Fred MacMurray and Claire Trevor bump into each other while trying to put the darbies on a couple of high-echelon drug dealers in Mexico. They both represent law enforcement, although neither knows the other is a good guy.Every once in a while the dialog in this semi-comic thriller lets slip an interesting exchange. MacMurray to Trevor as she's leaving a hotel room where they are posing as man and wife: "Don't talk to any strangers." Trevor: "I don't know any strangers." Now that's a little clever. The rest of the movie forces you into accepting the proposition that the exchange was one hundred percent accidental. The dialog has few other Easter eggs and the director, William Seiter, passes up even the easiest opportunities for an exercise of wit. To wit: Morris Ankrum is the head of Narcotics in the LAPD.Ankrum and his subordinates, including Trevor, are mulling over a novel idea -- sending Trevor as an agent to Mexico. Trevor is eager for the chance but the others are skeptical -- a dame? Why not, we know the big boss down there likes dames. Ankrum agrees but adds, "He likes cheap trashy types." "Well, SHE could pass," says a cop. Given the playful tone of the story, this is Trevor's opportunity to give the cop the briefest of dirty glances. But no. The script was set up for it but Seiter misses the chance. It's a small thing but it reflect the carelessness with which the whole production was infected.It's almost as if the writer, Devery Freeman, were working with a Hitchcock story in mind, maybe "Saboteur" or "North By Northwest." He may not have cleared the bar but then the director doesn't seem to have realized that there was any bar.As it is, the story has two stars, both on the decline, doing some things in Mexico that are dangerous and interesting, but there's nothing fresh about it. One of the more memorable performances comes from José Torvay as henchman Miguel. He's the guy that tried to bop Humphrey Bogart over the head with a rock towards the end of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Buen rendimiento, Amigo.

Customs agents are looking for information about Pete Ritchie.He is involved in smuggling drugs into the US.Police officer Madeleine Haley goes undercover in order to gain Ritchie's confidence, and before long she meets him through one of his associates.Doesn't this sort of sound like another movie made around this time??As she is talking with Ritchie, Johnny Macklin and one of his men burst in, and they provoke a violent confrontation. From then on, Haley is in constant danger as she attempts to figure out everything that is happening in the smuggling operation.OK but the widest lapels on the planet do not a good movie make.

Very odd, unusual film that mixes noir with Lucy Ricardo and "It Happened One Night".Claire Trevor plays LA Policewoman Madeleine Haley who is sent to Mexico to see what information she can get about Pete Ritchie (Raymond Burr) and his drug smuggling ring. Word has it that Ritchie has an eye for the ladies. However in a scene that smacks of Lucy Ricardo, working as a showgirl Haley tries desperately to flirt and get Ritchie's attention but he completely ignores her. It's PURE Lucy.In trying to play up to one of Ritchie's boys, Haley then gets involved with a rival hood, Johnny Mackelin (Fred MacMurray who seems to be in the midst of transitioning from the tough guy of "Double Indemnity" to "The Shaggy Dog") who steals Ritchie's drugs and lams it for the border, taking Haley with him. The film then turns into a comedy noir version of "It Happened One Night" as the two share a hotel room together (Trevor at 40 and with a history of playing saloon girls and the like unbelievable as the virginal Haley, wary of Mackelin trying to take her virtue!), traveling by plane and automobile.MacMurray is actually pretty good as he balances between noir and comedy, while Burr is excellent as the very serious heavy. As a curiosity, Roy Roberts plays Gumbin, Haley's boss. Years later he would frequently play the judge on Burr's "Perry Mason". Trevor sad to say is the weak point here. She's too old for the role and its just not the type of part ("Stagecoach", "The High and Mighty", "Key Largo") she excels at.Still, an odd little diversion that does have its little surprises (and one of the worst showgirl numbers this side of "Showgirls"!)

Want to see Perry Mason playing a bad guy, and before he got fat? Want to see old cars? Humorous aside: some of the cars are 'new' (1949, 1950) for the movie, some of the cars are purposely 'old' (1930's and 40's, the Mexican sheriff drives a Model T truck) for the movie. Of course by today's standards, they're all OLD. Otherwise, there isn't much reason to watch this movie. (Wait, one scene, at the airport, you can see 'new' airplanes that are of course old now). Has one of the worst cabaret scenes imaginable. Claire (who has apparently bribed one of the chorus girls to take her place) tries to hook up with Raymond Burr, but he's not interested so she settles for one of his henchmen. Plot is pretty thin (and partially copied from It Happened one Night) and the scene near the end of "I'm a cop, you're under arrest...No, I'm a cop and YOU'RE under arrest...No, I'M a cop, wait, we're BOTH cops?" is entirely too long and drawn out.