When a husband (Robert Taylor), a decorated WWII and Korean War pilot now living in Spain asks his wife (Dorothy Malone) for a divorce, she flies to Madrid to confront him. She finds him a changed man, gambling and drinking heavily but perhaps most importantly, terrified of flying again. Based on a novel by Irwin Shaw (
RICH MAN POOR MAN), this B&W melodrama begins as an examination of how war has destroyed a man's belief in himself (which are the best parts of the film) and ends up as a routine smuggling thriller. It's not a bad film, it's decent enough to hold one's interest but the film makers inability to marry the two disparate storylines makes for an uneven movie. Robert Taylor, never much of an actor, grew more interesting as an actor as he got older and gave some effective performances (like
THE LAST HUNT and
PARTY GIRL) but the role of the crumbling war vet proves too taxing for him but none of the other roles are developed enough for their actors to do anything with them though Malone (looking great) tries. Directed by Richard Thorpe. With Gia Scala, Jack Lord, Marcel Dalio, Joyce Jameson and Martin Gabel.
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