Produced by Lewis F. Blumberg. A Monteflor Production, released through United Artists. New York opening at the Palace: 11 March 1957. U.S. release: January 1957. U.K. release: 20 May 1957. Australian release: 5 September 1957. 7,502 feet. 83 minutes. U.K. and Australian release title: a Night in Havana.
SYNOPSIS: A dealer in a Havana casino (Errol Flynn) has some counterfeit money passed to him by the daughter (Rossana Rory) of a prominent Cuban banker (Sandro Giglio). The chief of police (Pedro Armendariz) suspects the dealer, but it is the banker's other daughter (Gia Scala) who has been involved in the counterfeiting racket. However, the chief of the ring...
NOTES: A smash hit in some sections of Australia, where, even at the tail end of his career, Errol Flynn could do no wrong. Of course, part of his appeal was that of a local boy who made good. It was assumed that he was Australian born and bred. That was half-true anyway. Although he was actually born in Ireland, Flynn was raised in the Australian state of Tasmania
COMMENT: Actually filmed in its entirety on location in Havana (with the co-operation of the Cuban government and its agencies), this is a routinely-plotted whodunit which has considerable value as a curiosity. Besides the interesting line-up of players (Flynn had only four more films to go, but though tired and jaded, he still carries conviction here as the rugged hero; Gia Scala and Rossana Rory make attractive foils while Pedro Armendariz is up to his old tricks as a police official)) there is the background - the streets and plazas of pre-Castro Havana, the seedy nightclubs, the gambling dens and various historical monuments including the climactic chase and shoot-out in the ruins of Morro Castle. This was the first film to be directed by Richard Wilson (a longtime associate of Orson Welles). Wilson is just feeling his way here, but he has a good eye for locations.
SYNOPSIS: A dealer in a Havana casino (Errol Flynn) has some counterfeit money passed to him by the daughter (Rossana Rory) of a prominent Cuban banker (Sandro Giglio). The chief of police (Pedro Armendariz) suspects the dealer, but it is the banker's other daughter (Gia Scala) who has been involved in the counterfeiting racket. However, the chief of the ring...
NOTES: A smash hit in some sections of Australia, where, even at the tail end of his career, Errol Flynn could do no wrong. Of course, part of his appeal was that of a local boy who made good. It was assumed that he was Australian born and bred. That was half-true anyway. Although he was actually born in Ireland, Flynn was raised in the Australian state of Tasmania
COMMENT: Actually filmed in its entirety on location in Havana (with the co-operation of the Cuban government and its agencies), this is a routinely-plotted whodunit which has considerable value as a curiosity. Besides the interesting line-up of players (Flynn had only four more films to go, but though tired and jaded, he still carries conviction here as the rugged hero; Gia Scala and Rossana Rory make attractive foils while Pedro Armendariz is up to his old tricks as a police official)) there is the background - the streets and plazas of pre-Castro Havana, the seedy nightclubs, the gambling dens and various historical monuments including the climactic chase and shoot-out in the ruins of Morro Castle. This was the first film to be directed by Richard Wilson (a longtime associate of Orson Welles). Wilson is just feeling his way here, but he has a good eye for locations.