United States Federal agent Rigby travels to the Central American island Carlotta to investigate a stolen aircraft engines smuggling racket.
Cinematography
Shadow-drenched island nights that practically drip humidity.
Acting
Laughton's sweaty, twitchy informant steals every scene he's in.
Costume
Gardner's gowns vs. everyone else's rumpled linen—visual storytelling.

Director
Robert Z. Leonard
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
MGM built an entire Caribbean village on their backlot for this, then immediately regretted the expense when noir fell out of fashion.
This was Ava Gardner's first top-billed role after her breakout in 'The Killers'—Hollywood was testing if she could carry the moral ambiguity, not just the glamour.