Customer Reviews

Macao [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This film is a potpourri of oriental and expatriate American film noir. It's two major stars (Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum) fit like gloves into their roles. Their attraction to each other melts through the screen. There are also outstanding character role performances (and these are the film's other great strengths) by Brad Dexter (nightclub owner, gem smuggler, etc.) Thomas Gomez, Gloria Grahame, and a special mention of William Bendix, who really added a tight performance to the film.

The plot is one of mistaken identities, a worn-out songstress looking for a place to land and rest, a man who can't go home, and a NYC policeman on a job. The center scene of the film is a Macao nightclub run by a shady and dangerous character. Mitchum and Russell captivate this plot with their on-screen presences.

Josef von Sternberg directed this film, but his stern movie set policies offended all, and especially Mitchum who did something about it (in the video, Jane Russell, still dazzling in old-age with shining silver hair) tells us this amusing anecdote. Nicholas Ray finished up the directorial tasks when von Sternberg was booted out, and their two talents form an interesting combination.

Mitchem and Russell had a preceding hit film called "His Kind of Woman." They probably would have been teamed again after "Macao," but Howard Hughes sold the RKO studio.

All in all, Macao belongs in anyone's collection of classic film noir.

I haven't yet seen the dvd version, but am glad it's being released. Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell made two film noir-ish films together -- "Macao" and "His Kind of Woman." They're both good, but I prefer this one. Made in 1952, Mitchum and Russell were at the height of their bigger-than-life attractiveness; and as subsequent interviews with them have shown (I saw one a few years ago on TCM), they actually liked each other and have an easy-going, unpretentious ease to their playing which makes it easy to root for their romance in this film. Mitchum is rightly admired for his acting, but Russell is underrated -- she has an "I know I'm attractive, but it's no big deal" attitude that is supremely likable. And in a film like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," which I've watched many times, Marilyn Monroe clearly is the charismatic star, but Russell gives superb support, and her "no nonsense" line readings are really expert (and help set Monroe up). The plot of "Macao" is rather dense and hard to follow, but the decor and ambience carry the day -- the look undoubtedly has to do with legendary director Josef von Sternberg (who the stars and crew hated); but some of the scenes, according to that TCM interview, were actually written and/or improvised by the two stars. Russell's also a good, straight-forward singer; and she does an amusing job with Jule Styne's "You Kill Me" (during which the movie nightclub audience pays her no attention) and a nice version of the superb Harold Arlen classic, "One for My Baby." Throw in sultry Gloria Grahame as a secondary shady lady, and it's a pretty entertaining film.

MACAO is a fairly entertaining story of crime and adventure in the Portuguese colony near Hong Kong after World War II. Jane Russell is a singer working for a local gambling boss (Brad Dexter). Robert Mitchum is an American who is on the run and William Bendix is pretending to be a salesman but he really has another more mysterious identity. The best thing about MACAO is the pairing of Russell and Mitchum who seem to be made for each other.

Josef von Sternberg also directed THE BLUE ANGEL.

A wonderfully tongue-in-cheek scripted RKO adventure story directed by Josef von Sternberg ("Shanghai Express"/"Morocco"/"The Shanghai Gesture"). Most of the action scenes were reshot on studio orders (Howard Hughes and his lackeys) by Nicholas Ray--though it retains that unique Sternberg look and feel.

It's based on a story by Bob Williams; the screenplay is by Stanley Crea Rubin and Bernard Schoenfeld. The story is set in the exotic port of Macao, located off the south coast of China, some 35 miles from Hong Kong. It's an ancient Portuguese colony, considered by many as the "Monte Carlo of the Orient."

Three Americans are on ferry boat that left Hong Kong for Macao, and all with different reasons for choosing to come here. Julie Benson (Jane Russell), a sexy lady with a chip on her shoulder, is an unemployed singer and world weary passenger, who had her passage paid for by a sleaze who forces himself on her as the implied payment for the ticket. Nick Cochran (Robert Mitchum) rescues the damsel-in-distress from her sexual attacker and as a reward Julie picks his pocket while giving him a kiss. He's a former sailor, who's on-the-lam over petty criminal charges he faces for a fight he got into back in New York five years ago over a redhead; and, the down-on-his-luck adventurer would rather keep drifting around the world than return home to face the music. Lawrence Trumble (William Bendix) poses as a travelling salesman, but the jolly traveller is really an undercover NYC policeman on assignment to arrest Macao underworld crime boss Vince Halloran (Brad Dexter) for having his Chinese knife to death a fellow NYC policeman because he was hot on the smuggler's tail. Halloran, an American expatriate, runs most of Macao, including a gambling casino. The problem is Halloran can't be arrested in Macao, only in international waters if he goes three miles outside of the protected area.

