The film features a variety of well-known Universal players completing their contracts, such as Montez, Paige and Louise Allbritton.
The film was produced at the insistence of Montez, who had grown weary of her typecasting in Technicolor oriental adventures.[2]
Plot
In Tangier, disgraced American war correspondent Paul Kenyon, café dancer Rita and local entrepreneur Pepe join forces to battle Adolpho Fernandez, a Nazi diamond smuggler.
Maria Montez became famous in the 1940s appearing in a series of Universal Pictures films set in exotic locales and filmed in color alongside Jon Hall and Sabu, such as Arabian Nights, White Savage and Cobra Woman. In September 1943, Universal announced the upcoming Flame of Stamboul, from a script by Alice Miller, to star Montez, Hall and Turhan Bey (in a role intended for Sabu, who was serving with the military). Paul Malvern was to produce and the film was to be shot in color.[3]
Miller's script was set in Turkey, which had been neutral for most of World War II. However, Universal was concerned about upsetting the Turkish government and filming was postponed.[4]
In March 1945, the project was reactivated as Tangier, and Steve Fisher was hired to rewrite the script.[5] The film was relocated to Tangier and the villains were changed to be agents from Franco's Spain. Later, the nationality of the villains was again changed to an unspecified location.[4]
Montez had been in a dispute with Universal over her casting in romantic fantasy films. She said: "Sudan is making more money than any of the others and Universal thinks that on that account I should appear in more of these films. But I wanted to quit these films when they are at their peak, not on the downbeat. It isn't only that the pictures are all the same, but the stories are one just like the other."[6] However, Montez also said: "Tangier is modern. I play a Spanish girl. I like that."[6]
Filming
Filming began on September 24, 1945. As Bey and Hall were serving with the armed forces, their roles were played by Sabu and Robert Paige, respectively. It was Sabu's first film after his return from military duty.[7]
Montez was pregnant during filming. Her daughter Maria Christina "Tina" Aumont was born February 14, 1946, one week before the film's February 21 copyright.[8]
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic A. H. Weiler wrote: "Miss Montez' array of clothes is far more impressive than the picture's plot and the people involved in it. ... Preston Foster has been allotted the film's meatiest line. 'There seems to be an element of confusion here,' he says at one point, neatly explaining everything."[9]
^Scheuer, Philip K. (Sep 11, 1943). "DRAMA AND FILM: Helen Walker Awarded Starring Opportunity Maria Montez, Hall and Turhan Bey Will Appear in 'Flame of Stamboul'". Los Angeles Times. p. 7.
^ abFRED STANLEY (Oct 7, 1945). "DIPLOMATIC HOLLYWOOD: Treading Lightly Easy on the Victuals, Please TAPPING THE HOLLYWOOD WIRE Bang, Bang--Badmen! More Theatrical History". New York Times. p. X1.
^"NEWS OF THE SCREEN: Donna Reed Will Portray Sandy in 'Expendable'". New York Times. Mar 20, 1945. p. 22.
^ abSchallert, Edwin (June 9, 1945). "Daughter of Director Begins Cinema Career". Los Angeles Times. p. A5.
^"STAR OF 'DILLINGER' GETS JAMES ROLE: Lawrence Tierney Listed for 'Bad Man's Territory'--New Mexican Film at Belmont Of Local Origin". New York Times. Sep 15, 1945. p. 21.
^Hopper, Hedda (Sep 27, 1945). "Cary Eyes 'Hamlet'". The Washington Post. p. 6.
^Weiler, A. H. (1946-06-07). "The Screen in Review". The New York Times. p. 16.
