Nick Cochran, an American in exile in Macao, has a chance to restore his name by helping capture an international crime lord. Undercover, can he mislead the bad guys and still woo the attractive singer/petty crook, Julie Benson?
Robert Mitchum Jane Russell William Bendix Thomas Gomez Gloria Grahame Brad Dexter Edward Ashley Philip Ahn Vladimir Sokoloff Abdullah Abbas Rico Alaniz Trevor Bardette Genevieve Bell George Blagoi Truman Bradley George Chan Spencer Chan Suey Chan W.T. Chang John Daheim Art Dupuis Marcello Estorres Lee Tong Foo Nacho Galindo H.W. Gim Everett Glass Bhupesh Guha Stuart Hall Phil Harron Show All…
Stanley Rubin Bernard C. Schoenfeld Edward Chodorov Frank L. Moss George Bricker Norman Katkov Walter Newman
Le Paradis des mauvais garçons, Una aventurera en Macao, L'avventuriero di Macao, Макао, 澳门, Macau
USANR
Fairbanks, Alaska
USA
USA
The Gloria Grahame Dilemma:
- Being strong-armed into a film that will single-handedly derail your entire career
- Being directed by your ex-husband who hates your guts
- Being given a character with no consistent motivation, characterization, or development
- Being given a role that is intentionally trying to make you look unattractive by comparing you to the 'prettier' Jane Russell (spoilers, it backfires)
- Having to deal with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell making up their own lines because there isn't a complete script
The Gloria Grahame Answer:
'Move over y'all, watch as I steal this picture in less than 90 seconds of screentime!!'
Gloria could work noir miracles
RKO’s owner, Howard Hughes (showing that focus that would soon make him the world’s richest man) wrote a memo to Macao’s production team about Jane Russell’s wardrobe:
“The fit of the dress around her breasts is not good and gives the impression, God forbid, that her breasts are padded or artificial. They just don’t appear to be in natural contour . . . It would be extremely valuable if the dress incorporated some kind of a point at the nipple because I know this does not ever occur naturally in the case of Jane Russell. Her breasts always appear to be round, or flat, at that point so something artificial here would be extremely desirable if it could be incorporated…
"Everybody's lonely and worried and sorry. Everybody's looking for something"
An American policeman is killed in the lawless part of Macao. Nick Cochran (Robert Mitchum) meets Julie Benson (Jane Russell) and Lawrence Trumble (William Bendix) on the boat ride from Hong Kong. On arrival, the three find themselves entangled with local crime boss and owner of The Quick Reward Club Vincent Halloran (Brad Dexter) to varying degrees as the criminal tries to figure out just who is closing in on him for the murder.
It's virtually impossible that Josef von Sternberg can make a film that doesn't at least look good, so Macao has that going for it. Mitchum and Russell also have some serious chemistry together. But the film…
"Besides her obvious talents, she also sings."
After learning from a venal cop underling (Thomas Gomez) that he is the target of an international sting operation, nondescript baddy Vince Halloran (Brad Dexter) surveys the new arrivals to Macao and presumes that former GI/man-with-a-past Nick Cochran (Robert Mitchum) is the undercover mole. Despite Vince being off the mark in this capacity, the two nonetheless have much to settle regarding the affections of comely songbird Julie Benton (Jane Russell). Though Mitchum is only half-engaged, Russell is actually quite charming here, while Gloria Grahame and William Bendix contribute more than adequate supporting work. Still it's hard to believe that director Josef von Sternberg once cared enough about this tepid mediocrity to disown it…
Made for RKO just a year after they shone together in His Kind of Woman, this re-teaming of Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell isn’t half as good as that effort was (among other things, all of the male characters in Macao are just ... guys — there’s nothing special or interesting about any of them), but it’s still not bad. Plagued by interference by Howard Hughes — just as His Kind of Woman was — Macao was directed by the unlikely duo of Josef von Sternberg and Nicholas Ray; the latter was brought in for reshoots and additional footage after von Sternberg was fired. I’m not enough of an expert on either to see clear evidence of their hands at work, but I…
Apparently there was drama on the set of Josef von Sternberg’s Macao, but put Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, and (the sadly underserved) Gloria Grahame in a movie together, and I’m 100% in. Although only certain scenes-usually of the foggy, waterfront variety-are aesthetically reminiscent of von Sternberg’s Marlene Dietrich classics, Macao’s still got plenty to recommend it.
