Port Afrique (1956) User Reviews

Cosmopolitan cast, several of whom are wasted

[Marlburian · 6/10 · 3 October 2018]

The cosmopolitan cast caught my eye and while some of them went on to bigger things several were wasted. Despite third billing, Dennis Price didn't have too much to do, and Anthony Newley in his two appearances was annoying. It was good to Eugene Deckers in a bigger role than usual and James Hayter playing against type as a sleazy club owner.

It took a while for the plot to get going, not helped by the singing and dancing in the club early on. But the film did turn into a reasonable who-done-it, set in exotic locations.

Philip Carey's bad limp miraculously disappeared halfway through the film, and I could not help laughing when he asked Newley if he could fix the plane that had just been damaged in a crash landing.

Tame but exotic looking melodrama

[shakercoola · 5/10 · 20 January 2019]

A British murder mystery; A story set in North Africa in July 1945. A returning American pilot who lost his leg during the war tries to prove his wife was murdered, but begins to fall for a singer he suspects of being involved. This is a rather hollow drama. Pier Angeli has good presence as the nightclub singer, but over-showcasing her singing talent at the beginning gets the film off to an awkward start. The film has a plodding feel, not helped by a less than inspiring performance from the lead, Philip Carey. Nevertheless, with accomplished cinematographer turned director Rudolph Mate at the helm, the film has an exotic look.

PORT AFRIQUE (Rudolph Mate', 1956) **1/2

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 2 August 2015]

This British mystery thriller (not a Foreign Legion adventure, as I had anticipated!) owes an obvious debt to CASABLANCA (1942), but the end result – despite having the usually reliable Mate' at the helm – is unquestionably a disappointment. It was wrong to start off with a title song, followed by female star Pier Angeli performing another tune at the inevitable café, so that the expected noir-ish mood seemed almost like an afterthought! That said, the colour scheme throughout (courtesy of cinematographer Wilkie Cooper, not forgetting that Mate' had himself cut his teeth in that department) was occasionally striking. While the plot is no great shakes either, it is peopled by offbeat characters that keeps one somewhat interested: crippled WWII veteran Philip Carey returns home to his wife – who is said to abhor imperfection! – only to find her dead from an apparent suicide. Soon, however, it transpires that this in fact was a case of murder – not to mention that the victim had not quite been the dutiful spouse.

Typically, a number of suspects are on hand: Angeli herself (who had somehow become the woman's permanent guest), shady café owner James Hayter (Angeli's "keeper", who apparently came into money overnight, having previously served as the local beachcomber!), a rather wasted Dennis Price as Carey's business partner, and even painter Christopher Lee (who admits in his one scene to having had a dalliance with the deceased). To be fair, though, the identity of the killer was a surprise here – not that the investigation had elicited much in the way of suspense or action! Besides, the requisite romance between the protagonists barely gets going during the trim 87-minute duration (though the TV-sourced print I watched seemed obliged to pause for commercials after every reel!)…but they get the obligatory fade-out clinch regardless! Also among the cast are Eugene Deckers as the military official in charge who knows far more than he lets on and Anthony Newley (still not having fully attained his adult look) as an animated Portuguese airline pilot who becomes chummy with Carey.

As often happens to me when watching routine fare, something in the narrative sets me off wandering on the actors' careers or private lives; here it was the fact that Lee had already played a dubious painter in his first notable film role, PENNY AND THE POWNALL CASE (1948); Angeli would herself commit suicide in 1971; and, irony of ironies, up-and-coming star Price would have his career destroyed by alcoholism and homosexuality but, in this film, his character not only berates his wife for drinking but was on the point of eloping with Carey's philandering spouse!!

Watchable, but dull.

[bombersflyup · 3/10 · 1 October 2019]

Port Afrique has a sound plot and the angelic presence of Angeli, little else.

It's a bit of a chore to get through when Angeli isn't on the screen, with the bland lead of Carey and his character's swellheaded, hating attitude. Similar to that of a Charlton Heston performance, that doesn't evoke and you're unable to connect with. Rachel Gurney sounds like Grace Kelly I swear.

Murder Mystery in Morocco

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 23 August 2014]

PORT AFRIQUE – 1956

A nice looking, but rather hollow murder mystery set in French Morocco. This Technicolor film was another attempt to showcase European import Pier Angeli for North American audiences.

The story revolves around American pilot, Phil Carey. Carey was rather badly wounded during the war and is just returning to Port Afrique. Carey, and his partner, Dennis Price, had run a lumber company based in Morocco before the war. Carey had gone off to do his duty, leaving Price in charge of the business, as well as keeping an eye on Carey's wife, Marie Hanson.

