BajaNomad - Strange Hollywood movie about intrigue in Baja

Strange Hollywood movie about intrigue in Baja

Stickers - 6-23-2010 at 11:27 AM

I flipped on the TV at 3AM the other day and saw Robert Mitchum heading for an airstrip in Nogales Mexico to wait for a plane to take him down Baja.

Arriving at the airstrip and finding nobody there he wandered into an funky cantina and found Jane Russell singing a song about San Bernardino??

Yes, I thought I was having a strange dream but the fun continued.

An old V-tail Bonanza picks them up and flies them South to a place near Loreto (according to the map shown) called Morros Lodge.
It was a slick modern resort with people dressed to the 'nines' all wearing suits and ties and evening gowns!

The movie was filmed in 1950 and was a Howard Hughes production (of course). I don't think he ever made a memorable film but this one is one weird gem of "film noir" beautifully shot. It contains some 'one liners' so bad I had to laugh so loud it scared the cats.

Then Vincent Price walks in carrying a rifle on his back claiming to have killed that largest 12 point buck on the continent - he is also a gourmet cook!

Then Jim Backus and Raymond Burr show up and more fun ensues with some direct rip offs of Casablanca plot and a long shootout with mobsters who show up in a yacht from Naples Italy en-route to Encinada. The film morphs into a comedy during Vincent Prices shoot-out with the Mob while he quotes Shakespeare (or something)!

Yep this all happens on the Sea of Cortez.

The name of the film is "His Kind Of Woman" and it was one strange ride in the middle of the night. It was shown on TCM and I am sure available from Netflix but if you watch it try to do so at 3AM

I'm still in a daze,

Rick

[Edited on 6-24-2010 by Stickers]

Bob and Susan - 6-23-2010 at 12:02 PM

MsTerieus - 6-23-2010 at 12:28 PM

LOL ... sounds fascinating (and nostalgic)!

bajajazz - 6-23-2010 at 12:44 PM

As a fan of Ed Woods' "Plan 9 From Outer Space," I have to see this.

Funny clip, made me remember how Mitchum's eyes always looked like he was loaded.

capt. mike - 6-23-2010 at 01:02 PM

i think he was. Most of the time. he had a place in Mazatlan for a long time and was puffing a lot of mota then according to some neighbors of his we met during spring break 1974.
He got busted in hollyweird for pot and did some time. was blacklisted for a while following.
i can't wait to see it. i think Mitch was a great actor. Cape Fear one of his best.

STRANGE Baja Movie Nomination

MrBillM - 6-23-2010 at 02:23 PM

Would Be:

Baja.

1995 Molly Ringwald, Lance Henriksen and others.

Filmed ON LOCATION (at the Salton Sea).

I first saw "His Kind of Woman" back in the mid-50s and a number of times since. It's in my DVD collection. Vincent Price was the best feature of the movie other than Jane Russell's PAIR.

Howard Hughes may not have made any real classics other than (maybe) Hell's Angels (not to be confused with The Wild Angels starring Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern), but he did get to shag Jane Russell in her prime.

Stickers - 6-23-2010 at 03:23 PM

You are right Bill, Vincent Price "the hunter" is funny and when the Mexican police force jump in the boat and it sinks I couldn't believe it.

One other scene I liked is when Mitchum and Russell are standing on the beach looking out over the Sea of Cortez and she says "I want to go out there to Samoa and Tahiti".

:lol:

DavidE - 6-23-2010 at 04:50 PM

For an encore try "The Big Steal".

Marc - 6-23-2010 at 05:06 PM

I also have the movie. I love that kind of stuff. I remember in 1950 (I was 9 yrs. old) my mom would wear formal clothes with a hat and white gloves and my dad always wore a tie anytime outside in Mexico City. Even the bad guys wore ties in those days. :yes:

tell us more David E

capt. mike - 6-24-2010 at 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
For an encore try "The Big Steal".

???? what's it about and who's in it?

i did find that Netflix has the Mitchum movie but Block buster does not.
i am a mail + store exchange member of Blockbuster, not net flix currently.
TCM does not show when it might repeat.