Halloran expects an undercover cop to arrest him (as was tried before), and has the crooked local police chief, Lt. Sebastian (Thomas Gomez), on the payroll to report all incoming passengers. Because Nick has no papers (his passport was lifted with his wallet), he's suspected of being the cop and is unsuccessfully bribed by the crime boss to leave Macao. Julie is hired by Halloran to sing in his casino, which incurs the jealousy of Halloran's girlfriend Margie (Gloria Grahame).

Taking advantage of the mix up, Trumble uses Nick to lure the gangster off Macao. He supplies Nick with a big diamond from a diamond necklace that the police recovered from a botched smuggling scheme of Halloran's. The other diamonds, worth $100,00 but offered to Halloran for $40,000, are held in Hong Kong, and the gangster agrees to go there to consumate the deal. Instead, he has his Chinese jump Nick. But they mistakenly kill Trumble, not realizing he's the real cop. Trumble, before he dies, tells Nick he cleared up with the NYC authorities the past criminal charges and he can return. But Nick decides to repay the favor, and cunningly gets Halloran to leave Macao and into the hands of the international police.

Jane Russell enthralls as she gets romanced by the laconic Mitchum, and they create movie magic together through their brilliant nuanced performances. The sultry actress was never better, as she belts out a few torch songs, tosses insults at Mitchum with natural ease, shows her romantic side and looks right through the leering bad guys of Macao as if they didn't exist. She's the good-bad girl, while he's the hard-luck innocent who can't even win when playing with loaded dice. They're both film noir characters, who Jane sums up when she tells her man: "Everybody's lonely, worried, and sorry. Everybody's looking for something." If you are looking for an underrated film noir gem, that somehow got swept under the rug--this is it!

This is a delightful film, all naive and wallowing in its own exoticism. Robert Mitchum is always a powerful presence on screen, and as for Russell's designer lame', louche seductiveness, it's still naively camp. You can watch it again and again, flaws and all.

Despite its detractors, and its troubled production history, this is one of Robert Mitchum's best films. This complex crime caper boasts a great cast and an exotic locale, making it a real winner. A lot was working against this film, however. Gloria Grahame hated RKO's Howard Hughes and was in the process of divorcing producer Nicholas Ray at the time Macao was made. The starting script was an indecipherable mess, and the director was an overbearing egoist who nearly provoked Mitchum to violence by his offensive comments to Jane Russell. The fact that the end results are so utterly entertaining is a sheer miracle.

Mitchum's character, Nick Cochran, ends up in Macao and is mistaken for Lawrence Trumble (William Bendix), who might be a cop looking to extradite casino owner Vincent Halloran (Brad Dexter). Margie (Gloria Grahame) is the sensuous and abused ingenue tangled up with Halloran, and she would steal this film in spite of herself were it not for the obvious chemistry between Mitchum and Jane Russell, who portrays Julie. Their simpatico extended beyond the camera, the two becoming friends, each always having nice things to say about the other later on, in much the same manner as the Irene Dunne/Cary Grant duo.

Both had tremendous difficulties working with Joseph von Sternberg, however. Making fun of Russell's faith at one point, she gave a retort that had Mitchum howling with laughter, cementing the two against Sternberg's dictatorial manner. Mitchum not only rewrote some of the convoluted script, but when Nicholas Ray had to step in, he reportedly helped direct some scenes as well. Everyone is a bit of a mystery in this film as to their motives and actions, spicing things up. The cops need to get Halloran out of Macao to nab him, but since everyone seems to be a bit on the shady side, it's hard to know who to trust!

Thomas Gomez rounds out the cast as Lt. Sebastian. The exotic locale and attractive cast makes for fine Hollywood escapism. It's best not to think about this one too hard, but just sit back and enjoy on a Saturday afternoon with a big sub and a Coca-Cola. A lot of fun.

'Macao' emerges on screen as a routine exercise in melodrama with a few flashy decorative touches from Von Sternberg's hand...

Certainly the ambiance created did not at all suggest that Macao is an exotic, sinful, self-governing overseas territory of Portugal, on the South China Coast...

The plot opens with the arrival of a ship in the port of Macao, and aboard are a former American lieutenant in the Signal Corps, who has just lost his passport (Mitchum); a tall tawny brunette (Russell); and a happy salesman (William Bendix)...

