If you hate process shots, you may not want to see "Trade Winds" which uses more of them than perhaps any other dramatic film of its time, as it follows a young murderess (Joan Bennett) from Honolulu to Tokyo to Shanghai to Indochina to Ceylon to India as she flees the law. But if you love Joan, her loveliness of form, face and manner compensate for a great deal. And you get to see her as both a blonde and a brunette. Although she is billed in huge letters above Fredric March and Ralph Bellamy, I'd say March, as a womanizing detective who pursues her, has more screen time in one of his lesser roles. He's not bad, just not exciting. Ralph Bellamy is saddled with an overwritten comical supporting role as an eager-beaver detective, and tries very hard to make his repetitious and predictable actions funny. Ann Sothern handles her wisecracks as snappily as ever as March's secretary, and has some effective drunk scenes, but also seems forced. At its heart, this is a deeply romantic story about love conquering all but it also has elements of screwball comedy (the supporting players), suspense (the crime, the chase, the climax), travelogue (endless process shots of the Orient as backdrops for less-than-thrilling dramatic scenes with the principals). Despite some snappy moments (particularly in the first third), ever-shifting locations, a generally brisk pace and a powerhouse writing trio which includes Dorothy Parker, the story loses its grip.
Review of Trade Winds
