Affair in Trinidad

This 1952 Columbia picture was Rita Hayworth's return to film after four years away. Made in the wake of her marriage to Aly Khan ending, it was sold openly by the studio as a comeback and paired her again with Glenn Ford, her co-star in her biggest hit. Chris, a nightclub singer in Trinidad, does not believe her husband's death was suicide and asks her brother-in-law to help her find the killer; their search opens onto both a local criminal network and their own growing closeness. Vincent Sherman moves the film between noir shadow and dance numbers. It is often said to live in Gilda's shadow, though it took more at the box office. Who it's for: viewers who love classic Hollywood star vehicles and noir-tinted fifties thrillers. Who it's not for: anyone wanting character depth or a tightly built mystery; the weight is on the star.