GILDA (1946)

Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford), down-and-out gambling cheat in Buenos Aires, is taken out of the gutter by Ballin Mundson (George Macready) and made manager of his gambling casino. He's doing great until Mundson introduces him to his new bride Gilda (Rita Hayworth)--Farrell's former lover. The two hate each other and the sparks fly. Ford, nobody's idea of a great actor, is good here as a tough guy with loyalty to Mundson. Macready (second only to George Sanders in the Elegant Bad Guy sweepstakes), gives a nuanced performance as a crook at heart. But the movie belongs to Hayworth, at her peak as a tough but gorgeous independent, snappy repartee, refusing to knuckle under, and doing a sensational turn as a nightclub singer/dancer ("Put the Blame on Mame" number is Hollywood legend). The movie is too long and has too many extraneous subplots. But, you won't want to miss Hayworth at her absolutely sexiest and most mesmerizing.