His Kind of Woman

Plot synopsis:
Down on his luck, professional gambler Dan Milner (Robert Mitchum) accepts a mysterious job that will take him out of the country for a year but pays $50,000. He accepts a $5,000 down payment and tickets that will take him to an isolated Mexican resort, Morro's Lodge, where he will receive further instructions. Milner is attracted to the only other passenger on his chartered flight to the resort, Lenore Brent (Jane Russell).
When he arrives, Milner finds that several guests at the luxurious Baja California resort have hidden agendas. He is disappointed to find that Lenore is the girlfriend of famous movie actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price). Milner overhears two guests, self-proclaimed author Martin Krafft (John Mylong) and a man named Thompson (Charles McGraw), planning something which he suspects involves him. When Milner confronts them, he is given $10,000 and told that someone is on his way to Baja to see him.
Seemingly drunk Bill Lusk (Tim Holt) flies in, despite warnings of very dangerous storm conditions. Milner thinks he must be the contact, but when the two are alone, Lusk claims to be an undercover agent for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He tells Milner that the U.S. government suspects that underworld boss Nick Ferraro (Raymond Burr), deported to Italy four years earlier, is scheming to get back into the country posing as Milner. The two men are a close physical match and Milner is a loner, so no one is likely to miss him. Krafft turns out to be a plastic surgeon.
Meanwhile, Cardigan's wife Helen (Marjorie Reynolds) and his personal manager Gerald Hobson (Carleton G. Young) show up. She had gone to Reno to get a divorce, not really intending to go through with it, as she is still fond of her husband. Hobson also thinks it is a poor idea because Cardigan's film contract is expiring and the bad publicity would make it hard to get a new one. With her own plans ruined, Lenore confesses to Milner that she is really just a singer looking to hook a wealthy spouse. Milner shows his softer side when he helps unhappy newlywed Jennie Stone (Leslie Banning) by cheating at poker to win back her husband's gambling losses from investment broker Myron Winton (Jim Backus).
Lusk sneaks into Thompson's room, but is caught and killed. Milner and Lenore stumble upon his body dumped on the beach. Milner is convinced that the dead man must have been telling the truth. That night, Thompson and his men take Milner to a newly arrived yacht. Milner is able to pass along a veiled plea for help to Lenore. She persuades Cardigan, who is tired of just pretending to be a hero, to help out. While the actor keeps the pursuing mobsters pinned down with his hunting rifle, Milner sneaks back onto the boat, knowing that the only way out of his mess is to deal with Ferraro once and for all. He is caught and brought to the crime lord. After killing two of the thugs and wounding and capturing Thompson, Cardigan mounts a rescue with the reluctant assistance of the Mexican police and a couple of the more adventurous guests. A gunfight breaks out aboard the boat, followed by a melee. Milner manages to break free and shoot Ferraro dead.
Cardigan and his wife are reconciled. Milner and Lenore end the film in a clinch.

Tags: murder

Review:
HIS KIND OF WOMAN, the first of two pairings of RKO's resident 'tough guy', Robert Mitchum, and it's major sex symbol, Jane Russell (the near-classic MACAO would follow, a year later), is such a wonderful, convoluted 'film noir' spoof that it is amazing that it has never appeared on video.
Broadly funny, and a more than a bit surreal, the tale of down-and-out gambler Mitchum 'hired' to travel to a remote Mexican resort to provide a 'body' so that a notorious gangster (Raymond Burr, sleekly villainous) can feign his death and return to the U.S., is action-packed, and has been described as "Bogie and Bacall on Steroids'!A great deal of the success of the John Farrow-directed film is due to the inspired casting of Vincent Price as a ham actor who gets to 'live out' his celluloid life, aiding Mitchum.
Price quotes Shakespeare, critiques his performance, and is amazed by his own heroics, and he has never been funnier, on screen.An excellent supporting cast, including Tim Holt, Charles McGraw, Marjorie Reynolds, Paul Frees (the famous Hollywood 'voice' actor, actually seen, for a change), and Jim Backus contribute to the on screen mayhem, and Russell sings "Five Little Miles From San Berdoo", one of her more memorable 50s numbers.From the opening scene, as Burr, exiled in Italy, listens to a short-wave radio broadcast of his successful career as an American crime kingpin ("Where is my money?" he demands, as an estimate of his revenue is quoted), to the brawling climax with Mitchum, aboard his yacht, as Price attempts a rescue, HIS KIND OF WOMAN is pure escapism, at it's best.Here's hoping that a DVD edition may soon be released!.
