Lisbon (1954)(dvd)

Synopsis: Republic sent star/producer/director Ray Milland to Portugal to unlock frozen funds and shoot this slack but enjoyable melodrama that made early use of the studio's own variant of CinemaScope, a process called Naturama. Milland chose feisty Maureen O'Hara and suave Claude Rains as his co-stars, with Francis Lederer, Percy Marmont and Yvonne Furneaux providing further very capable support.

It's a pity the story — a scheming O'Hara uses Milland through Rains to “rescue” her elderly husband from behind the Iron Curtain — isn't stronger. Nelson Riddle's adaptation of a Portuguese number for the title music is catchy, though.

Cast: Ray Milland, Maureen O'Hara
Runtime: 86 min
Quality: widescreen, high quality