"Algiers" is one of those exotic foreign intrigue movies so popular throughout the 1930s -- the kind that introduced Marlene Dietrich to American audiences early in the decade -- and it's got atmosphere to spare. Charles Boyer plays jewel thief Pepe le Moko, hiding out in the Casbah and surrounded both by allies and those who are itching to turn him into the authorities for their own profit. He falls for a beautiful tourist, played by Hedy Lamarr, and the fantasy of a lovers' stroll through the streets of Paris with her is enough to make him wonder whether it's worth risking getting caught for a bit of old fashioned and normal romance.
Lamarr is certainly beautiful, but her part doesn't amount to much. The movie belongs to Boyer, and he's excellent, so good that his performance earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination at the 1938 Oscars. Gene Lockhart, as a sleazy toadie who double crosses Boyer, received a Best Supporting Actor nod. Two additional nominations went to the film's art direction and cinematography. In addition to its stylish look, I appreciated the film's tight screenplay, a little marvel of economic storytelling.
Grade: A-
Lamarr is certainly beautiful, but her part doesn't amount to much. The movie belongs to Boyer, and he's excellent, so good that his performance earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination at the 1938 Oscars. Gene Lockhart, as a sleazy toadie who double crosses Boyer, received a Best Supporting Actor nod. Two additional nominations went to the film's art direction and cinematography. In addition to its stylish look, I appreciated the film's tight screenplay, a little marvel of economic storytelling.
Grade: A-