The Bribe

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52%

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User Ratings: 86

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The Bribe Photos

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Movie Info

Federal agent Rigby (Robert Taylor) travels to a Central American island to investigate stolen war surplus. Suspicion falls on veteran Tugwell Hintten (John Hodiak) and his alluring singer wife, Elizabeth (Ava Gardner). But Rigby's situation gets more complicated when he starts an affair with Elizabeth. The brains of the scam -- J.J. Bealer (Charles Laughton) and Carwood (Vincent Price) -- offer the lawman a bribe. When he refuses it, both lovers' lives are jeopardized.

Genre:

drama, crime
Original Language:

English
Director:

Robert Z. Leonard
Producer:

Pandro S. Berman
Writer:

Marguerite Roberts
Release Date (Streaming):

Oct 6, 2009
Runtime:

1h 38m
Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Cast & Crew

Robert Taylor
Rigby

Ava Gardner
Elizabeth Hintten

Charles Laughton
J.J. Bealer

Vincent Price
Carwood

John Hodiak
Tugwell "Tug" Hintten

Samuel S. Hinds
Dr. Warren

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Critic Reviews for The Bribe

All Critics (3) | Top Critics (1) | Rotten (3)

The whole thing bogs down in an aged plot and implausible dialogue.

February 9, 2019 | Full Review…

Bob Thomas
Associated Press
Top Critic
Quote not available.

April 8, 2003 | Rating: 2/5

Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
It is only the heavies, Vincent Price and Charles Laughton, who keep the film dripping with venom.

April 8, 2003 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for The Bribe

Sep 25, 2020

I wonder if Francis Ford Coppola was inspired by the opening scene of The Bribe for his opening Martin Sheen scene in Apocalypse Now. There's the tormented protagonist. The voice-over narration. The hotel room with ceiling fan. Anyway, there's much to like about the film including its super performances by Ava Gardner, Robert Taylor, Charles Laughton and John Hodiak.

Aldo G Super Reviewer
Jun 13, 2012

Great cast in good crime drama. Ava is gorgeous and sultry, Taylor a little less stiff than usual but this belongs to Charles Laughton and to a lesser extent Vincent Price as the villains. Good old fashioned film making.

jay n Super Reviewer
Dec 29, 2011

I loved seeing Price as the bad guy in this movie, he seems so nice and unassuming in the beginning that you think he's just an innocent bystander, but things quickly turn dark. Gardner is beautiful, and gives a magnificent performance as the wife that the detective falls in love with. The rest of the cast is great too. But what I didn't like about it was that annoying voice over for most of the movie, it was unnecessary. Plus the story is slightly confusing for the most part, but in the end I understood enough to like the movie.

Aj V Super Reviewer