En la palma de tu mano (1951) aka In the Palm of Your Hand

Like the western, film noir is one of those genres that can really be transplanted to any period or location. I discussed this at some length in my look at Carlos Hugo Christensen's Never Open That Door, which got me started on a small exploration into the world of Latin American noir, eventually leading me to this film by Roberto Gavaldón, In the Palm of Your Hand. Jaime Karin is a purported psychic who makes his living scamming housewives and old ladies with the help of his girlfriend Clara Stein. But when a wealthy client of Karin's is murdered in a staged suicide, our intrepid protagonist sees a golden opportunity to make a killing (more literally than he expects) by blackmailing the scheming widow and her lover. Soon enough, Karin finds himself in too deep, and like all fatalistic noir heroes, it is only a matter of time before the game is up. While Gavaldón's direction is a bit bland in places (there are some nice shots, but he lacks the strong visual sense necessary for a truly stellar noir), the script sparkles with wit, intelligence, and suspense. In one scene, Karin has just killed a man, and is in a panic when the doorbell to the isolated cabin rings. Terrified, Karin hesitatingly opens the door, only for it to be a lost American tourist who cannot speak a word of Spanish. If Gavaldón's sense of aesthetics is lacking, his sense of pacing and sequencing certainly is not. The entire affair is brilliantly constructed, and its escalation of events is built sturdy and well-timed. A great deal of credit must go to Arturo de Córdova for his lead performance, which is not only convincing, but one of those rare performances that makes one forget they are watching an actor practice their craft. Leticia Palma also shines as the slinky, seductive femme fatale who leads Karin into his undoing. Surely she is one of the screen's most memorable dangerous women. It is ultimately disappointing that In the Palm of Your Hand is not the masterpiece that it should be, but it is a very exciting and well-made film nonetheless.