The Big Boodle

1957 "Flynn's Red-Hot in Hell-Hot Havana!"
5.6| 1h24m| NR| en
Details

Tough guy fights gangsters and counterfeiters in pre-Castro Cuba.

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Glimmerubro It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Russell Claus In his prime, Errol Flynn was one of the most charismatic men to ever grace the silver screen.This movie was not made in his prime. If you watch this film, having never seen The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, or any of his other films pre-1950, you might find something to like here. The shots of pre-Castro Cuba are interesting if for no other reason, historical value.If, however, you've seen what Flynn was capable of. Watching him bumble through this role is sad to watch. Even in 1957 Flynn was a fit man, a scene with his shirt off shows that, but his face tells another story. His face has the look of a man waiting to die or already with one foot in the grave. He looks ghastly.The plot of the film is nothing great or even good. Just a simple, cheap film about some money counterfeiters. The plot is immaterial.Watch this film if you absolutely have to see every Errol Flynn movie, but don't act like I didn't warn you. Viewers interested in Cuba might find something to enjoy. At least it was filmed on location.
BILLYBOY-10 Boodle? What a silly word to use for a movie. Anyway, Errol is a casino dealer in Havana when someone passes counterfeit dough at his table and then he gets beat up for it and the cops think he's the counterfeiter and then people try to kill him and then enter two femmes and some action and smart Alic dialogue and chases and fight and more wise cracking and some sentimental stuff and red herrings tossed in here and there but all the way Errol has a nice suit and tie and band-aid over his eye but soon all the good guys and bad guys converge on the old fort in old Havana and naturally the final fight has to take place at the railing above the sea where the sharks are circling and Errol wins and walks away into the sunrise with the hot chick. The End. Roll credits. It's not awful, it's just not that good.
bkoganbing The prospect of tropical nights in Havana and some income that he wouldn't have to pay entirely to all Uncle Sam in back taxes must have persuaded Errol Flynn to do The Big Boodle. Shot entirely in Havana, I'm sure Errol enjoyed the night life if nothing else.Flynn plays a croupier in a Havana casino, another of those American expatriates. One night a woman passes some counterfeit pesos to him at the blackjack table. He confronts her, but she blows him off. Then after leaving work, he gets assaulted by two thugs and when the police find the phony money on him.The police aren't any help, the police inspector Pedro Armendariz treats Flynn like a criminal and to be fair he does have the phony currency on him. Still he's left to his own devices to pursue the investigation and it leads to a pair of high living sisters in Gia Scala and Rosanna Rory and a number of their acquaintances.The best thing about The Big Boodle is the location photography. Of course color would have been nice, but it is in fact a noir type film, Errol's only venture into that genre. The final scene is a running gun battle in Havana's famous Morro Castle with Flynn and villain Jacques Aubuchon.Errol looks at least 15 to 20 years older than his actual age of 48 when The Big Boodle was made. He wanders rather listlessly through the role, maybe he'd have liked to have done some noir features back in his prime. He's clearly too old to be believably buckling any swashes.Beyond the final scene, The Big Boodle moves at a snail's pace, a really sad project for Errol Flynn to be involved with.
LHMovieBuff A reluctant actor from 1953 on, Flynn roused himself for this unremarkable film. After splitting from Warner Brothers in 1953 he chose William Tell as his first solo effort, eager to star and produce. Flynn's finances never fully recovered from the resulting quagmire. This 1957 film arguably got his attention because as well as giving him a much needed pay cheque, it was also filmed on location in Havana. The location work is it's best feature. The Black and White photography adds to the Havana experience. The film is also helped by a good support cast, plus a plausible turn from Errol Flynn. The story, what there is of it, is about a world weary Croupier Ned Sherwood (Flynn) whose life gets almost fatally complicated "one night" when he finds himself with counterfeit Pesos. Pedro Armendariz is a delight as a crafty Colonel who doesn't believe or disbelieve Sherwood's story. Faced with no help from the Police Sherwood follows the funny money trail and uncovers some dislikable characters plus a larger plot. He also meets up with a mysterious blonde (Rossana Rory.)and Gia Scala (From Guns of Navarone). Sherwood struggles to untangle the web and clear his name. Despite the premise, location and likeable cast, the film is only just watchable. Flynn is worth seeing in one of his later roles, with Black and White allowing Flynn's hardening features a creditable rugged handsomeness.

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