mark.waltz Growing up, I knew Joan Bennett as the strong matriarch of the gothic soap opera "Dark Shadows", but in studying classic film, I have suddenly been drawn to her incredible career which seemed to constantly reinvent itself. This forgotten gem is one of the key moments in her career. After a decade of being a blonde and sometimes cast in bland heroine roles, Bennett got to change her look on screen and go from long suffering to femme fatale, here believing that she has killed Sidney Blackmer who badly disrespected her sister, causing the unseen woman to kill herself. The San Francisco police are instantly on her trail, following her to Hawaii and pretty much all over the world, searching for a blonde woman rather than the dark haired mysterious woman she has transformed herself into. With the dimwitted Ralph Bellamy initially on the case (and completely screwing it up by believing that she has driven into the sea to escape capture), head detective Thomas Mitchell brings the much craftier Frederic March (whom he had previously fired) onto the case. March's "Girl Friday" (Ann Sothern in a scene stealing supporting part) follows him all over, hoping to collect on the reward, and in a very funny sequence, is confused by Bellamy to be Bennett and handcuffed in order to be taken back to San Francisco.As the romance blooms between Bennett and March, it becomes unclear whether he is simply using romance to get her back to face justice so HE can collect the reward or if he is truly in love with her and biding time to find a way of getting her off. That is the intriguing element of this smoothly written caper, given some exotic locations to move their romance along. It would be easy to write off the twists at the end as a convenient way to wrap things up, but after thinking about it, I found it completely plausible. They have excellent chemistry, with Bellamy a delightful nitwit and Sothern superbly funny as the dame who wants to prove that anything that March can do, she can do better. This puts you completely in the hands of the writers who take you along on this journey. In many ways, it reminded me of "One Way Passage", although the circumstances are quite different, because the romantic mood really strikes when typical American tourists end up in settings we can only fantasize about. Bennett is a combination of tender, loyal, sultry, cynical and just plain charming. March, like his reporter in "Nothing Sacred", seems to be winking at the audience, and that adds a great deal to his character's charm even though at times, he appears to be like a snake in the grass. The fact that a film can mix artistic integrity in with typical elements of screwball comedy and romantic intrigue puts this a notch above many other similar films, a testimony to the brilliant script which none other than Dorothy Parker contributed to.

GManfred Maybe this is what happened in the 30's when smart movie people went off the reservation and made a movie without major studio backing. "Trade Winds" suffers from a lack of oversight especially over the final script, as it is in desperate need of rewrite. The end result is a film lacking good continuity and a coherent storyline, and this despite an excellent cast and one of Hollywood's top directors.Where to start? Maybe with the miscasting of Ralph Bellamy, one of the most reliable actors around, as a bumbling hayseed detective. He is an annoying presence throughout the picture and is in far too many scenes. Funny at first, he becomes grating before midway of the film. There are far too many plot contrivances and questionable circumstances to mention, so to save space I'll skip to the end of the picture. The unmasking of the murderer is unbelievable and far-fetched, but by that time the viewer has long since lost hope for a sensible deus ex machina. This is what I meant by lack of oversight. The end is completely undisciplined and stretches the audiences credulity, and unworthy of a credible Hollywood production. The only reason to see this misbegotten film is for the attractive cast, and to reflect on what might have been were the picture in different, more capable hands.

max von meyerling This is an amusing little trifle. No more or no less. A charming cast, a fast pace, snappy dialog, charming players, a very silly story and a naked and unexplained denouement. The film started with the footage Tay Garnett made during a round-the-world sail. Or at least as far as Bombay sail. What to do with this footage? Dorothy Parker and sometime husband Alan Campbell, and Frank Adams, an ex-reporter and music composer who co-wrote I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now concocted a story about a classy broad who thinks she shot and killed a man and escapes San Francisco by going west to Hawaii, Japan, China, etc. She is being chased by the World's Greatest Detective, the dumbest flatfoot on the force who never-the- less is high ranking, and said detectives secretary. So you see the background shots are used as the backgrounds of all the places they go. Miss Parker is responsible for some mighty clever lines, lines which gave Ann Southern a whole career.This was produced by independent producer Walter Wanger who released through United Artists. Wanger could do what he wanted and obtained the services of Frederick March who had previously acted in a Parker script A Star Is Born for independent producer David Selznick. March's agent was David's brother Myron. Joan Bennett was married to Walter Wanger and perhaps the most famous or even important aspect of this film is that Joan went brunette in this film and never went back. As they say. Ralph Bellamy was stuck in the middle of a career where he would get scripts to read in which characters were described as "Ralph Bellamy type". His name in the film "Blodgett" was the same as the want to be star in A Star is Born. Getting failed "B" actress Ann Southern from nowhere was brilliant. No doubt the 4' 11" Parker used the 5' 1" Southern as an avatar for her whit, especially her smart-woman-in-a- man's-world be-bop. Blodgett is a direct rip off of Shakespeare's Dogberry from Much Ado About Nothing (which might be a title suitable for this film). Sidney Blackmer is featured and appears in one scene and is out of there faster than you can say Janet Leigh. Tommy Mitchell is in two scenes, both shot on the same set, and is also featured. Wanger padding out the cast for the price of two days work.The ending is maddening. The murder is revealed to prove Bennett's innocence in the first ten minutes but the film just goes on as if nobody heard. Of course in those days people didn't worry about such things as extradition or jurisdictions so our detectives go off in pursuit. The put-upon secretary goes on after them. March and Bennett fall in love and Bennett is betrayed and sent to trial. A trap is set for the real murderer based on the idea that they will be the people who don't show up at a party. Only they do show up at the party or else there wouldn't be a climax. The thing is the murderer, the backstory, the motive or even who these people are is never explained. I guess its not really important as the story skims along purely on the surface, sort of like the drama skims in front the back projections from Garnett's journey. Everybody, that is movie goers, knew the context of film conventions. They could connect the dots. At one point March buys a ticket from a cabin on a departing ship under the name Mr. & Mrs. Jones and Bellamy and Southern are tricked into taking it. So they decide to get married. A Dorothy Parker joke. The sets are by Alexander Toluboff and a young Alexander Golitzen and the cinematography by the matchless Rudolph Maté. Garnett never made a stupid film or directed a bad scene so Wanger did his job correctly and hired the best people for his film.I guess today the film from the journey is more valuable than the negative and rights to Trade Winds. It shows a world which no longer exists and that is priceless.

Glosie2000 I first saw this movie as a teen eons ago while my parents were busy playing cards at the home of friends, and have loved it ever since. Since my last viewing was over 20 years ago, I would love to have this on DVD to enjoy it again! I love all the characters, and lovely Joan Bennett indeed looked SMASHING as a brunette, which she kept for the rest of her long career. Very appealing was the insouciance of Fredric March's character, the smart humor of bubbly Ann Sothern's part, and the determined dorkiness of Ralph Bellamy's eager beaver character plus an interesting and engaging story.Let's get this released, people that have the say-so!