They Met in Bombay: Difference between revisions

They Met in Bombay
They Met in Bombay
	Original poster
Directed by	Clarence Brown
Written by	Edwin Justus Mayer ; Anita Loos ; Leon Gordon
Story by	John H. Kafka
Produced by	Hunt Stromberg
Starring	Clark Gable; Rosalind Russell ; Peter Lorre
Cinematography	William H. Daniels
Edited by	Blanche Sewell
Music by	Herbert Stothart
Production; company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's Inc.
Release date	June 27, 1941;
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1.38 million
Box office	$2.51 million

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They Met in Bombay is a 1941 American adventure drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Clark Gable, Rosalind Russell and Peter Lorre.^[2]^[3]^[4] The film was produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and takes place at the outbreak of fighting in the Second World War in Asia.

Plot

Gerald Meldrick (Clark Gable) and "Baroness" Anya von Duren (Rosalind Russell) are jewel thieves working separately in Bombay (now Mumbai) in British-ruled India. He's posing as a Lloyd's of London detective, while she's pretending to be an aristocrat. Both are after a priceless diamond, the Star of Asia, owned by the aging Duchess of Beltravers (Jessie Ralph) and set for public display at a social function.

When Gerald and Anya meet, neither sees through the other's fake identity, but his amorous curiosity about her soon leads him to do a little digging and figure things out. He tricks her into stealing the jewel, then surrendering it to him to avoid prosecution. She quickly catches on that he is a con artist like herself, and she angrily goes after him, but by then both are being sought by the law. They are forced to team up and flee Bombay. Police Inspector Cressney (Matthew Boulton), who had been in charge of the jewel's security, doggedly pursues them, vowing revenge for the way he was outwitted.

The two thieves stow away on a freighter bound for British-ruled Hong Kong, with the connivance of the dishonest captain, Chang (Peter Lorre). On the voyage, Gerald and Anya learn about each other's backgrounds, become friends and eventually begin to fall in love. They begin to distrust Chang, even though they are unaware that he has guessed their identities, contacted Inspector Cressney by radio and agreed to hand them over for a large reward. When the ship arrives in Hong Kong waters on a foggy night, the pair slip away in a rowboat before Cressney and his men arrive to make the arrest, infuriating the inspector once again.

The fugitive couple plan to sneak out of Hong Kong and the British Empire as soon as possible, eventually finding a way to sell the diamond. Gerald, a Canadian who was once in the British military before he turned to a life of crime, obtains an army uniform and assumes the identity of a captain, as part of a scheme to loot money being held in a court dispute. But their plans are upset when the Japanese invade Guangdong Province, and British troops are mobilized to possibly confront them. Gerald is given the job of evacuating Chaing Ling province. On the way there, he plans to duck out and head off in a car with Anya, so he informs his second-in-command that he will be leaving on a private mission and will put the idealistic young soldier in charge. Gerald believes the evacuation will go smoothly with few problems. At Chaing Ling, Gerald meets the evacuees, Europeans and Chinese. When the evacuation is set, Gerald meets up with Anya at the car she has acquired. But as they prepare to leave, the Japanese arrive in aggressive fashion.

Rather than flee, Gerald stays and confronts the Japanese commander, who forbids him to evacuate the Chinese refugees. Gerald vows to protect them and calls up the Winnipeg Grenadiers to form a barrier between the Japanese and the Chinese evacuees. The Japanese back down and the convoy leaves, with Anya in one of the trucks. But on the road, the Japanese attack, killing many Grenadiers and refugees. With his troops pinned down by Japanese machine guns overlooking the road, Gerald shows resourcefulness and bravery by taking a handful of grenades and racing to outflank the Japanese. He manages to knock out the Japanese position, being wounded in the process. Some days later, having recovered, he waits for release from a British hospital in Hong Kong so he and Anya can finally disappear with their stolen diamond. As he leaves to get his things, Anya is seen admiring his uniform.

Gerald is summoned before the battalion, where he is awarded the Victoria Cross for courage by General Allen in a filmed ceremony. Gerald is told that his exploits have become part of British legend, an inspiration for soldiers of the Empire for all time. Gerald is truly moved by this, but is also conflicted about his lies and life of crime. As Gerald is walking out, he is nabbed by Inspector Cressney, who has never given up on catching him. Gerald smiles and appears to give up. The inspector takes Gerald into General Allen's office, where Anya is waiting. General Allen says now knows about Gerald's criminal past, but still sees him as a hero. It turns out that Anya, who has changed her viewpoint on life, is the one who told General Allen and summoned Cressney so Gerald could come clean, accept punishment and start life fresh.

