Algiers (1938)

 

Academy Awards, USA 1939

Nominated Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Charles Boyer
	Best Actor in a Supporting Role Gene Lockhart
	Best Cinematography James Wong Howe
	Best Art Direction Alexander Toluboff

United Artists
Directed by John Cromwell
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Charles Boyer is a thief who lives, and rules, in the labyrinthine old town of Algiers known as the Casbah. A European police detective sets out to capture him but is thwarted at every turn. However, when he falls in love with exotic beauty Hedy Lamarr she proves too much to resist, leading to his ultimate downfall. Boyer and Lamarr have great chemistry, but the film pales in comparison to the French original Pepe le Moko made only one year earlier.