Robert Mitchum always delivers the appropriate mix of cynicism and charm, and Jane Russell could put Streetcar Named Desire-era Marlon Brando in a sleeper hold if the mood struck her. Gloria Grahame doesn’t have much to do beyond her role as croupier in a shady gambling den, but she always steals a scene or two.
Joseph von Sternberg sometimes treated actors like animated mannequins, but with a cast like this and a little uncredited help from Nicholas Ray, Macao can’t help but be a fun 81 minute (!) watch.
Director Josef Von Sternberg's Macao was my second outing with the Austrian born director, with his 1957 John Wayne vehicle Jet Pilot the only one of his filmography that I'd previously encountered. The only other thing I really knew about Von Sternberg was his collaborations with Marlene Dietrich, none of which I've yet seen. Once again I was drawn to this film by the casting of Robert Mitchum, and the ample charms of Jane Russell, but I've seen a few of these films set in exotic locations, whether it be China, Saigon, China Girl, or Thunder in the East, all made during or just after WWII, although always shot on a studio backlot, and they all involve a major star…
This film is pretty dull for noir. I know it has a legendary backstory about the filming of it, and it shows in the final product. You can certainly tell that more than one director had their hands on it, and the script was definitely changes during filming because it can't seem to decide what kind of movie it is.
Robert Mitchum is ok in it. He's definitely not at his best in this one. Jane Russell is very much the center of attention (obviously a Howard Hughes film), but for me she just can't carry a plot. Gloria Grahame is horribly underused. She is so great in other films, and she barely has any screen time. Brad Dexter is also very good in this despite not having much to work with.
The story itself sounds pretty good when you read the premise, but as it unfolds it just sort of falls apart.
Notable more for being a difficult shoot, rife with behind-the-scenes tension (That dual credit for Nicholas Ray and Von Sternberg wasn't a collaboration), it sort of works best as an example (accidentally) of the importance of star power -- all it has, really, is Jane Russell and Robert Mitchum front and center, and because Mitchum and Russell are at their peaks, it's almost enough --the story around them is weak sauce, but at 80 minutes of stitching, it's almost over before you know it, anyways.
Another entertaining film with Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell.
The island of Macao is just off Hong Kong and is a crossroads of peoples: Portuguese, Chinese, British, Taiwanese, and, Americans. One American, played by Brad Dexter, is a boss of a gambling house. He's also staying on the island and within the 3-mile jurisdiction to avoid extradition or capture by the American government.
Onto this island arrives Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell, who has just lifted Mitchum's wallet with his passport, taken the money, and tossed the wallet overboard. This leaves Mitchum on the island with no papers so Dexter assumes he's a US agent sent to bring him back.
The commentary track was pretty entertaining with Eddie Muller talking with screenwriter Stanley Rubin but it doesn't have a whole lot to do with the film itself. Jane Russell kicks in a comment every now and then.
Josef von Sternberg, hallowed producer of more atmosphere than almost any other director you could name, is partly responsible for MACAO, made when he was completely powerless in Hollywood. Although credited as the director, three others shot sequences, so I can't fault this film's lack of effect on his participation. Suffice to say that this somewhat bland noir is not intriguing because of its plot, or its dialogue, or its locations, but solely for the chemistry of Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Watching them together is a blood rush. And Gloria Grahame, in a thankless, underwritten supporting turn, sets the place on fire. (As is her wont.)
you can really tell which parts of this were directed by nic ray and which parts were directed by sternberg, short bursts of frenetic energy surrounded by a half-hearted oneiricism, it doesn't work. i think jane russell is definitely one of my favorite hollywood actresses, though -- her cynical world-weary persona matches very well with mitchum's own exhaustion.
