charles McGraw, Marjorie Reynolds, Raymond Burr, Jim Backus, Leslie Banning, and Philip Van Zandt.

The DVD has the movie in a standard presentation with a few scratches here and there, but nothing that takes you away from the movie. Film historian Vivian Sobchack also provides an informative commentary, but that's it for special features. So for a movie that blends action, comedy and noir with great performances from Mitchum, Russell, and Price, check out His Kind of Woman!

I second all the positive reviews and would like to add that for a few dollars more you can get this movie as part of Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket) -- well maybe more than a just a few dollars more, but you will get some other worthy films including another Mitchum vehicle.

You even get the commentary plus a bonus disk with other special features only available on the collection.

This is a review for HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951) dby John Farrow (w/Richard Fleischer), Production Supervised by Howard Hughes.
HIS KIND OF WOMAN was probably made, remade and made again before producer Howard Hughes came close to being satisfied with it. It's really not GONE WITH THE WIND but you would think that's what was being filmed considering all the time, care and especially money that was put into it.

As it is, HIS KIND OF WOMAN is more or less two movies in one, the first two thirds, a more or less straight ahead film noir directed by John Farrow, and the last third which was directed by, among others, Richard Fleischer. The first portion features plenty of the noir touches that we've become used to from the likes of RKO and Robert Mitchum, shadowy threats of violence and thanks to John Farrow, plenty of fairly ingenious long takes that help keep the story momentum going without a lot of jarring back and forth then he said, then she said set up shots. The final third, when Vincent Price becomes more prominent in the story, is more like a farcial adition to the first part, and the longer the story goes, the funnier it becomes. Vincent Price is in top form in this film, at least the second part, and even if you don't care for moody noirs, you might like the anti-noir farcial atmosphere of the second part and climax of HIS KIND OF WOMAN.

The story of HIS KIND OF WOMAN concerns gambler Dan Milner, played by Robert Mitchum, being persueded to go to Baja, Mexico in order to assist a Luciano-like gangster, played by Raymond Burr, to re-enter the United States without government permission. Along the way Milner runs into a singer named Lenore Brent, played by Jane Russell and a popular Errol Flynn-like movie actor played by Vincent Price.

Although at times HIS KIND OF WOMAN can get a mite congested, there's a lot of activity and plenty of interesting characters to keep things going and the two hour running time is pleasantly filled with the type of entertainment we have come to expect from the later years of the RKO studio.

I rate HIS KIND OF WOMAN Four Stars

This one gets 'thumbs way up' from me, but not knowing the plot (IMO) increases the fun; as the type of 'fun' is best when unexpected. Still, if you don't care either way: "Read on MacDuff!"


***SPOILERS***

This is one fun movie, especially if you are going in expecting a straight crime film. But Howard Hughes, in his attempt to resurrect RKO, had other ideas....

At the crux of the plot is deported Italian gangster Nick Ferraro (a rather thin Raymond Burr). Ferraro's men lure Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum), a down-on-his-luck gambler, down to Mexico with the promise of $50,000. Milner has no idea what for, but he is paid a portion in advance, and that is good enough for him. What Milner doesn't know is that Ferraro plans to kill him in Mexico, and impersonate him across the border, into the states.

On his way down to Mexico, Mitchum meets Lenore Brent (Jane Russell) and immediately falls for her. They are both destined for the same resort, but Milner soon learns that Brent is trying to land married actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price). Cardigan is a successful thespian, but his marriage is a poor one, so he has come down to Mexico to take out his frustrations by hunting ... and meeting up with Brent.

We are introduced to a myriad of resort patrons, such as Myron Winton (Jim Backus), 'our narrator' Thompson (Charles McGraw), chess-playing writer Martin Krafft (John Mylong), and about midway, Bill Lusk (Tim Holt). Up until this point, everything is rather noiry and mysterious in tone; especially after warning Milner something is up ... Lusk ends up dead.

Then the tone shifts to something akin to a mix of James Bond and Errol Flynn swashbuckler, as the thugs fail to take Milner aboard a boat to his ultimate doom. They fail because Cardigan is warned about what is going on, and he helps Milner by coming to the rescue fully armed.

But then Milner gets the idea that the only way to put a stop to all this is to confront Ferraro on his boat, which is manned by about 20-25 sailors and gangsters.... So he attempts to board the boat and find Ferraro.
By this time, Cardigan (in what is one of the most fun performances I've ever seen Price give) feels the rush of adventure and collects a rag-tag band to storm the boat, all the while spouting Shakespearean quotes and wry quips. The last quarter of the film is, in my opinion, as funny as any screwball comedy you care to name.

Mark Cardigan: "Alas, why must I be plagued by yammering magpies on the eve of battle?!"

Fun film.

It really doesn't pay to write much on this because the review by "mirasreviews" is spot on. But this is one of my all-time favorite movies and I had to cast my 5 star vote. Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell make a great screen couple. Raymond Burr (Perry Mason) made a career out of playing bad guys and did it well. Tim Holt in a non-cowboy role, and I guarantee you'll never see Vincent Price in a roll like this again in anything he ever did. The movie is worth the "price" just to see Vincent, I'm sitting here laughing just thinking about it. It's the funniest "noir" you'll ever see.