He and Jane Russell, beautifully teamed as an adventurous tough-guy and a brave saloon singer are very smooth together, in a movie where Vincent Price supplies many of the laughs, and everything works as effortlessly as a wave crashing onto a Mexican beach's sands.
Mitchum does his usual thing and swaggers around the set exuding machismo and testosterone, gets beaten up a few times, and enters into a romantic relationship with the ravishing Jane Russell -- who spices up the plot with a tight, slinky dress that looks like it was sprayed onto her voluptuous figure.
Raymond Burr delivers a convincing performance as a sinister crime boss whose sadistic thugs keep beating up Mitchum, who is splendidly bare-chested for the rest of the movie.Mitchum is finally rescued by Price -- who takes advantage of the mayhem to live out his lunatic fantasies -- and a heroic posse of intrepid hotel guests and cowardly Mexican cops.
In Lee Server's biography about Robert Mitchum the recounting of the making of His Kind of Woman could actually be the basis of an interesting film itself.Jane Russell of course was the personal creation of Howard Hughes and when Hughes bought RKO Studio, Robert Mitchum was his number one male star.
Besides that the original film had few laughs in it and Hughes did get a good streak of inspiration when he hired Vincent Price as the film was being re-shot for the second time and integrated scenes with him into the plot.
Of course who's ultimately hired him is our gangster villain Burr and let us say that His Kind of Woman may have been the inspiration for Faces Off with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage a few years ago.Tim Holt makes a brief appearance here as a Federal cop who warns Mitchum of what is in store for him and gets killed for his trouble.
But irony of ironies, Mitchum moved on to bigger and better things and Holt kept grinding out B films that were good, but way beneath his talent.Other assorted familiar movie faces like Charles McGraw, Marjorie Reynolds, Jim Backus, and Alberto Morin are in His Kind of Woman and give it a comfortable feel.His Kind of Woman is one of the great noir films ever done, even if it had to be shot over and over to get it right by Mr. Hughes's lights..
Then lunacy truly takes hold, as the plot eventually arrives, and Vincent Price, playing a barmy ham actor, takes over from Mitchum (magnificent as ever, baffled and goaded by a plot even less alert than he!) as the presiding spirit, and turns a moody thriller into the giddiest farce, where all the unpleasant aspects of film noir (fatalism, misogyny) are happily overturned.
The supporting cast is superb with Charles McGraw, Jane Russell, Raymond Burr, and especially Vincent Price, who steals the movie with a wonderfully comedic and hammy performance.
It had been chopped about by Howard Hughes and it shows in its length, absurdities, romantic corn and melodrama at times, but all mixed together with an atmospheric well acted noir frisson than can keep you glued to the end.Terse and seedy start has Mitchum forcibly payrolled by baddies to do some as yet unknown job in Mexico  he spends the first hour trying to find out what it is.
Set in a relentlessly studio-bound Mexico, with stock footage to set the scenes, John Farrow's thriller centers on a professional gambler Dan Miner (Robert Mitchum), who becomes involved in a film noir-esque plot involving money, sex and illegality.
A down-on-his-luck Mitchum is bribed to go to Mexico where he meets an assortment of characters, including a menacing Raymond Burr.According to TMC, studio honcho Howard Hughes was greatly impressed by Vincent Price and insisted that his part be expanded.
Robert Mitchum as Dan Milner does well here, as he most always does, despite a confused script that starts out as a gangster drama and, about 80% into the movie, with Cardigan's (Vincent Price) rescue effort, tries to become a comedy, with little success.
And this movie will be remembered for being the supporting actor, great Vincent Price, was brilliant and his inspired acting surpassed the main actors, the solid Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell that by the way here shows your own singing talent.
Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell teamed up for producer Howard Hughes for the first time in "His Kind of Woman," which also stars Raymond Burr, Vincent Price, and Marjorie Reynolds.
Price is the real star of "His Kind Of Woman." He is the only thing that brings much interest to the rambling feature, his acting excellent and sparkling (at least, until near the end).As opposed to "Macao," where Mitchum and Russell grab you and won't let go, and are the central focus.
The plot involves Robert Mitchum as Dan Milner a gambler lured by mobsters to travel to a luxury Mexican holiday resort which is full of various émigrés from the USA, rather a few with something to hide.Milner immediately meets and falls for Lenore (Jane Russell) who is the mistress of ageing ham matinée idol Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price in a rare heroic role.)It soon becomes evident that Milner's life is in danger as many characters in the resort are just too jealously guarded.
The film was produced by Howard Hughes and he makes sure she looks like a knockout and you wonder how the censor approved some of those costumes which displayed some of her physical assets.Vincent Price provides the laughs as the actor awaiting a divorce, a hunter who likes to shoot animals, who wants to be adored for his films and takes a chance to be a hero in real life as he sets out to rescue Milner with a gang of misfits whilst quoting bad Hollywood lines.
