Gilda

Gilda
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Charles Vidor
Produced by	Virginia Van Upp
Written by	Screenplay: Jo Eisinger Marion Parsonnet Story: E.A. Ellington
Starring	Rita Hayworth Glenn Ford George Macready
Music by	Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography	Rudolph Maté
Editing by	Charles Nelson
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	February 14, 1946
Running time	110 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Gilda (1946) is a black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. It stars Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale. The film was noted for cinematographer Rudolph Mate's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis' sexy wardrobe for Hayworth (particularly for the dance numbers), and choreographer Jack Cole's staging of "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Amado Mio", sung by Anita Ellis.^[1]

Plot

Rita Hayworth in the film trailer

The film's plot is continually narrated by Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), a small-time gambler newly arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he wins a lot of money cheating at craps, he has to be rescued from a robbery attempt by a complete stranger, Ballin Mundson (George Macready). Mundson tells him about an illegal high-class casino, but warns him not to practice his skills there. Farrell ignores his advice, cheats at blackjack, and is taken by two men to see the casino's owner, who turns out to be Mundson. Farrell talks Mundson into hiring him and quickly gains his confidence. However, the unimpressed washroom attendant, Uncle Pio (Steven Geray), keeps calling him "peasant".

One day, Mundson returns from a trip with a beautiful new wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth). Unaware that she was once Farrell’s lover, Mundson assigns Farrell to keep an eye on her. Farrell keeps track of her, his loathing for her intensifying as she cavorts with men at all hours.

Meanwhile, Mundson is visited by two German businessmen. Their secret organization had financed a tungsten cartel, with everything put in Mundson's name to hide their connection to it. However, when they decide it is safe to take over, Mundson refuses to transfer ownership to his backers. The Argentine secret police are interested in the Germans; government agent Obregon (Joseph Calleia) introduces himself to Farrell to try to obtain information, but the American knows nothing about that aspect of Mundsen's operations. When the Germans return later, Mundson shoots and kills one of them.

That same night, at Mundson's house, Farrell and Gilda describe how much they hate each other, then end up kissing. Mundson arrives at that moment, then flees to a waiting airplane. Farrell and Obregon witness its short flight; the plane explodes shortly after takeoff and plummets into the ocean.

With Mundson dead, Gilda inherits his estate. Farrell marries her, but not out of love. He stays away, but has her guarded day and night out of contempt for her and loyalty to Mundson. Gilda tries to escape the tortured love-hate relationship, but fails. Finally, Obregon tells Farrell that Gilda was never truly unfaithful to Mundson or to him, prompting Farrell to try to reconcile with her.

At that moment, Mundson reappears, armed with a gun. He had faked his death to deceive the Nazis, parachuting out of the plane undetected. Mundson tells them he will have to kill them both, but Uncle Pio manages to fatally stab him in the back. Obregon shows up and confiscates the estate for the government. Farrell and Gilda are free to leave the country.

Cast

Rita Hayworth as Gilda in the trailer for the film

• Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell
• Glenn Ford as Johnny Farrell / Narrator
• George Macready as Ballin Mundson
• Joseph Calleia as Det. Maurice Obregon
• Steven Geray as Uncle Pio
• Joe Sawyer as Casey
• Gerald Mohr as Capt. Delgado
• Mark Roberts as Gabe Evans
• Ludwig Donath as German
• Don Douglas as Thomas Langford
• Lionel Royce as German
• Saul Martell as Little man
• George J. Lewis as Huerta
• Rosa Rey as Maria
• Anita Ellis, the singing voice of Rita Hayworth

Production

Gilda was filmed between September and December, 1945.

Hayworth's introductory scene was shot twice. While the action of her popping her head into the frame and the subsequent dialogue remains the same, she is dressed in different costumes—in a striped blouse and dark skirt in one film print, and the more famous off-the-shoulder dressing gown in the other.

See also

• List of American films of 1946

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gilda

• Gilda at the Internet Movie Database
• Gilda at Allmovie
• Gilda at the TCM Movie Database
• Gilda at Rotten Tomatoes
• Gilda at Filmsite.org
• Gilda at Sisters Noir
• Gilda film clip at You Tube
• Gilda trailer at TCM Media Room