The inspector, who has no sympathy, marches Gerald out, planning to handcuff him once they leave the base. But Gerald, still known to local troops as an army officer, orders a column of passing soldiers to arrest Cressney and take him to jail, despite the inspector's furious protests that they are assisting a criminal. Gerald and Anya get into a military vehicle and leave the army base.

Inspector Cressey, after being freed, is phoning police from the general's office while the general looks on in amusement. Cressney vows to arrest Gerald whatever it takes. However, as he is leaving the office, Gerald and Anya walk in. Gerald tells the flabbergasted inspector that he could have run out on him, but he couldn't run out on Anya. They inform the inspector that they are married, and they hand him the stolen jewel. The delighted general shakes Gerald's hand. Gerald hands the general his Victoria Cross, and asks the general to keep it for him until he comes back to enlist. The general is very happy to do so, knowing the courts will go easy on the war hero.

Looking at the famed medal for valor, General Allen says: "I would give up the Star of Asia for this any day." Gerald hugs Anya and says, "Yeah, that's what we think, too."

Cast

Clark Gable as Gerald Meldrick
Rosalind Russell as Anya Von Duren
Peter Lorre as Captain Chang
Jessie Ralph as Duchess of Beltravers
Reginald Owen as General Allen
Matthew Boulton as Inspector Cressney
Eduardo Ciannelli as Giovanni Riccio, Hotel Manager
Luis Alberni as Maitre d'hotel
Rosina Galli as Carmencita 'Rosa'
Jay Novello as Bolo
David Clyde as Sergeant
Harry Allen as Soldier in Saloon
Philip Ahn as Japanese officer

Notes

Gable was planning to star with Lana Turner as Anya Von Duren in The Uniform in December 1940.^[5] Turner was replaced by Russell, and the film was released as They Met in Bombay.

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,554,000 in the United States and Canada and $961,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $350,000.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ Variety film review; June 25, 1941, page 16.
^ Harrison's Reports film review; July 5, 1941, page 106.
^ Fetrow p.513
^ "Clark Gable and Lana Turner Cast As New Hollywood Co-Starring Team" by Louella O. Parsons, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 6, 1940, p. 22

Bibliography

Fetrow, Alan G. Feature Films, 1940-1949: a United States Filmography. McFarland, 1994.

External links

They Met in Bombay at IMDb
They Met in Bombay at the TCM Movie Database
They Met in Bombay at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

[Mannix-1] The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.

[WVrev-2] Variety film review; June 25, 1941, page 16.

[HRrev-3] Harrison's Reports film review; July 5, 1941, page 106.

[4] Fetrow p.513

[5] "Clark Gable and Lana Turner Cast As New Hollywood Co-Starring Team" by Louella O. Parsons, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 6, 1940, p. 22

