Port Afrique

This film I am afraid has not stood the test of time. I would like to say I can remember the plot but I would be lying. I am sure the actors were great but I cannot remember.

A British murder mystery; A story set in North Africa in July 1945. A returning American pilot who lost his leg during the war tries to prove his wife was murdered, but begins to fall for a singer he suspects of being involved. This is a rather hollow drama. Pier Angeli has good presence as the nightclub singer, but over-showcasing her singing talent at the beginning gets the film off to an awkward start. The film has a plodding feel, not helped by a less than inspiring performance from the lead, Philip Carey. Nevertheless, with accomplished cinematographer turned director Rudolph Mate at the helm, the film has an exotic look.

The cosmopolitan cast caught my eye and while some of them went on to bigger things several were wasted. Despite third billing, Dennis Price didn't have too much to do, and Anthony Newley in his two appearances was annoying. It was good to Eugene Deckers in a bigger role than usual and James Hayter playing against type as a sleazy club owner.

It took a while for the plot to get going, not helped by the singing and dancing in the club early on. But the film did turn into a reasonable who-done-it, set in exotic locations.

Philip Carey's bad limp miraculously disappeared halfway through the film, and I could not help laughing when he asked Newley if he could fix the plane that had just been damaged in a crash landing.

I loved this movie very much. I bought it just to hear Pier Angeli sing. I give her 10 stars just for her voice alone. She captures your attention from the moment she enters the picture till the very end. I do remember that the film has Pier Angeli portraying a singer who is wrongly convicted of murder. I loved her conviction in the scene where she pleads with one gentlemen who is an authoritative figure in the film that she didn't kill the woman. I believed her.

This movie should be sold in large quantities on Amazon.com and other websites that sell old movies. It is a shame that I had to buy it off someone on Ebay.

This is definitely one of Pier Angeli's best roles. It is my favorite without a doubt.

Philip Carey comes home from the war with a damaged leg and finds his wife dead with a fired gun in her hand. The police reports it as suicide but is very well aware that it is murder, but in order to bring out the murderer, who must make some mistake, he makes it official that it was suicide. Many are involved in the plot - Dennis Price, Christopher Lee, James Hayter and Pier Angeli as the star, singing at a night club. With some threads of the intrigue in her hand, but she says nothing. This muddled up murder mess ends up in a chase for a couple trying to get away, and here is perhaps the most interesting acting performance - Anthony Newley, still quite young, as the artful pilot chasing the fugitives by air and managing a miraculous landing in the Atlas mountains. Philip Carey has a hard time being driven out of his wits by this murder with several attempts on his life as well, but no one can guess the real story behind this intricate jealousy intrigue, while everyone lands safely after all.