A fizzled romance is rekindled when the lady (Russell), now married (Price), returns to her stomping grounds in Las Vegas where the struggling husband hopes to beat the odds, she crossing paths with that former flame (Mature), now a Clark County Sheriff, before murder and aerial mayhem ensue. A fabulous figure framed first in The-Outlaw (43), it was Jane Russell's pair of beautiful wide-set eyes that always had ME captivated. In her crime-drama catalog (noirgesse), it's those gorgeous glims, long limbs and teamings with pal Bob Mitchum that typically starts the conversation (His-Kind-of-Woman Macao), but a couple can get along TOO well, for drama's sake, anyway, and Vic Mature is no downgrade, quite the contrary. I prefer their passionate, sometimes prickly pairing and rate Vegas, Jane's best, while praising Price in a role better suited to his non-horror persona (v Cardigan). Also noteworthy is screenwriter Paul Jarrico (The-Search) whose blacklisted name was removed from premiere credits by producer Howard Hughes, even as the recluse retained his writing product. In support are ivory-tickler and narrator Hoagy "Happy" Carmichael, the unmistakable Jay Flippen, bad-boy Brad Dexter, old-timer Will Wright, familiar face Robert Wilke and real-life Flamingo dancer Colleen Miller who'd quickly step up to leading roles at RKO and Universal (3/4).
Review of The Las Vegas Story