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{Infobox film
 | name           = They Met in Bombay
-| image          = TheyMetinBombay.jpg
+| image          = File:They Met in Bombay.jpg
-| image_size     = 120px
 | caption        = Original poster
 | director       = [[Clarence Brown]]
 | producer       = [[Hunt Stromberg]]
-| writer         = John H. Kafka (story)<br>[[Edwin Justus Mayer]]
+| story = John H. Kafka
-| starring       = [[Clark Gable]]<br>[[Rosalind Russell]]
+| writer         =[[Edwin Justus Mayer]] <br> [[Anita Loos]] <br> [[Leon Gordon]]
+| starring       = [[Clark Gable]]<br>[[Rosalind Russell]] <br> [[Peter Lorre]]
 | music          = [[Herbert Stothart]]
 | cinematography = [[William Daniels (cinematographer)|William H. Daniels]]
 | editing        = [[Blanche Sewell]]
 | studio         = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
-| distributor    = Loew's Inc.
+| distributor    = [[Loews Cineplex Entertainment|Loew's Inc.]]
 | released       = {{Film date|1941|06|27}}
 | runtime        = 92 minutes
 | country        = United States
 | language       = English
-| budget         = $1,380,000<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>
+| budget         = $1.38 million<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>
-| gross          = $2,515,000<ref name="Mannix"/>
+| gross          = $2.51 million<ref name="Mannix"/>
 }}
-'''''They Met in Bombay ''''' is a 1941 American [[adventure film|adventure]] [[drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Clarence Brown]], and starring [[Clark Gable]] and [[Rosalind Russell]], with [[Peter Lorre]].<ref name="WVrev">''[[Variety Film Reviews|Variety]]'' film review; June 25, 1941, page 16.</ref><ref name="HRrev">''[[Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews|Harrison's Reports]]'' film review; July 5, 1941, page 106.</ref>
+'''''They Met in Bombay ''''' is a 1941 American [[adventure film|adventure]] [[drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Clarence Brown]] and starring [[Clark Gable]], [[Rosalind Russell]] and [[Peter Lorre]].<ref name="WVrev">''[[Variety Film Reviews|Variety]]'' film review; June 25, 1941, page 16.</ref><ref name="HRrev">''[[Harrison's Reports and Film Reviews|Harrison's Reports]]'' film review; July 5, 1941, page 106.</ref><ref>Fetrow p.513</ref> The film was produced by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and takes place at the outbreak of fighting in the [[Second World War]] in [[Asia]].
 ==Plot==
-Gerald Meldrick ([[Clark Gable]]) and "Baroness" Anya von Duren ([[Rosalind Russell]]) are jewel thieves working separately in Mumbai, then known as Bombay, in British-ruled [[India]]. He's posing as a [[Lloyd's of London]] detective, while she's pretending to be an [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocrat]]. Both are after a priceless [[diamond]], the Star of Asia, owned by the aging Duchess of Beltravers ([[Jessie Ralph]]). When Gerald and Anya meet, neither sees through the other's fake identity, but his amorous curiosity about her soon leads him to figure things out. He tricks her into stealing the jewel, then surrendering it to him to avoid prosecution. She quickly catches on and angrily goes after him, but by then both are being sought by the law. They are forced to team up and flee Bombay, with a dogged police inspector ([[Matthew Boulton]]) in hot pursuit. They stow away on a freighter bound for British-ruled Hong Kong, with the connivance of the dishonest captain, Chang, ([[Peter Lorre]]). They reach their destination by avoiding Chang's attempt to double-cross them. Meanwhile, on the voyage, the larcenous pair have begun to fall in love.
+Gerald Meldrick ([[Clark Gable]]) and "Baroness" Anya von Duren ([[Rosalind Russell]]) are jewel thieves working separately in Bombay (now [[Mumbai]]) in British-ruled [[India]]. He's posing as a [[Lloyd's of London]] detective, while she's pretending to be an [[Aristocracy (class)|aristocrat]]. Both are after a priceless [[diamond]], the Star of Asia, owned by the aging Duchess of Beltravers ([[Jessie Ralph]]) and set for public display at a social function.
+When Gerald and Anya meet, neither sees through the other's fake identity, but his amorous curiosity about her soon leads him to do a little digging and figure things out. He tricks her into stealing the jewel, then surrendering it to him to avoid prosecution. She quickly catches on that he is a con artist like herself, and she angrily goes after him, but by then both are being sought by the law. They are forced to team up and flee Bombay. Police Inspector Cressney ([[Matthew Boulton]]), who had been in charge of the jewel's security, doggedly pursues them, vowing revenge for the way he was outwitted.
-Gerald, a Canadian who was once in the British military before he turned to a life of crime, obtains an army uniform and assumes the identity of a captain. The couple plan to sneak out of Hong Kong and the British Empire as soon as possible. But their plans are upset when the Japanese invade [[Kwang-Tung]] Province, and British troops are mobilized to possibly confront them. Gerald is given the job of evacuating Chaing Ling province. On the way there, he plans to duck out and head off in a car with Anya, so he informs his second-in-command that he will be leaving on a private mission and will put the idealistic young soldier in charge, Gerald believes the evacuation will go smoothly with few problems. At Chaing Ling, Gerald meets the evacuees, Europeans and Chinese. When the evacuation is set, Gerald meets up with Anya at the car she has acquired. But as they prepare to leave, the Japanese arrive in aggressive fashion.
