Fire Down Below (1957) - film review

After the Korean War, Tony and Felix earn a crust by smuggling tobacco and alcohol around the Caribbean on their tramp boat.  One day, they agree to transport an illegal European immigrant, Irena, in return for an irresistible 1200 dollar fee.  It isn’t long before both Tony and Felix are head over heels in love with Irena and their friendship turns to deadly rivalry...

Rita Hayworth’s eagerly await return to the big screen after an absence of four years (during which time she endured a turbulent marriage with the singer Dick Haymes) was a triumph for Columbia Pictures and re-launched the actress’s faltering career.  Partnered with rising star Jack Lemmon and established matinee idol Robert Mitchum, Hayworth is as resplendent as ever and perks up what is otherwise a fairly mediocre love triangle affair.  After a promising beginning, the film runs aground towards its mid-point and becomes increasingly tangled up in its hackneyed plot contrivances.  

Although Fire Down Below is far too long and unwieldy to be a genuine classic, the ebullient performances from the three likeable leads (supplemented by some priceless supporting contributions from the likes of Anthony Newley and Herbert Lom) manage to hold our interest, but only just.  With its exotic locations, artfully framed in lush CinemaScope, the film looks sumptuous, but, as we know, all that glitters is not gold and this is far from being the highpoint of Hayworth’s long collaboration with Columbia.

© Derek Adamson 2011

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