Gilda

Rita Hayworth positively sizzles as Gilda in this film-noir classic. From her initial hair-tossing scene to her near striptease while she sings "Put the Blame on Mame," Hayworth is captivating and more than convincing as the object of every man's desires. However, beyond the overtly heterosexual lures of Ms. Hayworth lurks a complex and ambiguous romantic triangle that provides more intrigue than the surface plot, which involves a gambling casino that is a front for shady operations that originated in a recently defeated, Fascist country.

Hayworth may either be the intruding wedge that comes between Glenn Ford and George Macready or the object of both men's romantic interests. From the initial meeting between Ford as two-bit gambler Johnny Farrell and Macready as Ballin Mundson the casino owner, an ambiguous, possibly homo-erotic, attraction is established between the two men. The lingering looks that they exchange can be read in several ways, but Bogie never looked into Cagney's eyes like Ford looks into Macready's. After Ford begins to work for Macready, his devoted care and slavish attention to his boss's needs exceed the bounds of employee and employer. When Hayworth moves into Macready's home as his new wife, Ford returns the key to the house as though he were a jilted lover. Ford's increasing jealousy becomes apparent after Hayworth's arrival on the scene, but it is unclear of whom he is jealous, Hayworth or Macready or possibly both. Perhaps Ford's character is as unsure of his own feelings as is the viewer, which makes the ambiguity even more intriguing. Macready's jealousy also grows as the heat between Ford and Hayworth intensifies, but, again, it is ambiguous of whom he is jealous.

With a dazzling performance by Hayworth, excellent black-and-white photography by Rudoph Mate, fine direction by Charles Vidor, and layers of psychological possibilities to ponder, "Gilda" is as golden as its title suggests.

Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth made five films together, but when they are talked of as a screen team, it's only Gilda that people are really talking about. Their first film was before World War II, The Lady in Question where both are young Columbia contract players who were in the same film and no effort was made to bill them as a team. The Loves of Carmen which was made after Gilda was a disaster for Glenn Ford, though Rita was at her sexiest. Affair in Trinidad was a good effort to recapture the magic of Gilda after Rita's storm marriage to Aly Khan and the last film The Money Trap was a Glenn Ford film where Rita has a brief role as an old girl friend. She was the best thing in that film by far.

Do you remember in Cabaret how both the Liza Minnelli and Michael York characters find out they are sex partners to the same German bi-sexual man? That's essentially what happens in Gilda though with the Code firmly in place it's not something we talk about. George MacReady, a man of many interests rescues Glenn Ford from the docks of Buenos Aires after he's won some money from sailors in a crap game. They hit it off and Ford becomes his right hand man in running the casino MacReady operates.

Then MacReady brings home a wife and lo and behold it turns out to be an old girl friend of Ford's, Rita Hayworth. Add to that some Nazi refugees have some business with MacReady over some tungsten mines.

The real emphasis in this film is sex and personified by the best embodiment of sex ever on the silver screen. This film raked in a lot of dollars for Harry Cohn and Columbia Pictures. Hayworth, voice dubbed as usual, had a big number here in Put the Blame on Mame. It became a signature tune for her the rest of her life.

One thing did disappoint me about Gilda. For a story that took place in Buenos Aires who many say is the most beautiful city in the world, it would have been nice to see some location shots, even if it was just some newsreels to establish the time and place. The film might as well have been in Albuquerque.

But when you've got Rita to look at, it could be at the South Pole.

This film is a great example of a very good film whose style and sense of sex appeal actually surpasses the plot. Now this isn't to say that the film has a bad plot--no, it's good enough. It's just that the wonderfully Noir-like dialog and Rita Hayworth's incredible sex appeal are what you are left with when the film is over--not the plot! Despite being a Rita Hayworth starring vehicle, she actually doesn't take up the lion's share of the screen. In fact, she doesn't even make an appearance until about 20 minutes into the film! This task of anchoring the film is given to a young and very effective Glenn Ford--who does a fine job as a street-wise but smart young punk wanting to make it to "the big leagues" and stop hustling for small change. When Ford meets up with George Macready, it's an incredibly memorable Noir moment. The crackling dialog between them and Ford's not even bothering to thank Macready for saving his life is so stylish and made the Film Noir lover within me happy! Later, in another great scene, Ford has just been worked over by a bouncer from a high class casino when he finds out this is Macready's business! Instead of being angry, both strike up a working arrangement--and Ford dispatches the bouncer is a brutal manner! Only later, after Ford has been Macready's right-hand man for some time does Hayworth enter the film. The reaction to her arrival indicates that there is SOME unfinished business between the two--but now Rita is Macready's new wife! Now this brings me to one problem about the film. It isn't an insurmountable problem, but supposedly Rita and Glenn had been lovers some time before and their meeting now was by pure chance. However, considering that they were in love in New York and the film takes place in Argentina, you are left wondering "what are the odds?". Despite this, you aren't left wondering for long because of the sparkling dialog and chemistry between Rita and Glenn. In other words, because of all the steamy moments on the screen, you tend to forget the occasional inconsistency of the plot. And, speaking of steam, there is a lot. Despite apparently being pregnant during the shoot, Miss Hayworth managed to create the sexiest portrayal on film from the era...period. Her languid singing, her amazing dresses that looked like they were glued on and the dialog between her and Ford all created an amazing atmosphere that just can't be equaled. Sure, the plot was fine, but the mood--that's what makes this an exceptional film.

