The title character of "A Lady Without Passport" is Marianne Lorress (Hedy Lamar), a Viennese ex-patriate who has waited years to immigrate to the U.S. where her father lives. She is stuck in Cuba due to American regulations and is down on her luck. There she meets Pete Karczag (John Hodiak), an INS agent who is trying to bust a smuggling ring.An ex-pat in a way station, waiting to leave but held back by the authorities. Where have we heard that before? Yes, this is undoubtedly another of the films inspired by the success of "Casablanca" (1942). But it lacks the intensity or charm of the Bogart vehicle. The set for the hotel in this film looks like the set from "To Have and Have Not" (1944), another film about ex-pats trying to get away.But let me focus on the positive aspects of the film. First, there is John Hodiak. The character he plays is clever and street smart--traits that Hodiak pulls off quite well. Secondly, there are the Havana location shots that add an authenticity and the little bit of charm that the film possesses. Lastly, the (B&W) photography shows some originality and adds to the mood of the narrative. The music feels inappropriate at times, but first-rate at other times. Ms. Lamar falls short of being the woman who drives the story and who inspires a man to risk his life.

I always wondered what the story was on Hedy Lamarr. I'd never seen her in anything before this film, only heard about her in Mel Brooks jokes and so forth. Turns out she was also a Math genius, but if this film is anything to go on, she offered little more than a pretty face to the acting profession. The only thing that was memorable about this film was the location shooting in Havana. The highlight of the Cuban segment was the Mambo music and dancing as the lead walks into a seedy little nightclub. This 1950 film predates Mambo Mania in the US by a few years, by 1955 Cuba and the music that came with it were all the rage stateside and featured in numerous TV shows and films. Lots of 'Casablanca-esque' scenes of stranded refugees in this one, but unlike that film, you'll have already forgotten everybody's name by the time the credits roll.

In retrospect, film noir is an exciting concept. Of course in reality, there was no such thing at its peak in the 1940s and 1950s. French critics coined the term in the sixties, and it has stuck.Sadly, today people who made these generally low budget movies are making undistinguished TV movies. Many of those who would have gone into a studio's B-unit are doing so, not all.With some notable exceptions like "Double Indemnity," the main characteristic of what we now call noir is low budgets. And what director REALLY would prefer a low budget to a higher one, the name value of Ann Savage to that of Hedy Lamarr? Which brings us to this terribly disappointing movie. The great noir director Joseph H. Lewis is working here for MGM and has quite a cast. In addition to the gorgeous Ms. Lamarr, he has the handsome John Hodiak as his leading man. In addition, he has James Craig and that great villain George Macready.Who knows what went wrong? But clearly something did. The movie starts fairly promisingly but degenerates quickly. To be honest, I couldn't wait for it to end. And it looks -- looks: They're not here to ask -- as if the cast and director felt the same way.

Before they went wide screen MGM, had a brief period of taking on likely action movie directors and pouring more money into their work than they or the audience were used to. Anthony Mann benefited with BORDER INCIDENT. John Sturges got THE PEOPLE AGAINST O'HARA and Joe Lewis scored this sweaty thriller, where the character people who enlivened his Columbia work can be seen milling round behind Metro's contract leads.The director was demoted to B movies after this, rather unjustly, as it's not only probably his most ambitious outing but also a very efficient entertainment. Lewis' handling breaks through the Metro gloss occasionally - the facing profiles of the death struggle, McCready firing into the fog after Hodiak has tricked him. The immigrant smuggling story adds surprising elements like the professionalism of the bad guys. "If he is killed he will be replaced - probably by a smarter man." One of the best aspects is the film's picture of Cuba, with Hodiak squiring Hedy's double round the real city along with studio construction which runs to a functional tramway, art director interiors and back projection. The seedy, fading opulent hotel the leads share is particularly evocative. While the process work occasionally shows, the model plane crash is a considerable set piece. The glamour shots of Hedy reveal the studio input, not altogether to the film's advantage. She acts well enough and looks mature-appealing with the hints of having been around enough to accept McCready's protection. Surprisingly sympathetic treatment of aliens "A little thing like an accent, a foreign name will set you apart" relates to the Dore Schary era multi culturalism of BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK or BORDER INCIDENT again.