Not to be confused with the 1984 film with the same title, which deals with a forbidden interethnic love in Nazi Berlin. This one also emphasizes a forbidden love, but between small time hood Eddie(Tony Curtis)and a gangster's moll: Christine(Joanne Dru). As someone mentioned, Joanne reminds me, in looks and personality, of Grace Kelly, although Joanne mostly played cowboy's sweethearts, livening up a few westerns. As several others have noted, there are some commonalities between this film and certain other well known films, including "Gilda", "Casablanca" and "To Have, and Have Not". But, it doesn't closely resemble the particulars of any of these films, only their general form.One commonality with "Casablanca" is the inclusion of a song that has special meaning to both the man and woman, played on a piano. In this film, it's the beautiful "You Belong to Me", which had been a top hit on the pop charts the previous year. It's played during the opening credits, and occasionally , in bits, thereafter. Mamie Van Doren is pictured singing it in a nightclub, though dubbed. One difference with "Casablanca" is that the pianist, Allan(Victor Sen Yung), also unknowingly is an undercover agent, spying on the illegal activities of the club owner, Justin, and giving Tony and Joanne occasional good advice and documents.The climax ending has gangster Justin blown up, along with the rest of the ship, just shortly after Tony and Joanne departed this ship , as potential stowaways. This explosion is blamed on electrostatically charged grain dust, which accompanied the many sacks of grain in the hold, and is set off by the discharge of a gun in the hold, meant to signal for help. Although atmospheres high in certain combustible dusts have occasionally exploded in land-based facilities, I was unable to locate any references to such explosions in ships, with the possible exception of coal dust in the USS Maine. On the other hand, there have been a few dramatic instances of devastating ship explosions due to the denotation of chemicals with known explosive properties. The devastating explosion of a ship at the dock of Texas City, due to a fire igniting bags of explosive ammonium nitrate, is a prime example. But, even then, I much doubt that a single bullet could cause such an explosion. In the case of Texas City, the explosion also caused a substantial tidal wave, that should have inundated the wharf, where Tony and Joanne were hiding.The plot is complex enough to hold one's interest. Tony and Joanne have 2 distinct gangster organizations to deal with, one(Justin) in Macao, and the other(Burney Pendleton) in Philadelphia, from where both originated just before their trip to the Far East. Since Joanne had just married Justin, (presumably at gun point), the screenplay fails to follow up on her inheritance of his assets and criminal activities. However, she does submit to the law papers she wrote up about how Pendleton tried to kill her, as well as her then husband.I will leave further details for you to find out by seeing the movie. See it on YouTube.

In 1946, one of the most stylish films of the age came out, "Gilda". It was a story about a rich but rich and ruthless man with a gorgeous girlfriend and the sexual tension generated between her and the tough guy's new, younger partner. And, in "Gilda" you wondered why the rich ruthless guy would bring the pair together. Well, here in "Forbidden" you have the same basic plot with a few differences...only a few. You have the rich, ruthless guy (here it's Lyle Bettger...who even looks and talks a bit like George Macready) once again gets his gorgeous girlfriend (Juanne Dru) together with a young guy (Tony Curtis) and you wonder why...why would he do this when he knows that the pair used to be a number?! In the case of "Forbidden" there is another agenda. Eddie (Curtis) is working for the government and he's trying to get Christine (Dru) to come back to the States because she knows enough about Keit (Bettger) to put him in prison. And, all the while Keit keeps the pair together...like a cat toying with a couple mice!It's all quite good and Dru was never prettier. The music is lovely and the film quite good. I just didn't score it higher because it was just a bit too similar to "Gilda".

"Forbidden" (1953) is full of suspenseful twists and turns. Tony Curtis is a small-time hood sent by the mob to Macau to neutralize Joanne, who has incriminating information. Joanne Dru, more familiar in westerns than in film-noir, reminds me of Grace Kelly, perhaps better looking and a better actress as well.The plot gets really moving after Tony, a mobster, saves businessman Lyle Bettger from some powerful enemies - but then what? There are romantic complications and betrayals. If you prefer yesterday's intriguing plots and snappy dialog to today's overdone special effects, this one is for you.

A gangster (Alan Dexter) sends Eddie (Tony Curtis) to bring back another gangster's widow (Joanne Dru) as she knows too much information about Dexter's activities. Curtis traces her to Macao but he is also being followed by someone else (Marvin Miller), on the instructions of Dexter, to ensure that he sticks to the plan and doesn't double-cross Dexter. Curtis and Dru were once in love and the thinking is that Curtis can lure her back to the US. On his way to the Lisbon Club, Curtis saves the life of the owner (Lyle Bettger) who then invites him back to his house and gives him a job at his club.....guess who his fiancée is?.....Bettger puts Curtis and Dru in awkward situations to see if they still love each other, and eventually, the chemistry between Curtis and Dru is re-ignited. From then on, the film becomes a question of how they will get together and escape Bettger and Miller. There are betrayals and misunderstandings before Curtis and Dru make a run for it.......The pianist at the club (Victor Sen Yung) seems to have been put into a role to provide painfully wooden Chinese wisdom (coz thats what Chinese people do!). Apart from him, the acting is good and the film is enjoyable.