Tangier

Just as the city of Tangier is a mere four-hour drive down the Moroccan coast from the city of Casablanca, the films by those two names don’t have much distance between them either. When watching George Waggner’s Tangier, it’s impossible not to recall Humphrey Bogart greeting clientele at Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca (1943), even though the desperate expatriates of the earlier film are replaced by Nazi jewel smugglers. Waggner and crew stretch a relatively low budget to establish a believable exotic atmosphere with most of the action concentrated in and around the bustling Ritz Hotel where disgraced, destitute war journalist Paul Kenyon (Robert Paige) has been holed up hunting not only for a scoop but for the attentions of Spanish dancer Rita (Maria Montez). When Nazi diamond smuggler Adolpho Fernandes (Reginald Denny) arrives at the hotel, Rita and her dance partner Ramon (Kent Taylor) plot to locate and steal the jewel, which they finally achieve but not without a casualty: Fernandes is murdered. Corrupt local police chief Jose Artiego (Preston Foster), whose uniform never seems to fit right, is charged with finding the killer and the missing loot, an endeavor further complicated by his lust for Rita, who plays along with his advances as long as it’s convenient. Orbited by the desires of both men, Dominican star Montez and her over-the-top costumes (thank you, Travis Banton) steal every scene, her glamour, perhaps combined with the under-polished script, keeping the film from offering much depth even as it maintains a highly entertaining pace. Indian performer Sabu plays local entrepreneur and performer Pepe with charming aplomb, while the excellent Louise Allbritton, instead of trying to compete with Montez’ spectacular presence, sinks her teeth into the role of her dance understudy Dolores, who will suffer the most dramatic fate of all. Visually, the film punches far above its weight, cinematographer Bredell injecting the stylized sets with low-key lighting that heightens the drama and creates luminous patterns across ceilings and walls, for example, during Kenyon’s torture and interrogation.