His Kind Of Woman (1951)

A down on his luck gambler (Robert Mitchum) is offered $50,000 to hang out at a posh Mexican resort. He's paid $5,000 with the assurance he will get the rest of the money when the reason he's been sent there is revealed. Of course, the gangsters making the offer don't expect him to live long enough to collect. Based on the short story STAR SAPPHIRE by Gerald Drayson and directed by John Farrow (THE BIG CLOCK). After director Farrow finished the film, RKO studio boss Howard Hughes decided the film needed additional scenes, recasting (Lee Van Cleef was replaced by Raymond Burr) and Vincent Price's part built up. Enter an uncredited Richard Fleischer (VIOLENT SATURDAY) to do Hughes' bidding. What might have been a taut little film noir is pushed to the two hour mark and is a confusing mess. There are several scenes (like the honeymooning couple) that don't add anything to the movie except slow it down. The film's finale seems to go on forever and Price's character who was modestly amusing suddenly becomes the movie's comedy relief as a Shakespeare quoting ham actor. It's impossible to take the film seriously after that. On the plus side, the chemistry between Mitchum and leading lady Jane Russell is off the charts and their scenes together are pure pleasure. But this must be the screwiest film noir film since THE BIG SLEEP (1946), only not nearly half as fun. With Tim Holt, Charles McGraw, Jim Backus, Marjorie Reynolds and Anthony Caruso.