His Kind of Woman

In His Kind of Woman, director John Farrow deftly combines gritty noir claustrophobia with a sophisticated resort setting, resulting in a rather strange and shiny big-budget noir with plenty of romantic (even screwball) comedy elements, even bordering on farce toward the end. Robert Mitchum plays Dan Milner, a gambler and drifter who’s offered a job that will take him to Mexico for a year, but his assignment won’t be revealed to him until later; along the journey, Milner is paid many thousands of dollars to simply wait for instructions. He arrives at Morrow’s Lodge, a tony, isolated seaside resort patronized by a variety of wealthy guests, including Lenore Brent (Jane Russell) and her boyfriend, the eccentric Hollywood actor Mark Cardigan (Vincent Price). When Milner learns from an undercover immigration agent that deported mob boss Nick Ferarro (Raymond Burr) is planning to “disappear” Milner, he enters survival mode and confronts the thugs all around him. The film’s mash-up of lightly comedic and brutally dark elements is either brilliant or off-putting, depending on one’s taste, but its entertainment value can’t be denied.