Sorry, this movie sucks

Fresh and Exciting

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Professional jewel thief Clark Gable (as Gerald Meldrick) has a perfect replica of the fabulously valuable necklace called "Star of Asia" made. He goes to Bombay, India posing as a Lloyd's of London detective. Keeping his British accent under wraps, Mr. Gable plans to steal the jeweled necklace, and leave the fake in its place. He meets phony baroness and socialite Rosalind Russell (as Anya Von Duren), another thief who wants the necklace. Learning "Duchess of Beltravers" Jessie Ralph has a fondness for alcohol, Ms. Russell maneuvers herself a seat at Ms. Ralph's table and gets the old woman drunk...After Ralph passes out, Gable and Russell vie for the necklace. They become mutually attracted. All goes well when director Clarence Brown guides it around the Bombay hotel, where we follow the real and fake necklaces. Next, the co-stars escape authorities on a boat. Peter Lorre appears, briefly, as a Chinese captain with a yen for money. Uneasily, the heist story becomes a war movie. The playful first half is forgotten. They should have showed more of the delightful Jessie Ralph, looking for her necklace, and finally accepting Gable and Russell as imaginary heirs and occasional drinking buddies.***** They Met in Bombay (6/27/41) Clarence Brown ~ Clark Gable, Rosalind Russell, Jessie Ralph, Peter Lorre

"They Met in Bombay" might be viewed as a story in three acts. In the first, Clark Gable plays an insurance detective charged with protecting a valuable jewel. In India, he encounters Rosalind Russell, a jewel thief. Gable, who is really a thief himself, fools Russell into giving him the gem. But she sees through his subterfuge before he can make his getaway.In the second act, they have joined forces. The question is whether it is a personal attraction that keeps them together or just the opportunity of working together. And are both of them really in the partnership for the long run, or just waiting to make the double cross? They take a steamer to China, where the authorities close in. They escape and Gable assumes an identity as a British fusilier.In act three, Gable and Russell look for a way to escape the charade, but Gable is conscripted to address a local military problem--the Japanese have invaded Hong Kong. Gable seems to make the right decision at every turn, staying one step ahead of discovery. Exigencies force him to deal with Japanese forces in a heroic manner. By now, Russell has had plenty of opportunities to dream of a life free of crime with the man she loves. She is willing to stick with Gable no matter what his decisions, but one can see her yearning for a life without flight.I won't reveal the ending, but I think the success of the film relies upon the chemistry between the two stars. Lana Turner, who was picked for Russell's role first, might seem to be a more suitable choice as a woman to inspire Gable's desires. But Russell is very convincing as a woman who is inspired by the "true" nature hidden within the man. The story itself is interesting. The suspense is less about the theft of jewelry and more about whether the two thieves might double cross each other. Gable plays the part of a gambler who knows his way around a bluff, so his true motives are difficult to read. It's a mystery that continues until the last scene. In my opinion, each scene is more interesting than those prior.

Enjoyable film up until the Japanese arrive. Then it takes a drastic turn for the worse due to the "Japanese" armored cars and worst of all, the WWI German helmets that were repainted and worn backwards!!! Peter Loree's character Capt. Chang is charming and convincing. The sets are quite good; although the exterior shots are evidently Southern California. The lines are decent, the acting is good and the dialog is catchy despite the obvious contemporary aspects. The action scene towards the end where the British are fighting the Japanese is pretty lame to say the least. Aside from the obvious; those helmets are really distracting, the way the men were falling about was laughable and detracted from the seriousness of Gable's heroic deed. The fact that he is awarded a VC for that deed is ridiculous as I'm sure the British wouldn't have done that as he was not legitimately in the army and therefore not eligible. Despite these obvious faults and drawbacks, it's a good old fun Sunday afternoon film.

This film is rather formulaic. Clark plays an international con man thief who falls in love with a female version of himself (Ms. Russell). While this certainly doesn't break any new ground and is a very predictable by-the-numbers MGM production, you are still left with a movie that is great fun but won't change your life. I, for one, love films like this. That's because I like the formula--as did the rest of America at the time. That's because despite its short-comings the film was dripping with quality. Both actors are at the top of their game, the writing and dialog is snappy fun and the direction is on target. All-in-all, a lot of fun and sure to please fans of this genre.