When a scheming fortune hunter finds his rich wife is not going to die as expected, he and his lover make other plans to get her millions.
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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Such a frustrating disappointment
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
John Bromfield as a two-timing cad and gold-digger in Los Angeles who aggressively woos a wealthy young widow and socialite visiting from New York City (with a bad ticker!). Once she learns she has less than a year to live, the ailing woman and the gigolo get hitched--but he's having an affair with a married dancer and has promised her that his new marriage won't last long. Compact, appropriately overwrought B-grade potboiler (maybe C-grade) has good performances and an ear for melodramatic dialogue. Producer-director W. Lee Wilder keeps the pace moving on a nothing-budget, and sweet-talking Bromfield (with a natty little mustache) amusingly oozes cocky, masculine self-confidence. ** from ****
When scheming fortune hunter and erstwhile Latin lover Ricardo De Villa learns that a wealthy but sickly widow has terminal heart disease, he seduces and marries the vulnerable millionairess. Playing the part of a faithful and doting husband, he carries on a torrid affair with sexy exotic dancer Fritzi Darvel while avoiding the suspicious eyes of her jealous bongo-playing husband. When his wife's condition seems to go into remission, the impatient De Villa decides on action that will hasten her seemingly inevitable death.The plot sounds awfully racy but these are the 50s.This is sort of a film noir and it's worth a watch, despite the very bad prints that are available.Good story.Good acting.
This is an effective noirish suspense drama. The acting, direction, and cinematography are typical of 1950s low-budget productions but there are plenty of good scenes. After a slow start, the plot evolves into a modern morality tale where a scheming villain gets his payback. The print is inferior (Classic Film Noir, Volume 2) but the soundtrack is satisfactory.John Bromfield delivers a convincing performance as an unscrupulous gold-digging gigolo who seduces and marries a wealthy widow (Martha Vickers) who is seriously ill with only a few months to live. Much to his dismay, the marriage works wonders for her health and she improves so much that he is forced to hatch a diabolically clever plan to murder her.Of course, things quickly go wrong and lead to a terrific plot twist and surprise ending. Not classic noir, but a decent little movie with redeeming features.
The only other comment on this film lists a litany of reasons why not to watch it, generally because of unfavorable but irrelevant comparisons to Billy Wilder, the director's brother. I will give you a reason to watch it; it is effective. John Bromfield makes an effective gigolo and Martha Vickers, while not the most charismatic actress known, does a good job as the object of his affections. Watch this without taking a lot of baggage in with you and you will be satisfied. It has a nice twist at the end that you may guess, but probably not.