Tangier

George Waggner – 1946 – USA 
  

The unit at Universal that had lately been making sumptuous and colorful fantasy adventures like Arabian Nights (1942) and Ali Baba & the 40 Thieves (1943), dealt with the sobering effects of the final war years and the proliferation of film noir by turning to a modest black-and-white espionage thriller.  The result, of course, is merely an awkward wannabe Casablanca, right down to its central nightclub location and a nocturnal finale at the airport.  Its failure put an end to the cycle of exotic camp classics that always featured Maria Montez, John Hall, Turhan Bey and/or Sabu.  Tangier is fun at times, but mostly forgettable, mainly of interest to see Montez and Sabu acting wildly and doing so many weird things, like – in Sabu’s case – singing various contemporary numbers off the hit parade.