Lábios que Mentem

Tony Curtis goes to Macao. He's after ex-lover Joanne Dru, now a gangster's widow with some information damaging to the current head of the Philadelphia rackets in a safety deposit box. Curtis is being paid by the racketeers to bring her back to the US. When Curtis saves Lyle Bettger from a gun man, Bettger hires him to help out at his gambling place... and then finds out that Miss Dru is the fiancee of Lyle Bettger.

It's a pretty good role for Curtis, but pretty standard stuff for the other two leads. On the other hand, there's a nice role for Victor Sen Yung as the gambling hall's piano player; he seems unusually well connected as the depths of Bettger's actual business is detailed. William Daniel's camerawork is largely standard until the big finish -- although that may be because he established the standard 'MGM gloss' look in the 1920s. Even so, he had a lot to contend with. Director Rudolph Maté had been nominated for five cinematography Oscars himself.

In 1946, one of the most stylish films of the age came out, "Gilda". It was a story about a rich but rich and ruthless man with a gorgeous girlfriend and the sexual tension generated between her and the tough guy's new, younger partner. And, in "Gilda" you wondered why the rich ruthless guy would bring the pair together. Well, here in "Forbidden" you have the same basic plot with a few differences...only a few. You have the rich, ruthless guy (here it's Lyle Bettger...who even looks and talks a bit like George Macready) once again gets his gorgeous girlfriend (Juanne Dru) together with a young guy (Tony Curtis) and you wonder why...why would he do this when he knows that the pair used to be a number?!

In the case of "Forbidden" there is another agenda. Eddie (Curtis) is working for the government and he's trying to get Christine (Dru) to come back to the States because she knows enough about Keit (Bettger) to put him in prison. And, all the while Keit keeps the pair together...like a cat toying with a couple mice!

It's all quite good and Dru was never prettier. The music is lovely and the film quite good. I just didn't score it higher because it was just a bit too similar to "Gilda".

I saw this film when it first came out and thoroughly enjoyed it. The cast were great, right down to the beautiful white Jaguar XK120. Surely it should be possible to see most of the old films rather than endless repeats of the limited few, many of which are hardly deserving of the privilege. One way or another I have managed to see many old favourites but this one still eludes me. Macao, made the year before is available on video - so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

"Forbidden" (1953) is full of suspenseful twists and turns. Tony Curtis is a small-time hood sent by the mob to Macau to neutralize Joanne, who has incriminating information. Joanne Dru, more familiar in westerns than in film-noir, reminds me of Grace Kelly, perhaps better looking and a better actress as well.

The plot gets really moving after Tony, a mobster, saves businessman Lyle Bettger from some powerful enemies - but then what? There are romantic complications and betrayals. If you prefer yesterday's intriguing plots and snappy dialog to today's overdone special effects, this one is for you.

Watching this movie, of course we think of those many adventure drama films where exotic atmosphere is mixed up with femmes fatales, tough villains, romance and so on...GILDA, MACAO, CALCUTTA, TANGIERS, ISTAMBUL. THE BIG STEAL...So this time, nothing is surprising, nothing, it is only a Rudolp Maté's film and showing Tony Curtis, still in his early career and in his one of first interesting roles, besides the costume swashbucklers which he used us so much since several years, also for the Universal Studio. Here, he as a real character and not a stupid one. Good worth film noir for gem diggers. Rather hard to purchase.