Gilda

Gilda is a 1946 American film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale and Glenn Ford as a young thug. The film is known for cinematographer Rudolph Maté's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis's wardrobe for Hayworth (particularly for the dance numbers), and choreographer Jack Cole's staging of "Put the Blame on Mame" and "Amado Mio", sung by Anita Ellis. In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

Plot
Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), a small-time American gambler newly arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, wins a lot of money cheating at craps. He is rescued from a robbery attempt by a complete stranger, Ballin Mundson (George Macready). Mundson tells him about an illegal high-class casino, but warns him not to practice his cheating skills there. Farrell ignores his advice, cheats at blackjack, and is taken by two men to see the casino's owner, who turns out to be Mundson. Farrell talks Mundson into hiring him as a bodyguard and quickly gains his confidence.

Mundson returns from a trip and announces he has a new wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth), whom he has married after only knowing her for a day. Johnny and Gilda instantly recognize each other, though both deny it when Mundson questions them. Mundson assigns Farrell to watch over Gilda. Johnny and Gilda are consumed with hatred for each other, and she cavorts with men at all hours in increasingly more blatant efforts to enrage Johnny, and in return he grows more abusive and spiteful towards her.

Mundson is visited by two German mobsters (Ludwig Donath and Lionel Royce). Their organization has financed a tungsten cartel, with everything put in Mundson's name in order to hide their connection to it. They have decided that it is safe to take over the cartel now World War II has ended, but Mundson refuses to transfer ownership. The Argentinian police are suspicious of the Germans and deploy agent Obregon (Joseph Calleia) to try and obtain information from Farrell, but he is oblivious about this aspect of Mundson's operations. The Germans return to the casino during a carnival celebration, and Mundson ends up killing one of them.

Farrell rushes to take Gilda to safety and alone in Mundson's house, they have another confrontation and after declaring their undying hatred for each other, passionately kiss. After hearing the front door slam, they realise Mundson has overheard and a guilt ridden Farrell pursues him to a waiting private airplane. The plane explodes in midair and plummets into the ocean and Farrell concludes that Mundson has committed suicide.

Gilda inherits his estate. Farrell and she immediately marry, but unknown to her, Johnny is marrying her to punish her betrayal of Mundson. He abandons her but has her followed day and night by his men to torment her. Gilda tries to escape the tortured marriage a number of times, but Farrell, now rich and powerful, thwarts every attempt - trapping her in the marriage that has become a prison for them both.

Obregon finally confiscates the casino and informs Farrell that Gilda was never truly unfaithful to Mundson or to him, prompting Farrell to decide to try and reconcile with her. At that moment, Mundson reappears, revealing he faked his suicide. He tries to kill both Gilda and Farrell but bartender Uncle Pio (Steven Geray) fatally stabs him. Obregon arrives and Johnny tries to take the blame for the murder. Obregon, however, is uninterested in arresting anyone since Mundson is already legally dead. Farrell gives Obregon the incriminating documents from Mundson's safe. Farrell and Gilda finally reconcile, apologizing for the many emotional wounds they have inflicted on each other.

Cast

 * Rita Hayworth as Gilda Mundson Farrell
 * Glenn Ford as Johnny Farrell / Narrator
 * George Macready as Ballin Mundson
 * Joseph Calleia as Det. Maurice Obregon
 * Steven Geray as Uncle Pio
 * Joe Sawyer as Casey
 * Gerald Mohr as Capt. Delgado
 * Mark Roberts as Gabe Evans
 * Ludwig Donath as German
 * Don Douglas as Thomas Langford
 * Lionel Royce as German
 * George J. Lewis as Huerta

Cast notes
 * Anita Ellis dubbed the singing voice of Rita Hayworth in all songs except the acoustic guitar version of "Put the Blame on Mame", which Hayworth sang herself.

Production
Gilda was filmed from September 4 to December 10, 1945.

Hayworth's introductory scene was shot twice. While the action of her popping her head into the frame and the subsequent dialogue remains the same, she is dressed in different costumes—in a striped blouse and dark skirt in one film print, and the more famous off-the-shoulder dressing gown in the other.

Critical response
When first released, the staff at Variety magazine liked the film and wrote, "Hayworth is photographed most beguilingly. The producers have created nothing subtle in the projection of her s.a. [sex appeal], and that's probably been wise. Glenn Ford is the vis-a-vis, in his first picture part in several years ... Gilda is obviously an expensive production—and shows it. The direction is static, but that's more the fault of the writers."

Gilda screened in competition at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, the first time the festival was held.

More recently, Emanuel Levy wrote a positive review: "Featuring Rita Hayworth in her best-known performance, Gilda, released just after the end of WWII, draws much of its peculiar power from its mixture of genres and the way its characters interact with each other ... Gilda was a cross between a hardcore noir adventure of the 1940s and the cycle of 'women's pictures.' Imbued with a modern perspective, the film is quite remarkable in the way it deals with sexual issues."

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 96% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 25 reviews.

Operation Crossroads nuclear test


While Gilda was in release, it was widely reported that an atomic bomb to be tested at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean's Marshall Islands would bear an image of Hayworth, a reference to her bombshell status. The fourth atomic bomb ever to be detonated was decorated with a photograph of Hayworth cut from the June 1946 issue of Esquire magazine. Above it was stenciled the device's nickname, "Gilda", in two-inch black letters. Although the gesture was undoubtedly meant as a compliment, Hayworth was deeply offended.

Memorabilia
The two-piece costume worn by Hayworth in the "Amado Mio" nightclub sequence was offered as part of the "TCM Presents ... There's No Place Like Hollywood" auction November 24, 2014, at Bonhams in New York. It was estimated that the costume would fetch between $40,000 and $60,000; in the event it sold for $161,000.

Home media
In January 2016 The Criterion Collection released DVD and Blu-ray Disc versions of Gilda, featuring a new 2K digital film restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray version.