John Farrow and Richard Fleisher co-directed this odd film noir semi-spoof that stars Robert Mitchum as hard-luck gambler Dan Milner, who is used by deported gangster Nick Ferraro(played by Raymond Burr) in an elaborate scheme to re-enter the country.
The film is also part romance, part comedy giving His Kind of Woman a fresh and riveting taste, Robert Mitchum is Slick, JAne Russell is Dazzling and Vincent Price is quite funny actually in a role that to a degree parodies his earlier work.
It is Funny, Individually, but when Paired with the Violent and Sadistic Raymond Burr Scenes, the Addition May Bring Notice but its Not a Good Fit.There are Nazi-Drugs and Close-Ups of Veins Waiting for Needles, Beatings with Belt Buckles Intercut with Price in Flowing Cape, Hamming it Up and Spouting Quotes and Barbs and the Film Collapses into a Surreal Slapstick Composite with Film-Noir.Overall, Worth a Watch for the First Two Acts, the Good Snappy Patter (at least in the first half), the Good Supporting Cast along with Mitchum, and to See Just How Much Damage from a Meddling Howard Hughes Could Cause..
On the way he meets the gold digging Lenore Brent (Jane Russell) who as it turns out is also heading for the lodge to try and snare rich hammy movie star Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price).Milner doesn't find out what he is supposed to do until the film is half over.
His frequent quoting of lines from Shakespeare and over the top performance is quite amusing.Also in the cast is Charles McGraw (what would a "film noire" be without McGraw), Marjorie Reynolds as Price's estranged wife, Jim Backus as a gambler, Philip Van Zandt as Morro the owner of the lodge and John Mylong as Ferarro's creepy doctor Krafft.It's interesting to note that Mitchum was signed in 1944 to take over Tim Holt's RKO "B" western series while the latter was in the service.
HIS KIND OF WOMAN is an off-beat noir flick featuring the unmissable teaming up of two Hollywood legends, Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.
Raymond Burr is a typically imposing character, but the real scene stealer is Vincent Price as the actor; he ends up taking over the movie and providing a ton of comic relief as he quotes various lines constantly.
Considering he doesn't have a lot of choice, Mitchum goes--where he meets all sort of oddballs--such as a woman pretending to be rich (Jane Russell), an obvious bit of muscle (Charles McGraw) and a hammy actor (Vincent Price).
Mitchum is Mitchum in this Howard Hughes flix...The little lady from the San Fernando Valley (Jane Russell) is the skirt that is part of this cinematic affair...The major baddie is a stern Raymond Burr...Jim Backus is along to add to the narrative early on...The real character that makes this a fun view is Vincent Price...He is so over the top he does his acting work on Mt. Everest...This was a film that cemented his film career for years to come...Looking for a tight structured plot, then pass on this film...But if you want an entertaining ride settle back and suck up all two hours of this RKO '51 release....
If you're in the mood for a foreign intrigue pseudo-noir romance, why not rent His Kind of Woman instead?Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell are dynamite together, matching verbal spars and giving as good as they get.
And the movie turns into a mashup between film noir and crime farce, with Robert Mitchum holding up his noir end while Vincent Price hams it up while reciting Shakespeare.
John Farrow directed this pretty good tongue in cheek thriller, which features two of Howard Hughes' favorite players, Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum, and one of Hollywood's premiere hams, Vincent Price, caught in a career rut somewhere between Laura and House Of Wax. This movie has often been compared to Beat the Devil, though I don't think it's nearly as good, since the dialogue isn't up to the movie's basic surrealism, especially in the second half, where genuine wit would might have elevated this goofy picture to the level of high camp, but is, alas, lacking, and broad comedy is substituted.
The magnificent pairing of Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum in a strong script, adds Vincent Price doing a brilliant job as a fatuous, self-satisfied (Eroll Flynn send up) actor, and Raymond Burr, young, beefy and sexy, lending his magnificent gravitas as the mob boss.This film has music - Jane Russell singing (her own voice) catchy songs, lovingly photographed to bring out her sweetness in closeups, Vincent Price's goofiness, snappy noir dialogue between Mitchum and Russell, boats, gun play and some creepy torture.Say what you might about Hughes...
He was capable of expressing great darkness of character in this kind of role, and appears as a powerful and commanding actor - something I feel is lost in his later TV work.Whereas Key Largo is about the eventual triumph of good over evil by the courageous acts of a lone individual, this film is more concerned with entertainment and being a vehicle for its stars to be exhibited.
