Taglines: He must find his true love… all over again.
Istanbul movie storyline. When the pilot James Brennan returns to Istanbul, the local Inspector Nural questions him in the airport about the objective of his voyage and also about some missing diamonds. James checks in the hotel and asks for his former room 424; however he goes to the bar to drink vodka, where he recalls his love affair with Stephanie Bauer five years ago.
James and Stephanie are in love for each other; when James travels to Cairo with his plane transporting some cargo for a client, he visits his friend Aziz Rakim to buy a wedding gift for Stephanie since he intends to propose her. Aziz sells an expensive bracelet for US$ 50.00 only, and when James returns to Istanbul, he finds two hundred thousand dollars in diamonds hidden inside the bracelet. But the gang of Mr. Darius chases the smuggled diamonds with James, who denies the existence of the stones.
The criminals attack Stephanie in her apartment and when her building is on fire, she disappears and her body is never identified. On the present days, while in the hotel trying to retrieve the diamonds hidden in the ventilator of his former room, James sees Stephanie and she claims to be Karen Fielding and well-married with Douglas Fielding. James tries to help Stephanie to recall who she is while Darius’s gangsters chase him seeking the diamonds.
Istanbul is a 1957 American CinemaScope Technicolor film noir crime film directed by Joseph Pevney, and starring Errol Flynn and Cornell Borchers. It is a remake of the film Singapore, with the location of the action moved to Turkey. The plot involves an American pilot who becomes mixed up with various criminal activities in Istanbul.
About the Production
The film was a remake of Singapore (1948) based on a script by Seton I. Miller. Universal considered Jeff Chandler to play “Jim Brennan” and Robert Middleton to play “Mr. Darius.” Eventually Errol Flynn was cast.
It was the first film Errol Flynn had made in Hollywood since Against All Flags (1952), also at Universal. It had been a difficult few years for Flynn, incurring tax trouble with the IRS and debts due to his attempt at making a film about William Tell.
Errol Flynn was paid a reported £150,000 for the film, taking a flat salary instead of a percentage. All the money Flynn earned went to the payment of his debts.
Flynn signed his contract on February 15, 1956 and filming began the following week. Some scenes were shot on location in Istanbul, Turkey.
Flynn later wrote ” I thought the film was to be made in Turkey, but it turned out I must go back to Hollywood In the States, people who saw me again on the screen said I looked dissipated. Great! I was tired of being called beautiful, as they had called me when I was younger.”
Cornell Borchers was already attached to the film when Flynn signed on. It was the second of two films Borchers made for Universal, the first being Never Say Goodbye. (Universal were very big on hiring stars with international reputations at the time.)
Istanbul marked Peggy Knudsen’s last film appearance.
Istanbul (1957)
Directed by: Joseph Pevney
Starring: Errol Flynn, Cornell Borcher, John Bentley, Torin Thatcher, Leif Erickson, Peggy Knudsen, Martin Benso, Nat “King” Cole, Werner Klemperer, Vladimir Sokolof, Jan Arvan
Screenplay by: Seton I. Miller
Production Design by:
Cinematography by: William H. Daniels
Film Editing by: Sherman Todd
Costume Design by: Bill Thomas
Set Decoration by: Russell A. Gausman, Julia Heron
Art Direction by: Alexander Golitzen, Eric Orbom
Music by: Irving Gertz, Heinz Roemheld
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Release Date: January 23, 1957 (New York City)
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