Malaga (1960 film)
Encyclopedia
Malaga is a 1960
crime drama film starring Trevor Howard
, Dorothy Dandridge
, and Edmund Purdom
. It was filmed in Europe in the late months of 1959 under the original title, Moment of Danger, but when filming was completed the title was changed to Malaga, for reasons unknown. The film's low-budget-ness delayed its American release for nearly two years.
The film is based on the novel
by Donald Mackenzie
, and it was brought to the screen by David D. Osborn. The film proved to be the final completed film for Dorothy Dandridge
.
In the movie Dorothy Dandridge
was cast as a woman of color of European descent with the Italian name of Gianna. In the pre-release publicity, one magazine article made a point of the fact that when Trevor Howard's character kissed Dorothy, it was the first time she had received an on-screen kiss from a white man in her career.
Before the movie's release, Jet magazine said the movie "concerns a girl (Dorothy Dandridge) and a man (Trevor Howard) who, broke and stranded, are on the run from the law...(at one point) the girl goes out and gets money as a prostitute." One author describes Michael Hordern's appearance in the movie as a "sympathetic copper who knows that Trevor Howard is a jewel thief - thanks to Howard's double-crossing partner Edmond Purdom - but lacks the evidence to make an arrest."
as John Bain
Dorothy Dandridge
as Gianna
Edmund Purdom
as Peter Carran
Michael Hordern
as Inspector Farrell
Paul Stassino
as Juan Montoya
1960 in film
The year 1960 in film involved some significant events, with Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho the top-grossing release in the U.S.-Events:* April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I...
crime drama film starring Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
, Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
, and Edmund Purdom
Edmund Purdom
Edmund Anthony Cutlar Purdom was a British actor.-Early life:Purdom was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England and educated at St. Augustine's Abbey School, Ramsgate, then by the Jesuits at St. Ignatius Grammar School and Welwyn Garden City Grammar School...
. It was filmed in Europe in the late months of 1959 under the original title, Moment of Danger, but when filming was completed the title was changed to Malaga, for reasons unknown. The film's low-budget-ness delayed its American release for nearly two years.
The film is based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Donald Mackenzie
Donald Alexander Mackenzie
Donald Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish journalist and folklorist and prolific writer on religion, mythology and anthropology in the early 20th century.-Life & Career:...
, and it was brought to the screen by David D. Osborn. The film proved to be the final completed film for Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
.
In the movie Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
was cast as a woman of color of European descent with the Italian name of Gianna. In the pre-release publicity, one magazine article made a point of the fact that when Trevor Howard's character kissed Dorothy, it was the first time she had received an on-screen kiss from a white man in her career.
Plot
Starting with a wordless jewel heist pulled-off by thief Peter Curran and locksmith John Bain, Curran then double-crosses his accomplice, dumps his lover Gianna and escapes with his ill-gotten gains. In the aftermath Gianna teams up with Bain and the two of them decide to even the score with Curran, developing feelings for each other along the way.Before the movie's release, Jet magazine said the movie "concerns a girl (Dorothy Dandridge) and a man (Trevor Howard) who, broke and stranded, are on the run from the law...(at one point) the girl goes out and gets money as a prostitute." One author describes Michael Hordern's appearance in the movie as a "sympathetic copper who knows that Trevor Howard is a jewel thief - thanks to Howard's double-crossing partner Edmond Purdom - but lacks the evidence to make an arrest."
Cast
Trevor HowardTrevor Howard
Trevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
as John Bain
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Dandridge
Dorothy Jean Dandridge was an American actress and popular singer, and was the first African-American to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress...
as Gianna
Edmund Purdom
Edmund Purdom
Edmund Anthony Cutlar Purdom was a British actor.-Early life:Purdom was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England and educated at St. Augustine's Abbey School, Ramsgate, then by the Jesuits at St. Ignatius Grammar School and Welwyn Garden City Grammar School...
as Peter Carran
Michael Hordern
Michael Hordern
Sir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
as Inspector Farrell
Paul Stassino
Paul Stassino
Phaedros Stassinos is a Greek-Cypriot actor whose international stage name is Paul Stassino.He was born in Cyprus but spent most of his acting career in Britain....
as Juan Montoya