Marc - 6-24-2010 at 06:54 AM

Tim Holt was also in "His Kind of Woman". One of my favorites as a kid. I remember him in "Treasure of Sierra Madre." :cool:

capt. mike - 6-24-2010 at 03:14 PM

The Big Steal is on DVD at Blockbuster and the rental disc is paired with another movie same period called Illegal.
so i have it coming now.
thx DE i think these will be great to watch.

David K - 6-24-2010 at 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike

Quote:

Originally posted by DavidE
For an encore try "The Big Steal".

I have them both coming in from Netflix... cool!

capt. mike - 7-4-2010 at 07:01 AM

just watched "The Big Steal" that David E recommended - it came as a 2 pack from Blockbuster along with a great Edward G Robinson movie called "Illegal" - what a classic!
so - the Mitchum movie is spectacular too. and features outstanding shots and scenes of Puerto Vallarta and surrounding country.
the street scenes are so interesting with how people are dressed. a couple of very cool resorts shown too.
i would have really liked to have been in mexico back then walking around in a white panama suit and fedora driving a 48 ford coupe convertible down dusty roads dodging goats.

how about roadside cantinas selling bottled beer and with selling gas out of barrels - the beer was 50 centavos. didn't get the numbers on the gas!

Video (Audio)

MrBillM - 7-4-2010 at 09:15 AM

The Audio (level) on the "His Kind of Woman" DVD that I received from Netflix was VERY Low and required cranking up the TV almost to the Max. I've wondered if it was representative of the lot or the individual Disk.

Share your experience when possible.

capt. mike - 7-4-2010 at 10:48 AM

Bill - mine came from Blockbuster and the mix was mono but clear and obviously re mastered, i.e. no tape noise.
i selected a stereo synthesis to dolby pro-logic surround, the old one not dig 5.1 which will convert mono and it gave me some center channel via streering logic.
they don't have the other one and i am not a netflix guy currently.
i found it for sale on amazon but high at $50.

finally got it on netflix, had to renew

capt. mike - 10-22-2010 at 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MrBillM
The Audio (level) on the "His Kind of Woman" DVD that I received from Netflix was VERY Low and required cranking up the TV almost to the Max. I've wondered if it was representative of the lot or the individual Disk.

Share your experience when possible.

and watched it last night. Yes Bill mine was very low output but i have plenty of gain on my processor so no problem.

well the movie was hilarious, kind of a mad cap with the humour mixed with supposedly serious drama plot.

the flying was ridiculous:
1. the 1949 NEW THEN V tail bonnana takes off at like bar closing time? for an all night flight to loreto area where the contract pilot tells his pax that they'll arrive at sunrise?? well that flight takes only about 3 hours from nogales in a vintage V tail with the 225 hp or 185 hp continentals used back then.

2. the fed agent arrives, again at night under cover as a drunk.
he lands barely making it as they light the strip with cars - shades of a few Serenidad arrivals i have seen....including by friends who will not be named here... but the funniest was the plane was an Ercoupe - a little 2 seater with NO RANGE to speak of that was designed to be spin proof by tieing the rudder to the ailerons.

Vincent stole the show as did most scenes of miss Russel's attractions...ahem..
and what about those swim suits??

great stuff all about. i'd like to know what set they actually used for the film and where it is, i'd like to go there.

jodiego - 10-22-2010 at 07:40 AM

God I love those old movies, no matter how goofy they seem in today's techno world.

David K - 10-22-2010 at 07:42 AM

Yes, we watched it a week or so ago... agree with all the above... Vincent Price was classic!

Based on the map they showed of the plane's flight, I think the location of Morro's Lodge is on Skeet's old property :lol:

Skeet/Loreto - 10-22-2010 at 09:30 AM

david K.

Very close to but no! It was where the Airstrip is and the Old Cat House owned by Senor Yee.

Vince - 10-22-2010 at 03:58 PM

Jane Russel is still very active. She showed up at the Coronado Arts Ball a few months ago. Those that sat with her said she is still very sharp.