Tampico

No big budget for that war spy movie, just the names of Edward G Robinson and Victor Mc Laglen. Not specially exciting story we've seen dozens time, this is a typical ordinary B movie you forget after the vision. The director is German and it is felt in the moody night scenes.

Tampico (1944)

** (out of 4)

Standard spy yarn has Edward G. Robinson playing a skipper of an oil rig during WW2 when the German's are trying to sink all the rigs. He saves a beautiful woman (Lynn Bari) from the sea and marries her but when his ship gets hit by a torpedo his men think the new wife was a spy. This film only runs 75-minutes but there's not really enough story for a twenty-minute movie. Robinson is pretty good in his role as is Bari but the supporting cast, including Victor McLaglen, doesn't add much spice to the story. The direction is pretty uninspired throughout and some of the dialogue is quite laughable.

Robinson's career as a leading man was on the downslide at this point and he was jerkily moving into starring support roles like his turn in DOUBLE INDEMNITY when he made this one, a handsome Fox programmer with noir lighting in which his role is a bit of a retread, combining the lovesick dope of TIGER SHARK, the mature sea captain and some World War Two intrigue. He's got good players with him too, with Lynn Bari and Victor MacLaglen.... and when it came to playing a role cleanly and honestly in the movie theater, Robinson's only competition was Spencer Tracy. And if they have film footage of either of them reading the telephone book, it will be worth seeing. So this one is worth your time. Which you should have known when you saw his name on the cast list.

Capt. Bart Manson is the captain of an oil tanker during World War II, who rescues Katherine Hall when her ship is sunk by a German U-boat. The couple marry, but Manson's ship is subsequently sunk as well. Hall becomes a prime suspect for involvement as she was carrying no identification when rescued.

The captain retreats to Tampico and secretly works with agents to unmask the spies responsible for the loss of his ship. And clear his wife's name - he discovers that an employee on his ship is a German agent.

Tampico takes place during the Second World War, and centers on the captain of an oil tanker played by Edward G. Robinson and his 1st mate played by Victor Mclaglan. It's an entertaining and engaging romance/ war/spy with mr Robinson injecting his character with depth - he dominates as usual, but he's more charming and romantic, and has some witty one liners. Despite his not-so- matinee leading man looks, his romance with Lynn Bari is believable and is the most enjoyable part of the film. Why would she go with a short chubby guy who looks like Al Capone's lost brother? There's a line in the film where she indicates she dated men, heard every line, and sounded weary. Obviously fed up of chiselled-chinned lotharios with brylcreamed hair and would now rather settle for personality, kindness and stability which Robinson's character has.

As for the plot, the first half has a light touch with romance and conversation, then from the time the oil tanker gets torpedoed it gets serious, advancing dramatically with espionage shenanigans. Lynn Bari, who marries Robinson, is accused of being responsible for the tanker to be destroyed. Of course, she didn't do it; no prize regarding who did. But it's very enjoyable getting to the end.

A discreet low-budget production but a true classic of the spy and war genre. Filmed and released during World War II, it undoubtedly serves a cautionary role for all those in the service of the war effort: the enemy is listening, always pay close attention.

The plot is quite simple but well narrated and developed. The actors are quite believable, though not spectacular. It's an average movie, but it's a good cinematic product, without great fanfare but without major disappointments, and it deserves to be seen. The only drawback is that its duration is a bit short, around 75 minutes, and everything seems to want to resolve quickly. Everything happens quite rapidly: an encounter, falling in love, a drink, marriage, betrayal, doubt, and the final outcome. In this short time, there's no room to delve into the characters or construct a more intriguing narrative, but alas, I fear the budget didn't allow for more; the war effort demanded enormous resources.