Affair in Trinidad

In the British colony of Trinidad, American Neil Emery is found dead in an apparent suicide. His nightclub performer wife Chris (Rita Hayworth) is informed by Anderson from the American consulate and policeman Inspector Smythe. Neil's brother Steve (Glenn Ford) arrives expecting to see Neil. The police discovers Neil was actually murdered and suspects Neil's rich powerful friend Max Fabian. They recruit Chris to investigate the mysterious Fabian but she can't tell Steve.

Rita Hayworth returns to Hollywood after about four years married to a prince. This is trying to return to the glory of Gilda reuniting with Glenn Ford and recycling the plot of Notorious. She is a bit older and not quite the same powerful bombshell in her heyday. Everything feels like a mere shadow of former glory. With a lot more imagination, that could have been used to the movie's advantage. This one is pass its prime before it started. This may not be a classic but it is reminiscent of past greatness.

When one talks about Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford as a screen team, one is primarily talking about Gilda. There first film, The Lady in Question had them as featured players, second was the classic Gilda, third was The Loves of Carmen with a horribly miscast Glenn Ford. It was after that one, that Rita Hayworth married Aly Khan and was off the screen for four years.

When she came back, Harry Cohn decided not to be too adventurous. Her last big success was Gilda with Glenn Ford, she got Glenn Ford. She was a singer stranded in the southern hemisphere in Gilda, she was again a singer stranded in Affair in Trinidad. Stepping into the George MacReady's shoes as villainous mastermind is suave and continental Alexander Scourby.

Rita's husband is murdered and the Trinidad police inspector Torin Thatcher knows full well Alexander Scourby is behind it. Scourby is your international man of mystery in the Sydney Greenstreet, Orson Welles tradition. Thatcher wants Rita to spy on Scourby and she agrees to find out exactly what he's up to.

In comes Glenn Ford into the picture as her late husband's brother. He wants some answers and nearly succeeds in wrecking the whole project. Good thing Rita's a quick thinking girl, a better thing is that Ford's a man of action, helps them both out in a pinch.

Come to think of it, though Alexander Scourby is a fine player, Orson Welles would have owned this part and even better if he had directed Affair in Trinidad. This is just the kind of story that someone like him could have made into a classic. What a film to remember with Rita with her most well known co-star and another ex-husband as well.

Harry Cohn probably would have shot anyone who brought him that idea, still it's interesting to speculate.

Though Affair in Trinidad got panned by critics it cleaned up at the box office with all of Rita's loyal fans wanting to see her again. It's still a treat for fans of the screen's greatest sex symbol.

To address some issues: there is a familiarity with 'Gilda' which is just that and cannot possibly take anything away from what a triumph this film actually is.

Firstly, I love how it is such a classic, straight-to-the-point Hayworth vehicle. Business: Harry Cohn had to 'give away' Born Yesterday, which was intended for his number 1 star, to Judy Haliday; now she was "back!" just like the posters said; she had star power and wasn't given From Here To Eternity as her comeback simply because she had too much box-office to be in an ensemble picture; and what better way than to give fans a sure-fire treat - Hayworth and Glenn Ford in another simmering film noir? Except, this is no 'Gilda' - this is 'Affair In Trinidad'. Hayworth reinvents herself, her talent bristling with abandon in her opening number The Trinidad Lady. The swirling intro to this film is over in seconds and there she is - still the star and definitely not off the pedestal. We can see the transformation is what films can get away with just that little bit more - when Hayworth 'slides' to show off her amazing legs it's like a revelation, a force that cannot be held back. This is Rita dancing with her trademark unearthly grace, yet now she has experience that she can convey like never before.

This is certainly true with her acting too. She had always been able to give spirited performances that she isn't always - superficially at least - given much credit for. But here she handles her scenes with great texture, assurance and (key to most starlets of the era's guaranteed appeal) vulnerability. My favourite scene is when she is 'stealing time' to peek through documents for the police - she gets a rare kind of drama not normally given to her before. It's just en interesting, daft moment that is perhaps just typical 1950's melodrama, but glamorous and crucial at the same time.

We also see the impressive actress Valerie Bettis, who is very much a character that was emerging in this period - a very vamp-like, sardonic lady with a smouldering alcohol-sustained sexuality, in the vein of Gloria Swanson, Bette Davis, etc. She eats the scenery, which is an acquired taste, but well worth it. The actress in question is Valerie Bettis who it would appear was a successful TV actress in the same decade. Her character Veronica Huebling certainly tried to use her sex appeal to entrap and exploit men, the way she believes Chris Emery (Hayworth) is able to, which possibly explains her heavy drinking.

Juanita Moore conveys a powerful presence also, managing some interesting lines. Some of which are dated, or perhaps just twee, but to be enjoyed nonetheless.

When Hayworth famously tosses her hair again, we don't need to hear any 'Gilda' comparisons. She had moved on, she had made straight-forward vehicles all through her ascent to super-stardom and fans will definitely appreciate the familiar elements resonating their own special glory, but shaken together as it is, we get something new that is definitely worth investigation.

During the time that this 1952 film was being filmed, its star, Rita Hayworth was thinking of terminating her contract with Columbia Pictures. Why didn't she? It would've prevented her from making films like this. This film plays like an obvious attempt to repeat the big box office success of "Gilda", a 1946 Columbia Picture starring Hayworth as she is reteamed with her "Gilda" costar Glenn Ford. The farfetched plot has nightclub singer Hayworth and her brother-in-law (Ford) joining forces to track down her husband's murderer. In the box office results, the film was a disappointment and it eventually inspired longtime Columbia Pictures contract players Hayworth and Ford to pursue film careers as freelances.

In Port of Spain, Trinidad, the mediocre painter Neal Emery is found dead apparently after committing suicide. Inspector Smythe (Torin Thatcher) seeks out Neal's wife, the dancer Chris Emery (Rita Hayworth) that is the lead attraction of the Caribe night-club to tell her about the death of her husband. Soon Smythe finds that Neal actually was murdered and his prime suspect is Neal's friend, the wealthy Max Fabian (Alexander Scourby) and has eyes on Chris. Smythe asks Chris to spy Fabian to find an evidence to arrest him.

Meanwhile Neal's brother Steve Emery (Glenn Ford) unexpectedly arrives in Trinidad to visit his brother and learns that his brother had committed suicide, but he does not believe on the official statement. He stays at Chris house and decides to investigate the murder of his brother. Soon Chris and Steve fall in love with each other, but Chris cannot tell to him the reason why she continues to meet Fabian.

"Affair in Trinidad" is a film-noir with a not well developed story where Rita Hayworth steals the movie and makes it worthy. Glenn Ford's character is too nervous and shows no chemistry with Rita Hayworth. Actually there is nothing to explain why the offensive Steve and Chris falling in love with each other. The cinematography is magnificent and the plot is reasonable, but the rushed conclusion ruins this film-noir. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Viúva em Trinidad" ("A Widow in Trinidad")