Casbah (film)

Plot

Casbah is a musical remake of Algiers (1938), which was in turn an American remake of the French film Pépé le Moko (1937). The plot, which follows that of the 1938 film faithfully, deals with Pépé le Moko (Tony Martin), who leads a gang of jewel thieves in the Casbah district of Algiers, where he has exiled himself to escape imprisonment in his native France. Inez (Yvonne De Carlo), his girl friend, is infuriated when Pépé flirts with Gaby (Märta Torén), a French visitor, but Pépé tells her to mind her own business. Detective Slimane (Peter Lorre) is trying to lure Pépé out of the Casbah so he can be jailed. Against Slimane's advice, Police Chief Louvain (Thomas Gomez) captures Pépé in a dragnet, but his followers free him. Inez realizes that Pépé has fallen in love with Gaby and intends to follow her to Europe. Slimane knows the same and uses her as the bait to lure Pépé out of the Casbah.

Cast and roles

Cast notes:

Production

The film was made by Marston Productions, Tony Martin's production company. The Bank of America lent $800,000 to finance the film; Universal provided some of the balance.

Reception

The film only recouped $600,000 of its negative cost. Universal succeeded in getting a court judgment against Marston of $350,000. They bought all rights to the film at public auction for $5,000. This purchase was subject to an unsatisfied lien against the property of $195,000 to the Bank of America.

Awards

In 1949, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song "For Every Man There's a Woman" by Harold Arlen (music) and Leo Robin (lyrics).