Macao

Macao.
1952 RKO Radio Pictures & Turner Entertainment.
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, William Bendix, Thomas Gomez, Gloria Grahame, Brad Dexter
Director: Josef von Sternberg
Available from Amazon as a single DVD, or as part of the Robert Mitchum Signature Collection box set.

Three strangers from America arrive at the port of Macao (or, if you prefer, Macau) on the same boat: former serviceman Nick Cochran (Mitchum), singer Julie Benson (Russell), and traveling salesman Lawrence Cicero Trumble (Bendix). Cochran meets Benson after she's being propositioned by a man who won't take no for an answer, and she throws a shoe out of a window to get Nick's attention (she also secretly steals his wallet and passport after the would-be lothario is taken care of).

A corrupt police lieutenant, Sebastian (Gomez) tips off the casino owner and mob boss Vincent Halloran (Dexter) about Macao's newest arrivals, and Halloran already knows about an undercover New York City police officer planning to lure him out into international waters where he can be arrested. Halloran concludes that Cochran is the undercover cop, and tries to bribe him into leaving Macao, but Nick would prefer to stay and get to know Julie better. Halloran simply hires Julie as a singer for his casino, partially to find out what she knows about Nick.

Trumble offers Nick a cut of the dough when he asks for help in selling a stolen diamond necklace. Nick shows Halloran a diamond, and he recognizes it, having sent it to Hong Kong a week before to be sold. Cochran is taken prisoner, but is soon set free by Halloran's jealous girlfriend Margie (Grahame), who is fearing that he is planning to leave her for Julie. Trumble is killed after getting mixed up in the ensuing chase, but he tells Nick about the police boat waiting offshore before dying. Using information from Julie about a planned trek to Hong Kong, Cochran commandeers Halloran's private boat and steers it out to the waiting policemen.

Recommended movie, with decent performances from Mitchum, Dexter, and especially Russell.