+The two thieves stow away on a freighter bound for British-ruled Hong Kong, with the connivance of the dishonest captain, Chang ([[Peter Lorre]]). On the voyage, Gerald and Anya learn about each other's backgrounds, become friends and eventually begin to fall in love. They begin to distrust Chang, even though they are unaware that he has guessed their identities, contacted Inspector Cressney by radio and agreed to hand them over for a large reward. When the ship arrives in Hong Kong waters on a foggy night, the pair slip away in a rowboat before Cressney and his men arrive to make the arrest, infuriating the inspector once again.
-Rather than flee, Gerald stays and confronts the Japanese commander, who forbids him to evacuate the Chinese refugees. Gerald vows to protect them and calls up the [[Winnipeg Grenadiers]] to form a barrier between the Japanese and the Chinese evacuees. The Japanese back down and the convoy leaves, with Anya in one of the trucks. But on the road, the Japanese attack, killing many Grenadiers and refugees. With his troops pinned down by Japanese machine guns overlooking the road, Gerald shows resourcefulness and bravery by taking a handful of grenades and racing to outflank the Japanese. He manages to knock out the Japanese position, being wounded in the process. Some days later, having recovered, he waits for release from a British hospital so he and Anya can finally disappear with their stolen diamond. As he leaves to get his things, Anya is seen admiring his uniform.
+The fugitive couple plan to sneak out of Hong Kong and the British Empire as soon as possible, eventually finding a way to sell the diamond. Gerald, a Canadian who was once in the British military before he turned to a life of crime, obtains an army uniform and assumes the identity of a captain, as part of a scheme to loot money being held in a court dispute. But their plans are upset when the Japanese invade [[Guangdong]] Province, and British troops are mobilized to possibly confront them. Gerald is given the job of evacuating Chaing Ling province. On the way there, he plans to duck out and head off in a car with Anya, so he informs his second-in-command that he will be leaving on a private mission and will put the idealistic young soldier in charge. Gerald believes the evacuation will go smoothly with few problems. At Chaing Ling, Gerald meets the evacuees, Europeans and Chinese. When the evacuation is set, Gerald meets up with Anya at the car she has acquired. But as they prepare to leave, the Japanese arrive in aggressive fashion.
-Gerald is summoned before the battalion, where he is awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for courage by General Allen in a filmed ceremony. Gerald is told that his exploits have become part of British legend, an inspiration for soldiers of the Empire for all time. Gerald is truly moved by this, but is also conflicted about his lies and life of crime. As Gerald is walking out, he is nabbed by the police inspector, who has never given up on catching him. Gerald smiles and appears to give up. The inspector takes Gerald into General Allen's office, where Anya is waiting. General Allen says now knows about Gerald's criminal past, but still sees him as a hero. It turns out that Anya, who has changed her viewpoint on life, is the one who told General Allen and summoned the inspector so Gerald could come clean, take his punishment and start life fresh.
+Rather than flee, Gerald stays and confronts the Japanese commander, who forbids him to evacuate the Chinese refugees. Gerald vows to protect them and calls up the [[Winnipeg Grenadiers]] to form a barrier between the Japanese and the Chinese evacuees. The Japanese back down and the convoy leaves, with Anya in one of the trucks. But on the road, the Japanese attack, killing many Grenadiers and refugees. With his troops pinned down by Japanese machine guns overlooking the road, Gerald shows resourcefulness and bravery by taking a handful of grenades and racing to outflank the Japanese. He manages to knock out the Japanese position, being wounded in the process. Some days later, having recovered, he waits for release from a British hospital in Hong Kong so he and Anya can finally disappear with their stolen diamond. As he leaves to get his things, Anya is seen admiring his uniform.
-The inspector, who has no sympathy, marches Gerald out, planning to handcuff him once they leave the base. But Gerald, still believed to be an officer by his troops, orders them to arrest the inspector, despite the man's furious protests that they are assisting a criminal. Gerald and Anya get into a military vehicle and leave the army base.
