FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Spikeopath The Bribe is directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Marguerite Roberts. It stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton, Vincent Price and John Hodiak. Music is by Miklós Rózsa and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg.Federal agent Rigby (Taylor) is assigned to the island of Carlotta to investigate the illegal trafficking of war-surplus aircraft parts. He quickly finds out that it's not just the weather that is hot...Frustrating! Out of MGM, The Bribe bites off more than it can chew. On one hand you have a cast guaranteed to either make you swoon or hiss at, on the other it's a cheaply staged production coasting on the star power and high end technical credits.Everything about the piece screams out that the execs put all the money into the casting, the hiring of a master musical composer and a cinematographer of some standing. On the page, the realisation of such, it's laborious, needlessly convoluted and really rather dull. It's no surprise to find during research that Taylor himself felt it was one of the worst films he ever made! It all looks so fake, from the crude back screen projections and spliced scenes from elsewhere, to the backlot set that looks about as close to a warm tropical island as an igloo does.On the plus side is Ruttenberg's photography, superb in contrasts and shadowy whiles (the slats are amazing), while Taylor's dry narration really engages, it's these aspects that explains why the film has found its way into some film noir bibles. Gardner and Taylor sizzle with sexuality, their on screen affair being played out for real off screen - much to the consternation of one Barbara Stanwyck. Laughton sweats and limps a lot whilst making a weasel look honourable, Price does the twirling moustache villainy he was so great at, while Hodiak shows good pathos as a drunk clearly in over his head with all aspects of his life.Fans of the stars get good value, but this has to go down as a wasted opportunity. It failed at the box office and ultimately - in spite of some splendid film noir tints - it's not hard to see why. 5.5/10

clive-13 The plot is thin enough to be ridiculous but Taylor, Gardner, Price and particularly Laughton bring this tale of smuggled airplane engines (yes, smuggled airplane engines)to a sharp, well-realized 40's noir.Beside an excellent cast, this film benefits from a rich atmosphere.You could swear you're in a real Mexican village in the fishing port of Carlotta. The actors sweat profusely in the steamy climate. The lighting is brilliant and the use of light and dark, particularly on the actors faces bring home how powerful lighting can be.Pacing is very good, and this film deserves to be seen be a wider audience Good job TCM for continuing to show this film. Now here comes the but.....this is what I get for watching movies to closely i.e. picky, picky, picky.Well here goes... the door latch/lock lip, where the door closes over thelatch/lock into Gardner's dressing room and the same location on the doors that open onto Taylor's room are odd. They all had door knobs on both entry and exit. They all lack a closing mechanism. In other words...a lock! Yet when actors enter or exit you clearly hear a door open/close sound. If continuity missed this once you could forgive, yet 6 or 7 times? Okay...I still give this very entertaining film with it's spectacular final scene a strong 7 and highly recommend

MartinHafer Robert Taylor is a government agent sent to a fictional Hispanic country to track down a gang who is illegally making money off surplus airplane engines--a very esoteric subject to say the least. He is told that the government thinks it's one of two people who is involved with the gang--Mr. OR Mrs. Hintten (John Hodiak and Eva Gardner). When Taylor arrives, Mr. Hintten seems to thrust his wife into Taylor's lap and not surprisingly romantic sparks fly. Only later does Taylor learn that there are many more who are involved--and don't mind bribing or killing him to avoid being caught.THE BRIBE is a pretty good film, though with its stars (Robert Taylor, Eva Gardner, Vincent Price, Charles Laughton and John Hodiak) you'd expect more. And, in a rare case, I don't have a lot of specific complaints about the movie--its more that there is a general aura of slowness about the film. Despite it being a suspense film, it really lacked suspense--that is, up until the exciting finale. I think that there was just too much talking and scheming and not enough action or surprising twists.Not bad...just not all that memorable.

whpratt1 If you like a full cast of great veteran actors, this B&W film is perfect to entertain you from beginning to the very end. Robert Taylor,(Rigby) is a Government Agent assigned to investigate the misuse of Government surplus from World War II and mostly airplane engines that were being smuggled out of Central America and sold to other countries. Rigby is given some information to lead him in the right direction to find out just who is involved in this operation. Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Hintten, is married to John Hodiak,(Tug Hintten) and Rigby gets very involved with this couple and especially Tug's wife. There is a creepy, dirty fat looking guy, played by Charles Laughton,(J.J. Bealer) who follows Rigby like his own shadow. Vincent Price,(Carwood) met Rigby on the airplane going to Central America and met him once again for a fishing trip to catch a swordfish and Carwood gets confused and throws the boat's engine into reverse and causes all kinds of problems. If you like veteran actors giving outstanding performances, this is the film for you.