THE BRIBE
US, 1949, 92 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton, Vincent Price, John Hodiak.
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
The Bribe is an enjoyable film noir of 1949. It has lavish M.G.M. production values, including a score by Miklos Rosza. However, it is more elaborate than many of the more successful film noir of Columbia Studios and R.K.O. (for example Gilda, Cornered - both of which had South American settings like The Bribe).
The film has the usual voice-over, the ambiguous hero, moral choices and dilemmas. Robert Taylor is solid as the hero. Ava Gardner, in one of her earliest starring roles, is very attractive as the heroine. There is a good line-up of villains including Charles Laughton and Vincent Price.
The film echoes the period after World War Two, the disillusionment with American society, financial, exploitation, the use of Latin America as a place for money, deals and getting away with crime.
The film was used, very effectively, for the climax of Steve Martin and Carl Reiner's effective spoof using clips from old films, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.
1. Enjoyable film noir, thriller of the late 40s? Comparisons with later files of its type?
1. Black and white photography, the atmosphere of this Central American country, the city of Carlotta? The musical score, the song? Mood?
3. The voice-over technique, the flashbacks? Rigby addressing himself in the second person? Audience interest? Moral dilemmas?
4. The post-war period, the United States and ambitions for a better world? Profit, corruption? Moral scruples? Federal investigations? Plane parts and their being used for black market sales? Violence?
5. Robert Taylor as Rigby? In Washington, the mission to Carlotta, the talk with Carwood on the plane? The voicing of suspicions? The cover by being a fisherman? The arrival of J.J. Bealer and Pie Shape? Tug and Elizabeth Hinton? Elizabeth and her song, the room, the drinks? Suspicions? The meeting with Tug and his alcoholism? Going fishing, scouting? The encounter with Carwood, going fishing, the accident, the shark taking the captain? Bealer and the bribe? The poison? Tug and his illness? The dilemma about sending the telegram?
6. His change of heart, the lies, suspicions, Elizabeth administering the poison? The confrontation, the chase of Carwood? The reconciliation? Carwood's death? The ambiguous post-war hero?
7. Elizabeth, her song, under suspicion, the dressing-room, her charm, Tug and his drinking? Falling in love with Rigby? Bealer, his suspicions, the poison? Tug and his death? Elizabeth's choices? The reconciliation?
8. Tug, the war background, knowledge of planes, his ill-health, being sacked? His alcoholism? Love for Elizabeth? Meetings with Rigby? The influence of Carwood, the lies? The doctor? The confrontation with Carwood and his being killed?
9. Vincent Price as Carwood, smooth, suspect, fishing, the accident and the attempted murder, the lies and the cover-up, his hold over Bealer, his plans and the timing, using Bealer, killing Tug? The final chase and his death?
10. Charles Laughton as Bealer, 'Pie Shape'? The drifter, watching Rigby, offering the bribe, his sore feet, wanting the operation? Influencing Elizabeth, the poison? Watching each, the set-up, the influence of Carwood, his being caught, saved?
loyalties, the police?
11. The city of Carlotta, the police, the raid?
12 Thriller, film noir, America after the war? human nature?
