War-weary reporter Robert Paige shows up in Tangier, teaches Sabu how to play "Polly Wolly Doodle" on the guitar, and romances vengeance-seeking dancer Maria Montez. Actually, Miss Montez doesn't dance. Her two-act with Latin Kent Taylor is performed by Louise Allbritton in a wig, which totally fools Taylor. He's in love with Miss Montez, Miss Allbritton is in love with Taylor, and so forth. Plus there's a huge diamond which changes hands a lot, and which suspected Spanish fascist J. Edward Bromberg wants. Also, Paige -- remember Paige? -- has been ordered out of the country by local police chief Preston Foster, who always wears full dress uniform, but whose cap is too big.
There's an awful lot to unpack here, but it will probably all come out all right in the end. This was rushed into production in 1943 when Miss Montez found out she was pregnant. Tangiers is an Art Moderne place with lots of Venetian blinds, and it's likely they wanted to produce something to compete with CASABLANCA. Everyone wanted to produce something to compete with CASABLANCA, but it sat on the shelf for three years. Do you think they thought they had failed? At least Reginald Denny gets shot about five minutes into the movie and is seen no more.