Carey has returned from a rather long spell in a military hospital recovering from wounds received in the war. He is met at the dock by old friend, Eugene Deckers, who is also the local Police Commander. Deckers, tries to let Carey know that perhaps his wife might not like to see him. She has been stepping out with various male "friends".

Carey does not believe it and heads home for what he hopes is a grand reunion. What he finds is his wife, Hanson, dead from what looks like a self-inflicted gunshot. The Police are summoned and the local coroner calls it a suicide.

Of course Carey does not buy the suicide angle and goes digging. A whole gaggle of possible suspects are now thrown at the audience. Was it Carey's partner, Price, a painter Hanson was seeing, Christopher Lee, the local nightclub owner and smuggler James Hayter, or maybe the club singer, Pier Angeli? Carey knows he is on the right track when there are several attempts made on his life. Needless to say he falls for the drop dead gorgeous Angeli. The real culprit is soon flushed out and handed over to the authorities.

There was some real potential to make a top flight mystery thriller here, but the writer dropped the ball. This is too bad, as the look of the film is first rate with former cinematographer Rudolph Mate at the directing controls.

Mate, was nominated five times for an Oscar as a cinematographer. These include the films, GILDA, SAHARA, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI and FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT. He then moved over to directing and scored with an excellent set of film noir. These include D.O.A. THE DARK PAST and UNION STATION.

Miss Angeli never really became a big star, but she did manage a few roles opposite Paul Newman. She also had a fling with up and comer, James Dean. She died of a drug overdose at age 39.

Husband finds new love, and a new leg, after tragic death of wife.

[johnshephard-83682 · 4/10 · 19 February 2020]

Nicely shot, but tedious turkey of a film with obvious risible attempts to echo Casablanca: the north African setting, the cynical hero (who I spent most of it thinking was called Rick, but it turned out to be Rip), with an ambivalent relationship with the chief of police, dodgy villains in the Kasbah, beautiful love interest Pier Angeli, and night club scenes etc. Rip returns from war with an artificial leg, giving him a limp which improves as time goes by, to find a dead wife, and a range of suspects who might have killed her. There are a number of pointless characters, several unexplained attempts to kill Rip, or rough him up, an intergalactically daft script, and a plot so ponderous that you could leave the room for twenty minutes, more than once, and not miss anything. Some well known faces come in and out of the plot without adding any interest, so let's not list them here: it's all about Rip, a leading man so deeply dull that you hope that somebody will succeed in shooting him. The story covers about two days, after which Rip, having mourned for his late wife for about half an hour, can take off with his new love, and his restored leg. Absolute drivel. Rest in Peace Rip.

Casablanca on the cheap

[TondaCoolwal · 6/10 · 6 October 2018]

I was rather pleasantly surprised by this film. For a start, I didn't expect it to be in colour and I was more than pleased to see fifties stock Frenchman Eugene Deckers getting a well-deserved main role as the Police Commandant Moussac a friend of disabled flyer Rip Reardon. Rip returns to Port Afrique after the war to find things have changed. He is told his wife is less than faithful, and shady club owner Nino (James Hayter) makes him an immediate offer for his plantation which he has left in the care of his partner Dennis Price. Pier Angeli (never took to her) plays the glam/love interest as the club singer who happens to live with Reardon's wife. Upon reaching home Reardon finds his wife dead, apparently a suicide. The Commandant publicly supports this view but, like Rip, he knows it's murder. Reardon engages in some suspect and illegal actions to get at the truth, including burgling Police HQ! We quickly realise his partner's up to no good and Rip's efforts result in a couple of attempts on his life. Ridiculously, during one fight with two arabs, his apparently crippled leg causes him no bother at all! After enough red herrings to feed the 5000, we think the culprit is obvious when Rip's partner makes a run for it. Rip gives chase in a light plane which conveniently crash lands near where Price and his missus are camping but, I must admit, the reveal came as a bit of a surprise, amply repaying the time spent in watching the movie. Not great, but a nice afternoon/early evening watch. Oh, and look out for a brief appearance by Christopher Lee as an artist (if you can take your eyes off his life-model!)

Tame

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 26 November 2018]

When a thriller has two songs in the opening quarter of an hour you know you are going to have a problem.Add to this a very bland leading man and you have a recipe for boredom.Additionally the climax is a real letdown.So the only real plus is the excellent colour cinematography.James Haynes features for once as a villain.