Whereas it is made distinctly clear in Key Largo that an individual if courageous enough and prepared to sacrifice his or her life, good will triumph over evil, the 'message', in this film is opaque.Despite its not making the powerful ethical and moral statement of Key Largo, it is certainly infinitely better fare for the television viewer than the super-soft soaps and reality shows.Some actors have attractive personalities and one enjoys watching them in what they do irrespective of what it is - as long as it is done with truth and conviction - and Robert Mitchum is one such who appeals to me, as is Vincent Price, as I mentioned above.I also like seeing Jane Russell as in real life she is a very nice person - she mostly plays positive personalities and that is uplifting.All in all, watching this film was time well spent..
Both play similar characters, Mitchum is a drifter and a loner in both, Jane is a nightclub singer in "Macao" in "HKOW" she is pretending to be a wealthy heiress(who also happens to sing)but actually is a gold digger, having her sights set on the famous actor Mark Cardigan, played hilariously by Vincent Price.
It is worthwhile seeing Raymond Burr before he became Perry Mason, and Vincent Price made the Fly and all the horror movies that followed.Mitchum was dominates the others in the cast and makes a good film without a realistic script.
***** His Kind of Woman (8/29/51) John Farrow ~ Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Vincent Price, Tim Holt.
After reading about this movie years before,I finally caught it on AMC one night and thoroughly enjoyed it.Mitchum is a loser gambler who gets lured South-of-the border by Burr,a deported mobster,who intends to kill off Mitchum and take his place through plastic surgery so he can reenter the U.S.But things turn out quite differently when Mitchum meets up with Russell and Price.Wonderful comedy/drama with great dialogue and performances,even down to the smaller parts(Holt as FBI agent whose luck runs out,Mylong as spooky ex-Nazi doctor).And lest I forget,the always reliable and formidable Ray Burr.Watch it if you get the chance!!!.
(There are Spoilers) Not at all to be taken seriously film-noir crime drama with Vincent Price as Hollywood movie swashbuckler Mark Cardigan ham acting his way through the film as a real-life action hero.
Shortly after, Milner and Lenore discover Lusk's dead body and three men forcibly take Milner by boat to Ferraro's yacht nearby.Lenore Brent exhorts Mark Cardigan to help Milner who's obviously in great danger and this provides the movie star with the opportunity he's longed for to indulge in some real-life adventure of the type that he normally acts out on the silver screen."His Kind Of Woman" mixes murder, beatings and violence with comedy, romance and songs and unsurprisingly, there are moments when some of these elements don't combine successfully.
Its shady characters and interesting story are particularly enjoyable and Vincent Price is extremely funny as the self-absorbed, Shakespeare-quoting film star who thinks that his experience of acting in adventure movies makes him qualified to be a real-life hero.
Robert Mitchum and Vincent Price on the corn-ball noir express, with Jane Russell and a nasty Nazi serum.
Robert Mitchum's loner cool, Jane Russell's breasts and Howard Hughes' obsessiveness might be all there are to this odd, dull noir, but then there's Vincent Price.
Hughes winds up with Mitchum and Russell in a Mexican resort, not a bad thing at all, but also with Raymond's Burr's bulging eyeballs and psycho brutality, a hypodermic filled with nasty Nazi fluid, a sinking rowboat filled with "comically" inept Mexican police officers, a facial transplant in the works, Tim Holt as a Fed agent, gravel-voiced Charles McGraw as a gunzel, Price hamming it up and Russell singing something titled "Five Little Miles from San Berdoo." The movie starts promisingly, loses its way for well over an hour and then ends with viciousness and belly laughs.
I think they should have rewritten the final act to include Russell, as it makes no sense for her character not to play a pivotal role in the final scenes.In the end I was left disappointed, as I thought that with a better and less baggy ending this could have been one of the all-time Film Noir classics.Fine but too long, by about half an hour..
On the way, Dan meets his kind of woman, nightclub singer Lenore Brent (Jane Russell) who is travelling there to meet supposedly divorcing actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price).
His Kind of Woman - although part of a Warner Brothers film noir boxset- this movie is a mix of comedy and crime thriller-it has noir elements to it- but this one is played mostly for laughs.Although Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell are billed as the stars- the movie is a great showcase of Vincent Price - who steals the picture as an adulterous hunting actor Mark Cardigan on vacation.Charles McGraw and Raymond Burr do a great as heavies in this movie.Jim Backus is also on his game as a gambler.This is a fun film with a mix of sharp dialogue and slapstick humor.It does have some decent action scenes near the end.A fun curio that mixes genres and has plenty of good actors in it- not perfect and it does have some plot-holes-worth a rental.The DVD has a commentary by film historian Vivian Sobchak.