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
Robert Taylor
Rigby
Ava Gardner
Elizabeth Hintten
Charles Laughton
J.J. Bealer
Vincent Price
Carwood
John Hodiak
Tugwell 'Tug' Hintten
Samuel S. Hinds
Dr. Warren
John Hoyt
Gibbs
Martín Garralaga
Pablo Gomez
Fernando Alvarado
Flute Player (uncredited)
Robert Cabal
Bellboy (uncredited)
Gene Coogan
Club Patron (uncredited)
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.
US
