Ein Satansweib

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!

We have watched this movie several times.

The first time was simply because this movie stars Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.

Every viewing after that is because of Vincent Price.

Price doesn't just steal a scene: he steals the entire movie,

If you've never seen this film, you're in for a treat.

If you have previously seen it, then you know what I mean: watch it again for Vincent Price.

The first half of the movie is classic noir with an ensemble cast of interesting characters that seem to be plucked from an Agatha Christie novel. The second half morphs into an entertaining spoof reminiscent of the Pink Panther movies.

Robert Mitchum plays a gambler down on his luck who is lured into a shady deal at an exclusive Mexican resort hotel. 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.

The tone changes with the appearance of Vincent Price, who steals the second half of the movie as a goofy swashbuckling B-movie star on vacation. 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. There is some terrific dialog, like this sparkling gem between Mitchum and Price:

Mitchum: "I'm too young to die. How about you?" Price: "Too well-known." Mitchum: "Well, if you do get killed, I'll make sure you get a first rate funeral in Hollywood, at Grafman's Chinese Theater." Price: "I already had it. My last picture died there..."

The direction and cinematography are first rate with good performances by the entire cast, especially Price, who literally goes off the deep end quoting Shakespeare in his hilarious attempt to rescue Mitchum. The plot is schizophrenically twisted and gives the movie a rather insane quality. Well worth the price (!) of admission.

This brilliant and mind-boggling film noir might be more properly called an anti-noir, doing for the crime movie what 'The Missouri Breaks' would do for the Western. It's not every noir hero who both offers marriage guidance AND does his own ironing.

'His Kind of Woman' is, in fact, three movies. It starts off as a fairly straight film noir, although its poker-faced pastiche of 'Out of the Past' is a little TOO poker-faced. Then, when the hero goes to Mexico to meet the other characters, the plot stops dead and enters narrative limbo, in a kind of noir precursor to Bunuel's 'The Exterminating Angel': Six Noir Characters In Search Of A Plot.

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. Proof that genre-busting didn't begin with Melville or Godard.

Executively produced by Howard Hughes and directed by John Farrow, His Kind of Woman seems to have it all. It has a great cast under more than competent direction with a good, interesting, and inventive script. The film tells about gangster Raymond Burr, deported from the country, planning on using drifter Robert Mitchum's identity. Mitchum is flown down to a resort for the wealthy in Mexico awaiting further instructions after having been given $5,000 as a down payment on $50,000. Mitchum goes but is very curious as to what he has to do for so much dough. On his way he meets with sultry Jane Russell(Hughes's squeeze - and a LOT at that to squeeze!) who is trying to endear herself to hammy actor Vincent Price. The film really does a good job with the characterizations of all the major and minor characters. Mitchum is rock solid in his role. Russell is just beautiful and believable in her role. Tim Holt, Jim Backus, and the rest of the cast do very well. Burr plays one mean gangster. But it is Price who steals the film(for me). The first 3/4's go quite smoothly with Mitchum wondering what is going on with waiting for instructions and getting close to Russell. Price gives the film an energy boost though when he starts to play the real HAM actor in the final fourth of the film. No actor I know can be as hammy and that good as Vincent Price can. He aids Mitchum with an aplomb of such audacity and rhetoric(quoting the Bard on several occasions) of such depth and exaggeration as to make his role almost camp. But his hammy performance works well with the tension of Mitchum's plight with Burr. Director Farrow does a very nice job pacing the action in the film and adding humour here and there. Russell almost disappears from the end - but what's a girl to do wearing a dress she is barely able to walk in when action is needed. His Kind of Woman is one of those classic Noir type films with a great cast that should have your complete attention. Afterall when all is said and done: Robert Mitchum playing the leading man, Jane Russell wearing low-cut gowns, good vs. evil conflict, Howard Hughes production, character actor Jim Backus, and Vincent Price hamming it up as only he can - PRICELESS!