Not very interesting

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 19 February 2019]

PORT AFRIQUE is a shady mystery, set in Morocco but shot in studios back in Shepperton. The writing is fairly weak and the story just kind of plods along without ever really engaging the senses. It doesn't help that imported American star Philip Carey can do nothing with his protagonist role and as such leaves a black hole in the centre of the production. He's in town looking for whoever murdered his wife - who died in an apparent suicide - and before long uncovers the usual conspiracy and gangster types up to no good. The film benefits from the beauty and singing voice of Pier Angeli, even if she has very little to do with the plot, alongside fun turns from James Hayter and Dennis Price. There's even a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from Christopher Lee, but overall it's not very interesting.

What a beautiful singing voice Pier Angeli had! Her acting is this movie is terrific also!

[sandibiaso · 10/10 · 15 March 2006]

I loved this movie very much. I bought it just to hear Pier Angeli sing. I give her 10 stars just for her voice alone. She captures your attention from the moment she enters the picture till the very end. I do remember that the film has Pier Angeli portraying a singer who is wrongly convicted of murder. I loved her conviction in the scene where she pleads with one gentlemen who is an authoritative figure in the film that she didn't kill the woman. I believed her.

This movie should be sold in large quantities on Amazon.com and other websites that sell old movies. It is a shame that I had to buy it off someone on Ebay.

This is definitely one of Pier Angeli's best roles. It is my favorite without a doubt.

When in doubt, start punching folks!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 17 April 2024]

Rip Reardon (Philip Carey) is a guy who has a strange disorder...disappearing and reappearing leg syndrome! I say this because throughout the story, the one-legged man limps in some scenes and not in others!

Regardless, Rip's back from the war and when he returns home to see his wife, she is freshly dead. The police say it was suicide but Rip knows it must have been murder. So, for the rest of the film, Rip runs about punching people until he learns the truth!

The bottom line is that this murder mystery isn't very mysterious and the acting is generally poor. It is, at best, a time-passer and is a bland film which is easy to skip as well.

Familiar whodunnit in North African setting. Lovely colour photography, little else.

[BOUF · 4/10 · 1 August 2012]

POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD. This Technicolour mystery-thriller opens with a short sequence in a night club, scant of people and atmosphere. An awkward Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli), seems to be the main attraction. Swathed in unflattering dark green satin, she attempts a stiff sort of undulation as she moves and sings a tepid song in Spanish and English. Her expression is strained, uncertain, and that little girl innocence that so charmed audiences in 'Teresa', seems to have been replaced by caginess. Perhaps, the audience thinks, this is part of the story which will unfold, or perhaps it's the unlikely casting of Pier as a 'sultry nightclub entertainer'; it's an ungainly start. However, when she's not required to be sultry, she's capable and likable and well photographed by Wilkie Collins. I never believed her character might be murderer, because when she isn't performing at the night-club, she wears the better tailored soft blues and demure white collars of a nice girl. It's a pleasant change to see James Hayter playing a sleazy crook, although he's not threateningly villainous. No-one else is worth mentioning, not even Dennis Price, (who is better suited to monochrome); they're all victims of Xerox storytelling. The plot has a whiff of Casablanca, among others, but the most agreeable aspect of the film is the colour. The print I saw was lovely and subtle, particularly in the interiors. I suspect the director, a former cameraman of great ability, concentrated on the look, because the script offers little.

Appalling

[peterwburrows-70774 · 3/10 · 25 October 2018]

This film I am afraid has not stood the test of time. I would like to say I can remember the plot but I would be lying. I am sure the actors were great but I cannot remember.

Cherchez la femme!

[clanciai · 8/10 · 21 April 2024]

Philip Carey comes home from the war with a damaged leg and finds his wife dead with a fired gun in her hand. The police reports it as suicide but is very well aware that it is murder, but in order to bring out the murderer, who must make some mistake, he makes it official that it was suicide. Many are involved in the plot - Dennis Price, Christopher Lee, James Hayter and Pier Angeli as the star, singing at a night club. With some threads of the intrigue in her hand, but she says nothing. This muddled up murder mess ends up in a chase for a couple trying to get away, and here is perhaps the most interesting acting performance - Anthony Newley, still quite young, as the artful pilot chasing the fugitives by air and managing a miraculous landing in the Atlas mountains. Philip Carey has a hard time being driven out of his wits by this murder with several attempts on his life as well, but no one can guess the real story behind this intricate jealousy intrigue, while everyone lands safely after all.