Beautiful locations, a most fantastic cast, and some great moments do not make a good movie. This convoluted melodrama tries to be clever, often succeeds in being amusing, but it only comes off with a big huh? It's all about ray Milland aiding Maureen O'Hara in arranging for crooked Rains to help her find her husband, while Milland is pursued by a much younger woman (Yvonne Furneaux) while escorting O'Hara around Lisbon. This shows off the Portuguese locations gorgeously, but a trip to a museum or a travelogue video is quite different than trying to become involved in a political thriller.The gorgeous Maureen O'Hara seems to have had her voice altered in the editing booth to sound higher pitched, and it comes off as most distracting. Ray Milland seems pike a middle aged man desperate to hang onto his lighthearted appeal and comes off foolish looking. Claude Rains manages to hang onto his dignity, looking dashing with white hair and getting some of the best lines in the film. The opening scene with Rains, some birds and a hungry cat had me dropping my jaw. Francis Lederer comes off as a taller and thinner version of the middle aged Peter Lorre, but lacking in the humor. Milland directs as well (billed as R. Milland), and I have to wonder if he had to put up the money to have it produced with him as the star as well. Another late in their existence Republic film, it's an interesting example of a company trying to stay afloat yet failing, much like RKO was doing at the very same time. O'Hara is still gorgeous, formidable and mesmerizing, but Milland comes off as a bit misogynistic and unworthy of all the female attention he gets here. The story really just isn't all that interesting, and the script just seems to get more pretentious as it goes on. But since this is the closest I'll get to Lisbon in my lifetime, I'll take the opportunity to see it as it was long before I was born, with a bit of encyclopedia Britannica history thrown in.

Great actors, great scenery, great filming - but oh, so dreary - this is one for the insomniacs amongst us. I never did get to see the end of the movie, about half way had me in the land of nod without any desire to find out what happened, that is if indeed, anything at all happened.Claude Rains looked glassy eyed and appeared that he was wishing he was elsewhere. The whole thing would have been better off as a travelogue with the actors posing for the different scenes.This movie is slow ........ Torturously slow! Those having a yen to watch paint dry will find that this fits well with their desire.1/10 - and that's for the scenery.

I consider Ray Milland was a much more influential director and actor than the afficiandos estimate. A good sound actor who could carry the lead particularly well and as this film and "A Man Alone" indicate he had the ability to create watchable,logical movies that had good camera work and never over egged the pudding.The Camera work in Lisbon is particularly good as are the sets which convey the aura of the time. The story line is clever without being to complex and an air of authenticity pervades the production which was done in an age where the backlot was normally everything.Splendid acting from Claude Rains as usual with Milland and the rest matching it perfectly. A good rainy day movie even now and worth my score of 8.

Probably one of Republic's last good films, LISBON is a feast for the eyes and a good thriller to boot. Produced in Portugal, I assume on a Republic budget subsidised by the Portugese government or tourist office, Ray Milland produces, directs and acts in a lush and lavish romantic drama. The music theme Lisbon Antigua was a massive radio and disc hit in its day and it would be inetersting to know who much in boxoffice it contributed. The indoor studio scenes are very snazzy and well decorated, but some outdoor seabound back projection is wobbly. Still, the location shoot is used to excellent effect and I would say was very much influenced by To Catch A Thief, as is the whole reason for the film existing. Republic didn't make anything much of note around this (maybe only COME NEXT SPRING)and it is probably as modern and A grade as they were able to create by 1956. They folded in 1959, their market overtaken by Allied Artists, AIP and TV. It would be so beautiful to see on a cinema screen as it is in republic's NATURAMA process, their very own brand of CINEMASCOPE. Well worth finding and enjoying.