Dudley Pictures was looking for films to take advantage of a five-picture deal struck to make features on location in Cuba. Affair in Havana was the first of these. Having access to this tropical locale allowed for some truly beautiful set pieces. Unfortunately, they are in service of a story that is threadbare at best and goes along at a snail’s pace, never getting even remotely interesting along the way. This began as an original screenplay by British writer Janet Green and underwent many changes over the course of its production, though at no point was anything done to truly capitalize on the allure of Cuba.
What story we have involves a young woman, Lorna (Sara Shane), who is unhappily married to the wheelchair-bound Mallabee (Raymond Burr). She wants a divorce, but Mallabee assures her that she will get nothing of his vast fortune should she leave him. Into that mix is Nick (John Cassavetes), a piano player whom Lorna has been having an affair with. Mallabee has discovered this and lays a trap for the two, assuming she will try to kill him to inherit his money.
Nothing about this script makes any real use of the setting aside from a few establishing shots. This is no travelogue-type film that will make you want to visit Cuba in any way. In fact, aside from a few brief moments, most of this film could have been filmed anywhere, including on soundstages in Southern California, and it would have felt the same. Add to that the dull story that fails to capitalize on some truly talented actors, and you have a film that overall disappoints. This is not one worth seeking out for any reason and is best forgotten to the annals of time. 1957 - 77 minutes
Comments
Post a Comment