They Met In Bombay (1941)

They Met In Bombay - 1941

Our next film is 1941's "They Met In Bombay", starring Clark Gable and Rosalind Russell.  Gable and Russell portray jewel thieves, each unknown to the other (he pretending to be a representative of Lloyd's of London, she masquerading as an Austrian baroness).  The object of their caper, the magnificent Star of Asia, owned by the Duchess of Beltravers.  Once in their grasp, the two thieves must stick together in order to keep it.

A fantastic supporting cast including Peter Lorre, Jessie Ralph, Reginald Owen, Eduardo Ciannelli, Matthew Boulton, Jay Novello, Philip Ahn, and Roland Got bring to life a great group of characters.

Our film begins in Bombay, India (now modern day Mumbai), where guests have gathered for Empire Day celebrations.

The setting is the Hotel Viceroy, where a grand dinner/dance is scheduled to be held.  I liked the ambiance of the set, looking suitably elegant.

The object of affection here is the Star of Asia, owned by the Duchess of Beltravers, who's larger than life personality is fun to watch.  One of her many witty quotations is "I hate caviar.  It's like eating a lot of little black golf balls."  Gable and Russell both set about trying to retrieve the necklace separately.  At first, Russell is successful, but Gable outwits her.

However, she surprises him the next morning by threatening to turn him into the police.  He tells her they would make good partners.  A police chase necessitates that they make a run for it, and the get aboard a steam ship bound for Hong Kong, where the two begin to have feelings for one another.

Gable takes a concerned Russell in his arms.  "Easy now.  We're not caught yet," he says.  "No, we're not.  Are we?" she asks.  "I'm a liar," he grins.  "I'm caught, alright."  "So am I," she replies.  And from there the two have to make a run for it by commandeering a small boat.

Somehow, Gable gets recruited into the army and has to help a bunch of Chinese refugees escape an invading Japanese army.  Russell watches helplessly from a convoy hoping for a victory.

It's a wonderfully fun film, full of excellent dialogue, adventure, intrigue, and romance.

Cast rundown:

   Clark Gable.......................................Gerald Meldrick

   Rosalind Russell.................................Anya Von Duren

   Peter Lorre........................................Captain Chang

   Jessie Ralph.......................................Duchess of Beltravers

   Reginald Owen...................................General Allen

   Eduardo Ciannelli................................Giovanni Riccio

   Matthew Boulton.................................Inspector Cresney

   Jay Novello........................................Bolo

   Philip Ahn..........................................Japanese Officer

   Roland Got.........................................Young Foo Sing

And that's all for They Met In Bombay.  I'll leave it up to you to find out what happens in the end.  As always, if you want to leave a comment, please follow our posting rules.