Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Affair in Trinidad Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 1, 2021

Vincent Sherman's "Affair in Trinidad" (1952) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an archival program with Peter Ford; vintage production and promotional materials; new audio commentary by critic and author Lee Gambin; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

It's only that I do what I love, and love what I do.

You can instantly tell that the attraction between Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford is authentic, but everything else feels either oddly disjointed or artificial. The singing and dancing, the drama and suspense, even the exotic atmosphere, they don’t come together as they should. Affair in Trinidad isn’t the gigantic disappointment many old reviews have argued it is, but it is most certainly not a great film either. It simply lacks the magic that made Gilda a timeless classic.

In Trinidad, American dancer and performer Chris Emery (Heyworth) is informed that her husband has committed suicide. Just hours later, while still trying to recover from the shocking news, Chris greets his brother, Steve (Ford), who has landed on the island hoping to start a new career. During the exceptionally awkward meeting, sparks fly and Steve accuses Chris of being directly responsible for the tragic death of his brother. Inspector Smythe (Torin Thatcher) then begins reconstructing his final hours to figure out what could have forced him to end his life, but instead discovers plenty suggesting that he might have been murdered. While Inspector Smythe’s investigation is underway, the wealthy and influential business mogul Max Fabian (Alexander Scourby) opens his home and heart for Chris and vows to do whatever it takes to help her overcome her sorrow and be happy again, secretly hoping that eventually he would persuade her to become his wife as well. Steve immediately recognizes Max’s game and when he calls it out further complicates his relationship with Chris. But on the night before he is supposed to leave the island, a series of unexpected events force him to begin reevaluating everything that he has been told and learned about his brother’s suicide.

The source of all troubles in Affair in Trinidad is the obvious desire to have it replicate the magic of Gilda with the wrong script. Indeed, while there is predictably good chemistry between Hayworth and Ford, the script fails to produce meaningful situations and character arcs to support what the two stars do before the camera. As a result, it routinely looks like Hayworth and Ford are being forced through undercooked situations where their chemistry is not only mismanaged, but often times completely wasted. This is the main reason why the film stutters – there is enough happening, just not as it should.

Director Vincent Sherman could have saved the film by effectively flooding it with a lush noir atmosphere of the kind that sometimes can become the story, but sadly this is another aspect of the production that is clearly mismanaged. The sets and decors for instance look lovely, but Sherman’s camerawork is so unimaginative that in a number of occasions actually ends up solidifying the impression that Hayworth and Ford are being rushed through different sets of contrasting situations. Also, the great energy of Hayworth’s dancing in Gilda is hardly detectable here, and again it is because Sherman’s camerawork acts like a casual observer rather than an enthusiastic fan of the star.

There is good logic behind the politics that are part of the murder case, but the triumphs and failures that emerge with it are instantly forgettable. A better script would have found a way to do a lot more while exploiting the suspense as well as the romance that gradually overtakes it.

*During the pre-production process, Hayworth worked hard to be able to do her character’s singing, but eventually gave up and Jo Ann Greer was hired as her double. Later on, Greer also sung for Hayworth’s characters in Miss Sadie Thompson and Pal Joey.

Affair in Trinidad Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Affair in Trinidad arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

This release is sourced from another older master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. However, once again I like the quality of the master as well as the technical presentation a lot. Density levels could be slightly better, plus there are a few areas where small blemishes can be removed with digital tools, but the rest looks really, really good. For example, the grading job is outstanding, and even though I noticed a few areas with slightly crushed blacks, I do not think that the darker areas could look dramatically better. There are already plenty of really good ranges of fine nuances there, so on a larger screen delineation and depth can be rather striking. Many close-ups can look terrific, and not only in areas with sufficient lighting. Grain can be slightly tighter and more evenly exposed, but I like the way it looks now. Image stability is very good. So, yes, there is a bit of room for meaningful improvements, but what you get from this release is an all-around very solid organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Affair in Trinidad Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I am yet to encounter an older master for a classic film noir from Sony's vaults that has a problematic audio track. It is very obvious that when these masters were prepared the audio tracks were transferred properly and then optimized to ensure that they sound as best as possible. The lossless track on this release sounds great. The audio is clear, clean, stable, and very nicely balanced. To be honest, I don't think that it can sound any better.

Affair in Trinidad Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for Affair in Trinidad. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• The End of the Affair - in this archival Q&A session, Peter Ford, son of Glenn Ford, shares some quite interesting stories and facts about his father's career and legacy as well as reputation as a 'ladies' man', some of the great actors and directors he worked with, and his relationship with Rita Hayworth. The session was filmed at the Arthur Lyons' Film Festival, in Palm Springs Cultural Center, California, on May 12 2012, following a screening of The Big Heat. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Commentary - new audio commentary recorded by critic and author Lee Gambin.

• Caribbean - a short film Caribbean culture and way of life directed by Graham Wallace in 1951. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (25 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original production and promotional materials for Affair in Trinidad.

• Saved by the Belle - a short film about the three stooges directed by Jules White in 1939. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (18 min).

• Book - limited edition exclusive 120-page book with new essays by Melanie Williams, Ellen Cheshire, Simon Abrams, Kulraj Phullar, Tara Judah, and David Thompson; extracts from interviews with director Phil Karlson, screenwriter Ben Maddow, and others; an extract from Vincent Sherman's autobiography; archival news articles, interviews, and reviews; new writing on the short films; and full film credits.

Affair in Trinidad Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Affair in Trinidad was conceived to replicate the magic from Gilda but with the wrong script, which is why there is so much in it that does not work as it should. It is not the unfortunate misfire some old reviews have argued it is because there is still plenty of good chemistry between its two famous stars that makes it an entertaining film, but it is very clear that an opportunity was missed to deliver something special again. Perhaps with a different director behind the camera the end result would have been superior, but I doubt it. I just don't think that the script that was commissioned was the right one. This release is sourced from an old but very strong organic master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Columbia Noir #2 six-disc box set, which will be out later this month. RECOMMENDED, but only to fans of Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford.