Trafic à Saïgon

Like Singapore, Calcutta and Macao, Saigon sets off to an Asian port of intrigue. Demobbed in Shanghai after action in the Pacific Theater, three flyboys postpone their return to the States because one of them, Douglas Dick, has only a month or two to live. The catch is that he doesn't know it; his pals Alan Ladd and Wally Cassell guard the secret, having decided, under cover of operating lucrative commercial flights, to pack `a whole lifetime' of excitement and pleasure into his brief span left.

Their first assignment, however, proves their last. Shady war profiteer Morris Carnovsky pays them a suspiciously large sum to take him to Saigon, the `Paris of the Orient.' But, detained by police and gunshots, he doesn't show for the punctual flight; instead, they carry his `secretary,' Veronica Lake, carting along a briefcase crammed with half a million. The crate they're flying has to crash-land, and they make the rest of the journey by boat to Saigon, giving a romantic triangle time to form: Both Dick (avidly) and Ladd (reluctantly) fall for Lake. But a police inspector (Luther Adler) just happens to be aboard as well....

Yet another romantic adventure in subtropical heat, Saigon owes much to John F. Seitz' solid camerawork (which deserves special mention for avoiding ceiling fans). It's pretty by-the-book, but not nearly so embarrassing as Ladd's Calcutta of the previous year.

The movie marks the last screen pairing of Ladd and Lake, an emblematic couple in the noir cycle noteworthy for their chilly emotional temperature. Whatever cryogenic chemistry they generated in This Gun For Hire and The Glass Key and The Blue Dahlia had by this time, alas, gone inert; few sparks get struck this close to absolute zero. Only the perfunctory conventions of the genre insist that their future together will be either a long or a happy one. Even that pretense is belied by the movie's final shot – in a cemetery.

After World War II Larry learns that his flying buddy Mike will only live a short time despite the efforts of the doctors. He takes on a profitable flying job for profiteers Maris to finance a good time for his buddy. As the plane takes off he shoves Maris' secretary Susan on board. When Mike falls for her, Larry tells her to play along for Mike's sake. She, of course, falls for Larry. So does Larry.

Blending film noir, adventure and melodrama together, Saigon is not a bad viewing; it can be a bit slow, and Ladd and Lake spend most of the time exchanging vitriolic ripostes, however things pick up in the last thirty minutes. There's some sensitive portrayals by Ladd and Lake in regards to their dying friend.

This is a very rare film. There has never been a commercial release to my knowledge. The print I viewed was transferred from 16mm and although it is a beat up print, it is fairly sharp. The story centers around three wartime airmen, who are waiting for one of them to regain his health. The bad news comes right at the start. One of the friends, Mike (Douglas Dick) has only a couple of months to live. His two buddies Larry (Alan Ladd) and Pete (Wally Cassell) decide not to tell him he's dying. Instead, they decide to go out with a bang and have one great, last adventure.

Larry decides the adventure will start by flying a wealthy businessman's cargo to Saigon. The businessman,Mr. Maris (Morris Carnovsky), agrees to pay the men $10,000 for the delivery. When the friends arrive to transport the shipment to Saigon, they find only Maris's beautiful secretary, Susan. She (Veronica Lake) reveals there is no cargo, only a suitcase. Larry begins to smell a rat, but he can't turn back, as the police show up firing bullets as the plane takes to the air.

It is revealed that the suitcase contains $500,000 and that Maris was trying to abscond with it. Larry ponders how deeply involved Susan is involved in the deception. Things take a turn on the journey to Saigon. Mike, the dying airman, falls for Susan. She is torn, as she still believes her boss is legit and the three friends may be crooked. Eventually, her views soften when she learns Mike is dying and sees how concerned his friends are. She agrees to a light romance with Mike, knowing his days are numbered.

The denouement comes at a posh Saigon hotel. The four have arrived safely, but so has a police official (Luther Adler) who knows about Maris' plan and the missing $500,000. Maris finally shows in Susan's room to retrieve the suitcase. She explains she no longer has it and the final fireworks start.

I'll be honest. Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd are two of my favorites. Ladd was my dad's favorite actor, and he's in my top two. Veronica, was a stunningly beautiful woman and she had that sparkle. There is a scene in the movie, towards the end, where she dons a white gown. In the night, she glides like the flame of a candle, dancing in the wind. Breathtaking in her beauty.

A curious blend of film noir (the story takes place just at the end of WW2 ,like in Dmytryk's "crossfire") and of melodrama (the soldier whose days are numbered :his two mates -the threesome is some kind of 'three musketeers" cum "lives of a Bengal lancer" - want to help him make the best of it ,without telling him the truth).When secretary Veronica Lake appears ,the terminally ill puts her on a pedestal .His two mates just ask her to pretend but they despise this bad gal ,this femme Fatale .Ladd is particularly such a lout ,and with his favorite partner ,at that!This scene when he shows the girl another way of wearing her sumptuous dress might remind the young audience of Kim Basinger in "LA Confidential".

This is perhaps not Ladd's best ,nor among his best ,but his pairing with Lake was magic and considering they have some kind of Colombo's father as a cop hot on their heels,they are excusable.

This last and least successful teaming of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake is still highly watchable for the sizzling chemistry between them and the Byzantine, if predictable, plot twists and dagger wielding bad guys behind the curtains. Alan Ladd's character has decided to kick around the Far East waiting for his terminally ill army buddy to die, rather than return home to normalcy after WWII. The various plot-lines involving smugglers and murderers is of less interest than the screen presence of the two headliners.