Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

moonspinner55 The chase is on when an Army officer trying to clear his name tracks a payroll thief with a suitcase full of money to Mexico. The thief is also wanted by his jilted fiancée, who partners with the officer, who originally approached her impersonating an Army captain--the same one who's now in pursuit of the couple. Fast, lean film noir in the daylight, given no-nonsense direction by Don Siegel. Screenwriters Geoffrey Homes and Gerald Drayson Adams, adapting Richard Wormser's short story "The Road to Carmichael's", provide pages of amusingly salty dialogue, delivered with seasoned panache by a terrific cast. *** from ****

writers_reign Given the two leads, support, and director this, certainly viewed so long after the initial release, is disappointing. Mitchum and Greer have no problem working together and generating chemistry but that to one side this is a pale comparison with Build My Gallows High. On a superficial level it's merely a pursuit race south of the border with Mitchum and Greer chasing Patrick Knowles, Bendix chasing all three and silent star Ramon Navarro watching from the sidelines. As noted Mitchum and Greer are good value but Bogie, Tracy, Cagney and Robinson would be hard put to get this to fly. If anything it's a reminder of how Greer, like Marie Windsor, cornered the market in femmes fatale and how sorely missed both are.

LeonLouisRicci It's kinda Fun to Read Critics Twist and Turn this into a Film Noir with Varying Results. But the Bottom Line is No. This is not a Film Noir but is Nonetheless a Watchable, Frantic, Chase/Comedy that is a Rather Light Romp Considering the Talent Involved.It is a Wide Open, Dirt Road of a Movie that has more Motion and is more Expansive than most of the B-Movies of the Forties. The Characters are One Dimensional and the Dialog is Hardly Cynical. There are a Few Fisticuffs that are Effective and Occasionally the Film can turn a bit Brutal. But in the End it is just too Whimsical to be anything more than a Good, and a bit Different Crime Movie. One of the Early Efforts from Director Don Siegel and while it is Sometimes Intriguing, the Overall Tone is as Light as the Bright Mexican Landscape.

MartinHafer Wow--talk about a strange but likable combination. This film is sort of like a mixture of film noir, and adventure film, a comedy and it's all set in Mexico. While this unusual melange might seem to make no sense, it actually works very well and it supremely watchable. Much of the reason for this was the excellent script that provided enough twists to keep a simple idea humming and another were the likable leads, Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer.The film begins with Robert Mitchum being confronted by William Bendix on a cruise ship. Bendix has a gun on Mitchum and you aren't sure what the context is for this. Who is the good guy and who is the bad and what has happened up until this time? Instead of making this clear, the film deliberately keeps this all rather vague--a very good choice in hindsight. Since Mitchum is the studly male lead, you aren't particularly surprised when he manages to overpower Bendix and escape.Once Mitchum escapes, he goes looking for a man (Patric Knowles) and apparently Jane Greer is also looking for the same con man. However, again and again, Knowles slips through their hands and the film consists of a road trip across Mexico to get their hands on Knowles. He evidently stole something--but what? And what about Bendix? Tune in and find out for yourself.As I mentioned above, the story works well due to the writing and acting. Greer and Mitchum are a good pair and their dialog is actually quite snappy and funny. I also appreciated how the Mexicans were portrayed--they were normal folks--something unusual for 1940s Hollywood.Overall, an exciting and fun film from start to finish and a next followup from their last film together, OUT OF THE PAST. However, according to the accompanying featurette (a DVD extra), Greer was not the first choice but Lizbeth Scott refused to star in the film with Mitchum following his arrest for marijuana possession.