Just before the boat docks, Mitchum, with a confused romantic involvement, uses up his sexual magnetism, in asking Jane about her past... Jane, a woman who had seen a lot and was not about to be surprised by much, replies: 'I don't warm up to questions when I don't know the answers myself.'

Eventually, she reveals that she had formerly been a cigarette girl and photographer at a Miami Beach Club, then was a fortune-teller, and now is coasting along as a singer...

Once again Jane's character is introspective but honest and open: 'I was never considered a brain. I'm a creature of moods.' Her philosophy was expressed by these words: 'Everybody's lonely worried, and sorry. Everybody's looking for something. I don't know whether it's a person or a place. But I'll keep on looking.'

If Mitchum was impressed by her personality, his unemotional expression gives no indication of such an interest... His sleep-hooded eyes still challenge women to rouse him and make him their own...

Upon arriving Jane is rapidly hired by gangster Brad Dexter to sing at his Club Quick Reward, much to the discomfort of his girlfriend and gaming table croupier, Gloria Grahame...

Jane, physically glorious, is soon at work, singing to the gambling crowd a version of 'You Kill Me.' Meantime Dexter and his corrupt police intimate friend, lieutenant Thomas Gomez, have been alerted that one of the three new visitors is an undercover police officer sent to bring Dexter back to justice by cheating him into coming outside the three-mile limit of Macao (which has no extradition treaties).

The criminal couple assume that Mitchum is the law-enforcer when in reality it is another big fellow...

Jane's highlight covers her performance of the song 'One for the Road'... To impress everybody, Jane was wearing a terrific dress...

"Macao" is a fantastic picture for any fan of Robert Mitchum. Mitchum steals the show as an ex-G.I. bouncing around the globe after getting in trouble in New York over a girl. By stopping in Macao he gets involved with Jane Russell and big time local casino operator Brad Dexter. Mitchum is thought to be a New York detective trying to return Dexter to the states. William Bendix is actually the detective and his cover is as a traveling salesman. Bendix eventually contracts the aid of Mitchum and, with the help of Russell, he captures Dexter after Bendix is killed by Dexter's henchmen. I've watched this picture about 50 times over the last 10 years and enjoy it each viewing. A MUST for fans of the ever entertaining Robert Mitchum.

Of course I know this is a film noire, but for me it has always had a comic aspect. You see, my uncle/godfather, Harold J. Kennedy, played the part of the drunken letch in the opening scene. It cracks me up every time I watch as he really played against type. Robert Mitchum comes to Jane Russell's rescue, knocking my uncle out and later reviving him with a face full of seltzer. In his book, No Pickle, No Performance (pp. 205-207), Uncle Harold talks about the filming of that scene and how Mitchum, apparently a really nice guy, had an assistant deliver a towel and a drink, after the take, as an apology for having squirted him. My uncle's part is over in the first few minutes, but I'm a big Mitchum fan. It's a good flick, and it shows Mitchum nearing the peak of his sex appeal.

Macao, a sleepy Portuguese colony sometime in the early sixties becomes a scene of political intrigue in this film noir story starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.

Russell really shines in this movie, not only physically taking control of every scene she is in, but her chemistry with Robert Mitchum is intense. She plays coy and seems to not care less for the big lug, but changes her tune when Robert's character gets mistaken for a New York City cop by an American gangster. The gangster knows he is safe as long as he stays within the three mile limit between Macao and Hong Kong. Once he crosses the line, the police can catch him.

The whole story is frankly a bit thin but has some interesting surprises. The salesman they meet on a freighter is not all he seems. And neither are any of the cast as they involve themselves in the nightclub/gambling establishment, The Quick Reward, where loaded dice are the norm!

William Bendix, a great character actor, is his own slimy self as a traveling salesman. Great to see Gloria Grahame, who I knew better on "It's a Wonderful Life."

Jane plays a singer, so we get to hear her singing as well as admiring her sarcastic but a bit over-the-top chip on her shoulder character.

DVD: Had a great special feature with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell being interviewed by the Turner Classic Network -- must have been recorded only a few years ago. A fascinating look into the studio system, RKO Pictures, Howard Hughes and more!

Directed by
Josef von Sternberg
Mel Ferrer (uncredited)
Nicholas Ray (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson (uncredited)

Cast (in credits order)

Robert Mitchum Nick Cochran

Jane Russell Julie Benson
William Bendix Lawrence C. Trumble
Thomas Gomez Lt. Sebastian

Gloria Grahame Margie

Brad Dexter ...Vincent Halloran

Other films of Interest:

His Kind of Woman
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 3 (Border Incident / His Kind of Woman / Lady in the Lake / On Dangerous Ground / The Racket)