A Lady Without Passport

History repeats itself, again and again. Cuba was a magnet for people running away from Europe, before and after WWII. The country was a stepping stone for entering legally, or illegally, in the United States. At that time Cubans lived somewhat placidly in their land, but as things changed there, they are the ones trying to escape from the horrible conditions in that country.

We are taken along to Havana by an Inmigration officer trying to find who is behind the smuggling of illegal refugees into America. This officer gets to know soon after his arrival the connection is Polinov, a shady character who has a pretty thing going operating from his Gulf Stream bar in the old section of town.

Joseph H. Lewis directed this MGM film that has a look of being a B type picture, even though Hedy Lamarr was the main attraction going for it. Ms. Lamarr was totally wasted in the movie. As Marianne, the gorgeous woman who wants to get to America, she shows hardly any emotion and is, in general, a bland addition to the film. John Hodiak shows some intensity and speaks with a heavy accent. George Macready is the evil Palinov.

The film shows a few scenes taken in Havana in all its beauty.

The title character of "A Lady Without Passport" is Marianne Lorress (Hedy Lamar), a Viennese ex-patriate who has waited years to immigrate to the U.S. where her father lives. She is stuck in Cuba due to American regulations and is down on her luck. There she meets Pete Karczag (John Hodiak), an INS agent who is trying to bust a smuggling ring.

An ex-pat in a way station, waiting to leave but held back by the authorities. Where have we heard that before? Yes, this is undoubtedly another of the films inspired by the success of "Casablanca" (1942). But it lacks the intensity or charm of the Bogart vehicle. The set for the hotel in this film looks like the set from "To Have and Have Not" (1944), another film about ex-pats trying to get away.

But let me focus on the positive aspects of the film. First, there is John Hodiak. The character he plays is clever and street smart--traits that Hodiak pulls off quite well. Secondly, there are the Havana location shots that add an authenticity and the little bit of charm that the film possesses. Lastly, the (B&W) photography shows some originality and adds to the mood of the narrative.

The music feels inappropriate at times, but first-rate at other times. Ms. Lamar falls short of being the woman who drives the story and who inspires a man to risk his life.

It almost feels "A Lady Without Passport" shot today could be a comedy: John Hodiak playing half the film with a Cuban accent, Hedy Lamarr, the ice-cold Jewish princess often seeming not the least bit interested... but, it's meant serious and has a solid feel. Not badly directed by Benny Lewis' brother, Joseph, shot mostly on Lot 3 doubling for pre-Castro Havana, S. Florida and the Everglades (the swamp buggy was authentic, the café sequence, a set), the location work with doubles in Florida and Cuba cuts smoothly with principal photography, though the miniature work is a little choppy. David Raksin's atonal score pulls together the films dark 50s moods of terror and careful optimism.

Before they went wide screen MGM, had a brief period of taking on likely action movie directors and pouring more money into their work than they or the audience were used to. Anthony Mann benefited with BORDER INCIDENT. John Sturges got THE PEOPLE AGAINST O'HARA and Joe Lewis scored this sweaty thriller, where the character people who enlivened his Columbia work can be seen milling round behind Metro's contract leads.

The director was demoted to B movies after this, rather unjustly, as it's not only probably his most ambitious outing but also a very efficient entertainment. Lewis' handling breaks through the Metro gloss occasionally - the facing profiles of the death struggle, McCready firing into the fog after Hodiak has tricked him.

The immigrant smuggling story adds surprising elements like the professionalism of the bad guys. "If he is killed he will be replaced - probably by a smarter man."

One of the best aspects is the film's picture of Cuba, with Hodiak squiring Hedy's double round the real city along with studio construction which runs to a functional tramway, art director interiors and back projection. The seedy, fading opulent hotel the leads share is particularly evocative.

While the process work occasionally shows, the model plane crash is a considerable set piece.

The glamour shots of Hedy reveal the studio input, not altogether to the film's advantage. She acts well enough and looks mature-appealing with the hints of having been around enough to accept McCready's protection.

Surprisingly sympathetic treatment of aliens "A little thing like an accent, a foreign name will set you apart" relates to the Dore Schary era multi culturalism of BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK or BORDER INCIDENT again.

Not the best film that Hedy Lamarr has been in, but certainly another chance to enjoy this incredibly beautiful and talented actress. She made this semi-documentary film noir after Samson and Delilah. Supposedly, she got paid some big bucks as she was a hot property at the time.

The story takes place in pre-Castro Cuba, but it is basically the same as today. It was a jumping off spot for refugees from Europe who wanted to come to the US. Hedy plays a Buchenwald concentration camp victim that has been bouncing around, is broke, and only 90 miles from her dream.

She runs into an INS agent (John Hodiak) that is working undercover to find out about the smugging into the US. Director Joseph H. Lewis was more familiar with westerns, and you can see that here as Hodiak ends up playing Dudley Do-right and rescuing Nell (Lamarr) from Snidely Whiplash (George Macready, who plays a great cultured bad guy).

A quality story, it's not, but. hey, we came here for Hedy.