By the way, it is rather fascinating to see that in many ways this film mirrored the real-life antics of Rita--especially in regard to how she had a devil of a time picking men! Both Gilda and Rita both seemed to have a lot of sex destructiveness within them.

Johnny is a small time, but talented, hustler who finds himself at the wrong end of a gun on the dark back streets of Buenos Aires. He is rescued by a mysterious and controlling stranger, Ballin Mundson, who ends up being the owner of a club/casino that operates under the radar of the law. Johnny and Ballin form a close partnership with Johnny being the "man who runs the joint" and Ballin the Master. When Ballin takes a short leave and comes back married to the gorgeous Gilda, a threesome develops that puts a strain on the partnership. There is a burning mutual dislike between Johnny and Gilda. When Gilda feigns ignorance over not remembering his name, she coyly replies, "Johnny. So hard to remember . . . and so easy to forget." Of course there's much more to their acquaintance than they are willing to acknowledge, and a fusion of sexual heat, jealousy, fear and hatred keep the tension tightly wound which fuels the film. And of course there is Rita Hayworth up front and center. All the accolades that have been showered on her sexy "striptease" interpretation of "Put the Blame on Mame" are true! And still this film has much more to offer; an economical but effective story line; a tight witty script loaded with innuendo; and superb acting all around, especially the overlooked icy performance of George Macready as Ballin Mundson.

It's Rita Hayworth in probably her most memorable role. Her portrayal of Gilda is rightly remembered as a classic performance. But Gilda the character is much better than Gilda the movie. Hayworth may be a sensation but everything around her in this movie is not quite up to her standard. Not a bad movie by any means but no all-time classic either. It's one of those movies where a performance is remembered so fondly that perhaps people remember the movie as being somewhat better than it actually is. As good as Hayworth is she's not enough to hide the movie's flaws.

Our story unfolds in Buenos Aires. Which as you watch the movie is easy to forget because there is absolutely no South American flavor to the proceedings. The story might as well be set in Milwaukee. Anyhow small-time gambler and successful cheater Johnny Farrell somehow finds himself running a high-class casino after the casino's owner, Ballin Mundson, takes a liking to him. Everything is going swimmingly until one day, completely out of the blue, Ballin returns home from a trip with a beautiful new wife in tow. This woman is going to cause all kinds of complications. This woman of course is Gilda and right from the start, from her first memorable moment on the screen, Hayworth takes hold of the movie. Gilda's a fascinating character with so much lurking under the surface. And what's on the surface ain't so bad either. Not for nothing was Hayworth the era's most popular pinup girl. A shame then that the movie can't take full advantage of the allure and talents of its star.

Hayworth is vibrant, exciting, bursting with life. The movie is not. In playing Johnny Farrell, the character we unfortunately spend more time with than we do with Gilda, Glenn Ford comes across as being somewhat dull. And his character is rather unlikable. The story contains some elements which fall flat. There's something about a tungsten cartel which involves some angry Germans. This of course has nothing to do with Gilda. Can we just get back to Gilda? Please? Somewhere along the way the story really gets bogged down and not even Hayworth can fully rescue it. Everyone will remember Hayworth's big moments. She makes quite the impression with her famous singing and dancing. Well dancing anyway as the singing voice isn't hers. But nevertheless that famous number, "Put the Blame on Mame", is quite the spectacle. Now who to put the blame on for surrounding the fabulous Hayworth with an otherwise very ordinary movie? You'll love Rita. Love the movie? That's a stretch.