Review of His Kind of Woman

Executively produced by Howard Hughes and directed by John Farrow, His Kind of Woman seems to have it all. It has a great cast under more than competent direction with a good, interesting, and inventive script. The film tells about gangster Raymond Burr, deported from the country, planning on using drifter Robert Mitchum's identity. Mitchum is flown down to a resort for the wealthy in Mexico awaiting further instructions after having been given $5,000 as a down payment on $50,000. Mitchum goes but is very curious as to what he has to do for so much dough. On his way he meets with sultry Jane Russell(Hughes's squeeze - and a LOT at that to squeeze!) who is trying to endear herself to hammy actor Vincent Price. The film really does a good job with the characterizations of all the major and minor characters. Mitchum is rock solid in his role. Russell is just beautiful and believable in her role. Tim Holt, Jim Backus, and the rest of the cast do very well. Burr plays one mean gangster. But it is Price who steals the film(for me). The first 3/4's go quite smoothly with Mitchum wondering what is going on with waiting for instructions and getting close to Russell. Price gives the film an energy boost though when he starts to play the real HAM actor in the final fourth of the film. No actor I know can be as hammy and that good as Vincent Price can. He aids Mitchum with an aplomb of such audacity and rhetoric(quoting the Bard on several occasions) of such depth and exaggeration as to make his role almost camp. But his hammy performance works well with the tension of Mitchum's plight with Burr. Director Farrow does a very nice job pacing the action in the film and adding humour here and there. Russell almost disappears from the end - but what's a girl to do wearing a dress she is barely able to walk in when action is needed. His Kind of Woman is one of those classic Noir type films with a great cast that should have your complete attention. Afterall when all is said and done: Robert Mitchum playing the leading man, Jane Russell wearing low-cut gowns, good vs. evil conflict, Howard Hughes production, character actor Jim Backus, and Vincent Price hamming it up as only he can - PRICELESS!