The Big Boodle [A Night in Havana] ** (1957, Errol Flynn, Pedro Armendariz, Rossana Rory, Gia Scala) – Classic Movie Review 12,658

The interesting 1957 Havana-set American film noir crime film The Big Boodle is based on the 1954 novel by Robert Sylvester, and stars Errol Flynn, Pedro Armendariz, Rossana Rory and Gia Scala. It is shot in Cuba, thanks to the Cuban government.

Director Richard Wilson’s interesting 1957 Havana-set American film noir gangster caper/ crime film The Big Boodle [A Night in Havana] is based on the 1954 novel The Big Boodle by Robert Sylvester, and stars Errol Flynn, Pedro Armendariz, Rossana Rory and Gia Scala.

A sad-looking Errol Flynn in his declining years stars as casino croupier Ned Sherwood who comes across some counterfeit Cuban peso bills and then fake banknote plates.

The rather flat, derivative story is somewhat dully handled and wearily acted in a tatty production, though the Cuba location filming and Lee Garmes’s distinguished black and white photography add an unexpected layer of class, while Pedro Armendariz is an asset as the wily old police colonel, Mastegui.

It is written by Jo Eisinger, writer of two of the most complex film noirs, Gilda (1946) and Night and the City (1950).

The cast are Errol Flynn as Ned Sherwood, Pedro Armendáriz as Colonel Mastegui, Rossana Rory as “Fina” Ferrer, Gia Scala as Anita Ferrer, Francisco Canero as Police doctor, Luis Oquendo as Detective, Charles Todd as US Treasury Agent Griswold, Enrique Cruz Alvarez as Police lieutenant, Rogelio Hernández as Miguel Salcito, Carlos Mas as Chuchu, Jacques Aubuchon as Miguel Collada, Guillermo Alvarez Guedes as Casino manager, Aurora Pita as Linen shop girl, Velia Martinez as Salcito’s Secretary, Sandro Giglio as Armando Ferrer, and Cesar Fernandez-Garriga as attacker.

A previous novel by Robert Sylvester called Rough Sketch, had been filmed as We Were Strangers (1949) by John Huston, starring Jennifer Jones, John Garfield and Pedro Armendariz. The Cuban government sent its US cultural representative Roberto Hernandez to approach Sylvester, and offered him facilities and possibly some financing to make The Big Boodle.

The novel’s film rights were optioned by Lewis Blumberg, son of Nate Blumberg, chairman of Universal International. It could be made economically, on a budget of  about $600,000. In February 1956 Blumberg signed a deal to release the film with United Artists. Blumberg concluded: ‘We certainly couldn’t complain about the Cuban cooperation.’

Filming took place in Cuba, mostly in Havana, from late May 1956, with the climax shot at Morro Castle. It was one of the first American movies shot in Cuba, using many cast and crew from The Sharkfighters (1956), with Victor Mature. Post-production was done in Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City.

All must have gone well, as Flynn returned to Cuba to make Cuban Rebel Girls [Assault of the Cuban Rebel Girls] and the documentary Cuban Story. The 1959 semi-dramatic documentary B movie Cuban Rebel Girls is the final on-screen performance of Errol Flynn, starring with his underage girlfriend, Beverly Aadland. Flynn made these two films about the Cuban Revolution during the early period when Castro was publicly denying his communist allegiance. Flynn recalled Cuban Rebel Girls as ‘an interesting side venture. I spent many days with Fidel just before the Batistans quit.’

Release dates: January 25, 1957 (San Antonio, Texas) nd March 11, 1957 (New York City, New York).

Running time: 84 minutes.

Richard Wilson first met Flynn when Wilson and Orson Welles hired Flynn’s yacht for The Lady from Shanghai.

Italian actress Rossana Rory (7 August 1927 – 1 April 2020) is best known as Norma in Mario Monicelli’s caper film I soliti ignoti (1958).

British-American actress Gia Scala (born Josephine Grace Johanna Scoglio; March 3, 1934 – April 30, 1972) was born in Liverpool, England, to Sicilian father Pietro Scoglio and an Irish mother.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,658

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