War-weary reporter Robert Paige shows up in Tangier, teaches Sabu how to play "Polly Wolly Doodle" on the guitar, and romances vengeance-seeking dancer Maria Montez. Actually, Miss Montez doesn't dance. Her two-act with Latin Kent Taylor is performed by Louise Allbritton in a wig, which totally fools Taylor. He's in love with Miss Montez, Miss Allbritton is in love with Taylor, and so forth. Plus there's a huge diamond which changes hands a lot, and which suspected Spanish fascist J. Edward Bromberg wants. Also, Paige -- remember Paige? -- has been ordered out of the country by local police chief Preston Foster, who always wears full dress uniform, but whose cap is too big.

There's an awful lot to unpack here, but it will probably all come out all right in the end. This was rushed into production in 1943 when Miss Montez found out she was pregnant. Tangiers is an Art Moderne place with lots of Venetian blinds, and it's likely they wanted to produce something to compete with CASABLANCA. Everyone wanted to produce something to compete with CASABLANCA, but it sat on the shelf for three years. Do you think they thought they had failed? At least Reginald Denny gets shot about five minutes into the movie and is seen no more.

I find it baffling--incredible, even--that a movie this good has only three user reviews. This movie is well worth watching on so many levels!

For one, there is Maria Montez. Why aren't some of the many fans of Miss Montez reviewing this film? She looks great here, and is dressed in her usual variety of stunning outfits. She is, by turns, sultry--sultry came very easily to Miss M.--flirtatious, proud and determined. And, as always, she is very charismatic.

Robert Paige is the male star. He gives a fine performance as a reporter who falls in love with Maria while entangled in a murder mystery. All of the supporting cast are excellent! Louise Albritton, in particular, shines as a beautiful dancer who works with Maria and Kent Taylor's character; they are all Spaniards, in the movie.

The look of the movie is outstanding. I just watched it on a restored print in blu-ray; the black and white photography is super sharp and impressive.

The plot is very good--lots of twists and turns, including some that surprised me. So, with all these good points, why so little attention to this film?

I think part of the answer must be, that it isn't a typical film noir (so it doesn't rank high with those who are big on film noir) and it also isn't a typical Maria Montez movie. To take that second point first: I think Maria's fans most like to see her in those over-the-top color spectacles, where she played a jungle queen, or something like that. Here, it's B&W, and while she's a dancer, which is appealing and sensual, it isn't a fantasy adventure of the type for which she was famous.

On the other point, that this film isn't typical film noir: it is more a suspense and adventure film, with some film noir elements in the plot and the cinematography, and with some snappy and humorous dialogue, which I liked. It doesn't have the bleak, world-weary viewpoint one so often finds in film noir. It doesn't have a gloomy tone. While Maria Montez plays a woman with a mysterious past, viewers aren't in doubt as to her motivations: we know right away that, whatever else she is, she isn't a villainess. The overall feeling of the movie is not gloomy. To me, those are all pluses; I'm not fond of the moody, brooding atmosphere so often found in film noir. To each his own.

To sum up, this movie is fun to watch, and I recommend it highly.