-The inspector, after being freed, is phoning police from the general's office while the general looks on in amusement. The inspector vows to arrest Gerald whatever it takes. However, as he is leaving the office, Gerald and Anya walk in. Gerald tells the flabbergasted inspector that he could have run out on him, but he couldn't run out on Anya. They inform the inspector that they are married, and they hand him the stolen jewel. The delighted general shakes Gerald's hand. Gerald hands the general his Victoria Cross, and asks the general to keep it for him until he comes back to enlist. The general is very happy to do so, knowing the courts will go easy on the war hero.
+Gerald is summoned before the battalion, where he is awarded the [[Victoria Cross]] for courage by General Allen in a filmed ceremony. Gerald is told that his exploits have become part of British legend, an inspiration for soldiers of the Empire for all time. Gerald is truly moved by this, but is also conflicted about his lies and life of crime. As Gerald is walking out, he is nabbed by Inspector Cressney, who has never given up on catching him. Gerald smiles and appears to give up. The inspector takes Gerald into General Allen's office, where Anya is waiting. General Allen says now knows about Gerald's criminal past, but still sees him as a hero. It turns out that Anya, who has changed her viewpoint on life, is the one who told General Allen and summoned Cressney so Gerald could come clean, accept punishment and start life fresh.
+The inspector, who has no sympathy, marches Gerald out, planning to handcuff him once they leave the base. But Gerald, still known to local troops as an army officer, orders a column of passing soldiers to arrest Cressney and take him to jail, despite the inspector's furious protests that they are assisting a criminal. Gerald and Anya get into a military vehicle and leave the army base.
+Inspector Cressey, after being freed, is phoning police from the general's office while the general looks on in amusement. Cressney vows to arrest Gerald whatever it takes. However, as he is leaving the office, Gerald and Anya walk in. Gerald tells the flabbergasted inspector that he could have run out on him, but he couldn't run out on Anya. They inform the inspector that they are married, and they hand him the stolen jewel. The delighted general shakes Gerald's hand. Gerald hands the general his Victoria Cross, and asks the general to keep it for him until he comes back to enlist. The general is very happy to do so, knowing the courts will go easy on the war hero.
 Looking at the famed medal for valor, General Allen says: "I would give up the Star of Asia for this any day." Gerald hugs Anya and says, "Yeah, that's what we think, too."
@@ Line 45: / Line 50: @@
 * [[Reginald Owen]] as General Allen
 * [[Matthew Boulton (actor)|Matthew Boulton]] as Inspector Cressney
-* [[Eduardo Ciannelli]] as  Giovanni Riccio, Hotel Manager (as Edward Ciannelli)
+* [[Eduardo Ciannelli]] as  Giovanni Riccio, Hotel Manager
 * [[Luis Alberni]] as Maitre d'hotel
 * [[Rosina Galli (actress)|Rosina Galli]] as Carmencita 'Rosa'
 * [[Jay Novello]] as Bolo
 * David Clyde as Sergeant
-* [[Harry Allen (actor)|Harry Allen]] as Soldier in Saloon (uncredited)
+* [[Harry Allen (actor)|Harry Allen]] as Soldier in Saloon
-* [[Philip Ahn]] as Japanese officer (uncredited)
+* [[Philip Ahn]] as Japanese officer
 ==Notes==
-Gable was planning to star with [[Lana Turner]] as Anya Von Duren in ''The Uniform'' in December 1940.<ref>"Clark Gable and Lana Turner Cast As New Hollywood Co-Starring Team" by [[Louella O. Parsons]], ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'', December 6, 1940, p. 22</ref> Turner was eventually replaced by Russell, and the film was released as ''They Met in Bombay''.
+Gable was planning to star with [[Lana Turner]] as Anya Von Duren in ''The Uniform'' in December 1940.<ref>"Clark Gable and Lana Turner Cast As New Hollywood Co-Starring Team" by [[Louella O. Parsons]], ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'', December 6, 1940, p. 22</ref> Turner was replaced by Russell, and the film was released as ''They Met in Bombay''.
 ==Box office==
-According to MGM records, the film earned $1,554,000 in the United States and Canada and $961,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $350,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>
+According to MGM records, the film earned $1,554,000 in the United States and Canada and $961,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $350,000.<ref name="Mannix"/>
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+==Bibliography==
+* Fetrow, Alan G. ''Feature Films, 1940-1949: a United States Filmography''. McFarland, 1994.
 ==External links==
 * {{IMDb title|id=0034281|title=They Met in Bombay}}
-* {{amg movie|113259}}
+* {{TCMDb title|id=1730}}
-* {{tcmdb title|id=1730}}
 * {{AFI film|id=27059|title=They Met in Bombay}}
@@ Line 77: / Line 84: @@
 [[Category:American black-and-white films]]
 [[Category:American heist films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
 [[Category:Films directed by Clarence Brown]]
 [[Category:Films scored by Herbert Stothart]]
@@ Line 88: / Line 93: @@
 [[Category:1941 drama films]]
 [[Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture]]
+[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
+[[Category:1940s American films]]
+[[Category:English-language adventure drama films]]
+[[Category:English-language crime films]]