The time-worn cliche of the glamorous, romantic jewel thief can be charming when done with a touch of class, as in "Trouble in Paradise," "Grand Hotel," or "I Was An Adventuress." Here, it's handled with so little taste or imagination it positively degrades the profession. We're given to understand that Gable and Russell are just nice kids down on their luck, and the sundry larcenies they engage in are just playful antics they'll grow out of as soon as they've stolen enough money to settle down in that little cottage with roses round the door. Come ON. Even more appalling are the hideous false "Chinese" eyelids Peter Lorre is forced to wear, which would have been good for his role as the burn victim in "The Face Behind the Mask" but here just add to the general aura of gauche insensitivity.
Review of They Met in Bombay
