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People are voting emotionally.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I have read the negative reviews, both concerning the overall impression of the movie and individual performances, and there may be some truth with them. But look at this view of my feeling of Gail's performance. This acting might be both an indication of John Farrow's ability and talent in knowing how to direct an actress with Gail's temperament so excellently, and Gail's own capability in understanding this directing.We first see Gail leaning over the stair railing, calling out to Alan Ladd if he is looking for her. Her posture here, her body language seems to me to show a personality of confidence and self-assurance. This demeanor of hers is bolstered, I feel, with a tone and articulation of voice adding to her firmness of mind. In every scene and conversation with Ladd, Gail's character, I feel, shows us a guiltless innocence in tone and manner, betraying no emotion but simply, slyly, and slowly winning Ladd over, conning him. And she almost succeeds as Ladd says, "...you really got under my skin..." and "If I live too long I may get too crazy about you." In the end our hero saves himself from the sly seductress, though. Gail's calm, self-confident, and subdued manner is apparent in every scene and always deliberate and intended to be that way. Her delicate, gentle looking face and tone is an excellent facade. For, we find out that she is the "fatal woman" of a big criminal organization. And who better to play this part than a sweet talking, innocent looking and sounding con artist and back stabbing woman who, "would have hated to kill you," as Gail's last words to Ladd are as she is lead away by the police.Other examples of Gail's duplicitous behavior can be seen throughout the movie, and, I feel all very effectively accomplished with the helping hand of John Farrow's excellent direction.

"Calcutta" is a strange sort of film. Although it's set in Calcutta, very little of the movie looks Indian! Heck, you mostly seem to see white folks and Chinese people running about in this weirdo Hollywood version of the place! So, at the outset the film loses a few points and the whole India angle is oddly missing...and incidentally, William Bendix plays a guy named Pedro!Early in the film, two pilots, Neale and Pedro (Alan Ladd and William Bendix) learn that their buddy had been murdered when they were out flying. Both vow to find out who it is and the picture follows Neale in his search. It first lands at the feet of Gail Russell--a girl the dead man was gaga about just before he was killed. They instantly hate each other and Neale doesn't trust her. Inexplicably, later they are in a clinch--which makes no sense in light of Neale's demeanor nor her just losing a boyfriend due to murder. What follows is never particularly interesting. I agree with another reviewer that the film mostly rests on Ladd's shoulders to carry, as the writing and production was otherwise pretty dull stuff. Not a bad movie but in no way would I consider this a good movie either due to the indifferent writing. In many ways, the film is actually a ripoff of the plot from "The Maltese Falcon"....without any of the interesting characters or twists.

Routine mystery suffers from Ladd's seeming indifference to his character in the lead and Gail Russell's unsuitability for her role. Add into that the fact that they share almost no rapport on screen and it hurts the picture. Gail, a lovely actress whose looks had not been destroyed by her extreme alcoholism at this point, is too gentle a presence to be convincing as the sort of femme fatale that was Ladd's frequent partner, Veronica Lake's stock in trade. The best performance comes from supporting player Edith King, in her screen debut, as the shady but very fun Mrs. Smith who though it's never stated outright is obviously the local madame as well as involved in other shady doings. The picture comes to life whenever she enters the scene. It's a pity her role isn't larger. Otherwise this is a standard actioner, which despite the title could have been set anywhere since it's mostly set indoors, that the studios pumped out weekly to keep product in the theatres during the Golden Age.

Calcutta is far from Alan Ladd's finest hour on the silver screen (nor director John Farrow's, for that matter). His trademark contempt for women and his android-like affect prove unappealing and tedious when not undercut by plausible psychology or fleshed-out co-stars. Here he has nothing but a murky Asian hodgepodge of noir cliches to wade through, the inevitable William Bendix at his side (and, this time, on his side). Trying to solve the murder of a fellow trunk-line pilot working the route from India to China, he drifts from hotel to casino to airfield encountering a rogues' gallery of grotesques. Edith King, as a stogie-puffing Baby Jane Hudson, promises more than she delivers; Gail Russell, the black widow of the piece, is kind of like Mary Astor to three parts water. This is one film from the noir cycle whose obscurity gives little cause for regret.