Lisboa, ciudad de intriga

I have seen more films than practically anyone. One thing I really appreciate is a picture that surprises me...one that avoids the usual formulas and cliches. Well, although "Lisbon" seems like a by-the-numbers movie, its final portion manages to offer quite a few surprises...and I really appreciate that.

The film, not surprisingly, is set in Lisbon, Portugal. It centers initially around two very different criminal smugglers....Aristides Mavros (Claude Rains), a man who has no scruples whatsoever, and Captain Robert Evans (Ray Milland), a rogue with few scruples...though how much you'll have to discover through the course of the movie.

Into this den of not niceness arrives a lady who is there to ransom back her rich elderly husband. Sylvia (Maureen O'Hara) is an odd one...and who she is and what her intentions are not clear until later in the movie...which I appreciate. Of course, the Captain is smitten with her....and another lady is smitten with him. How does all this work out? See the film!

An odd movie....not O'Hara's nor Milland's best. But still, it offers enough surprises that I felt pleased overall. Oh, and it was also directed by Milland as well.

Probably one of Republic's last good films, LISBON is a feast for the eyes and a good thriller to boot. Produced in Portugal, I assume on a Republic budget subsidised by the Portugese government or tourist office, Ray Milland produces, directs and acts in a lush and lavish romantic drama. The music theme Lisbon Antigua was a massive radio and disc hit in its day and it would be inetersting to know who much in boxoffice it contributed. The indoor studio scenes are very snazzy and well decorated, but some outdoor seabound back projection is wobbly. Still, the location shoot is used to excellent effect and I would say was very much influenced by To Catch A Thief, as is the whole reason for the film existing. Republic didn't make anything much of note around this (maybe only COME NEXT SPRING)and it is probably as modern and A grade as they were able to create by 1956. They folded in 1959, their market overtaken by Allied Artists, AIP and TV. It would be so beautiful to see on a cinema screen as it is in republic's NATURAMA process, their very own brand of CINEMASCOPE. Well worth finding and enjoying.

Ray Milland was not a great director, as this effort shows. This colour film shows much of Lisbon and the surrounding area in the mid-1950s, which is welcome. There are several excellent performances. Claude Rains is magnificent as usual as a devious and urbane crook, Francis (originally Franz) Lederer is superb as his henchman and assassin, underplaying and thereby increasing the menace of his character (which in the script cannot have amounted to much). Yvonne Furneaux is a charming ingenue who tries very hard indeed to be convincing about throwing herself into the arms of an aged Ray Milland and telling him she loves him. Maureen O'Hara flashes her usual Irish fire, but she also has to tell Milland she loves him, and two beautiful gals throwing themselves at Milland in competition is really too much to take, since he looks like he needs a month's rest in a sanatorium rather than a heady romance. Milland always had great 'watchability' and he still retains some in this film. This film has a very weak script and absolutely atrocious cinematography by Jack Marta, who seems only to use about two lights in his interiors. A friend who worked with Ray Milland once told me that Milland was the meanest man with money he had ever known, and he would always try to share taxis with poor actors and then pretend he had forgotten his money and make them pay. (That is why everyone tried to avoid sharing cabs with Milland.) Perhaps Milland, who co-produced this venture, was too mean to pay Marta to have proper lights! The interior shadows and lighting are simply unimaginably awful.There is an equally atrocious score by Nelson Riddle. Somebody should have taken a whip and beaten Milland back into his box. He had no business producing and directing. There is a fine authentic song performed by Anita Guerreiro in this film, who gives us a few moments of real music. Milland obviously loved Portugal, and we can be grateful for his enthusiasm in showing some of it to us as it was then. If only the film had come up to a higher standard, we would be able to say on our postcards: 'Having a wonderful viewing, wish you were here!'

I consider Ray Milland was a much more influential director and actor than the afficiandos estimate. A good sound actor who could carry the lead particularly well and as this film and "A Man Alone" indicate he had the ability to create watchable,logical movies that had good camera work and never over egged the pudding.The Camera work in Lisbon is particularly good as are the sets which convey the aura of the time. The story line is clever without being to complex and an air of authenticity pervades the production which was done in an age where the backlot was normally everything.Splendid acting from Claude Rains as usual with Milland and the rest matching it perfectly. A good rainy day movie even now and worth my score of 8.

Set in 1950s , Lisbon , Portugal, it details an international thief hiring a skipper named Robert Evans (Ray Milland) who lives on a yacht by the river . The latter mostly smuggles consuming products such as cigarettes and booze. Lisbon's police inspector, Joao Casimiro Fonseca (Jay Novello) , is aware of this and often times attempts to catch Evans red-handed but to no avail. At the same time, American Sylvia Merrill (Mauren O'Hara) , wife of industrialist Lloyd Merrill, arrives in Lisbon to arrange the secret release her husband from Communist doings . As Robert Evans has to rescue Maureen O'Hara's husband , but events go awry . She first complains to the State Department about her husband's imprisonment but U. S. officials seem unable to make any progress to obtain his release. Sylvia Merrill contacts wealthy jewel crook and smuggler Aristides Mavros (Claude Rains) , a Greek living in Lisbon, to negotiate a bribe for Communist officials and have her husband released from his Soviet jail .

A thriller movie with adventure , romence , thrills , plot twists set in a city of intrigue , murder and excitement . On location story with gorgeous outdoors from Lisbon brilliantly photographed by Jack Marta and regarding morals among gentlemen thieves. A familiar and simple script concerning a smuggler is hired to release the rich husband of an American woman who's just arrived in Lisbon ; along the way, intercrossing high stakes and ordinary battle of wits , being told less-than-average panache . It contains attractive scenarios , acceptable performance but nothing special . Stars Ray Milland giving a nice acting as an American expatriate Captain Robert John Evans does a bit of smuggling of consumer goods and contraband using his fast boat . While Maureen O'Hara is pretty good as the damsel in distress who attempts to rescue his elderly husband from Communist prison behind the Iron Curtain . Being well accompanied by a nice support cast , such as : Claude Rains as big shot criminal Aristides Mavros , the wonderful Yvonne Furneaux as Madalena Massenet , Francis Lederer as heinous murderer Serafim , Percy Marmont , Jay Novello and Edward Chapman.

It packs a lot of Lisbon sightseeing , such as : Tagus River, Lisbon, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Belém, Panoramic view from the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte , Lisbon , Palácio de Seteais, Sintra, Lisbon, Tobis Portuguesa, Lumiar, Lisbon, Tower of Belém , Praça do Comércio, Cascais, Lisbon,Castelo São Jorge,Lisbon Airport, Portela, Loures, Lisbon Lisbon, Portugal. The motion picture was professionally directed by Ray Milland . Ray was a notorious actor, but also a producer and a craftsman filmmaker. With this Lisbon (1956), Ray Milland moved into another direction, turning out several off-beat, low-budget films with himself as the lead, notably A Man Alone (1957) his Western debut , The Safecracker (1958) , Panic in Year Zero! (1962) and Hostile Witness (1969) . Rating : 5.5/10 . Less-than-notable , but acceptable and passable . The flick will appeal to Ray Milland and Maureen O'Hara fans.