This week’s mystery movie has been the 1952 Columbia picture “Affair in Trinidad,” with Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Alexander Scourby, Valerie Bettis, Torin Thatcher, Howard Wendell, Karel Stepanek, George Voskovec, Steven Geray, Walter Kohler, Juanita Moore. The screenplay was by Oscar Saul and James Gunn, from a story by Virginia Van Upp and Bernie Giler, photography by Joseph Walker, art direction by Walter Holscher, set decoration by William Kiernan. The movie was produced and directed by Vincent Sherman. Dances for Miss Hayworth created by Valerie Bettis.
The DVD was released in Sony’s Martini Movies collection and is available from Amazon.com.
Los Angeles Times, Dec. 14, 1951: Hayworth was suspended by Columbia for 10 days after she refused to report for work. Hayworth said she hadn’t seen a complete script, but the studio replied that she did not have script approval. Hayworth remained unhappy about “Trinidad.” Hedda Hopper reported (June 27, 1952) that Hayworth cried when she saw the picture and noted that Hayworth “doesn’t enjoy playing a bad character on the screen.”
Writing in the New York Times (July 31, 1952) Bosley Crowther said:
Outside of its celebration of the return of Rita Hayworth to the screen—an occurrence almost as momentous as the birth of a new camel at the zoo—there is little to endow with distinction that lady’s and Columbia’s new film, “Affair in Trinidad,” which took its shoes off and settled down at the Victoria yesterday.
In the first place, this tepid fiction, which Berne Giler and Virginia Van Upp have indifferently and cheerlessly concocted from a lot of obvious spy-thriller clichés, becomes as apparent and monotonous as a phonograph record on which the needle is stuck before it has traveled half the distance of the hour and forty minutes that it runs.
The film opened in Los Angeles on Aug. 6, 1952. Los Angeles Times movie critic Edwin Schallert, writing the next day, said:
With appropriate smoothness and efficiency along well-mapped lines, the return of Rita Hayworth to the screen is accomplished in “Affair in Trinidad.” Columbia Studio brings its long-absent feminine star back in a suspense melodrama, with tropic background, and an unquestioned family resemblance to her popular success “Gilda.”
For Monday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Juanita Moore.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Howard Wendell.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, mystery woman), B.J. Merholz (mystery woman), Jenny M. (mystery woman), Robert Morrissey (mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, mystery woman), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie, mystery woman) and L.C. (mystery movie, mystery cast).
For Wednesday, we have this astonished gent.
Update: This is Steven Geray.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery cast), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Jenny M. (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest), David Inman (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Sue Slutzky (Tuesday’s mystery guest).
For Thursday, Tuesday’s mystery chap has a mystery companion.
Update: This is Howard Wendell and Torin Thatcher.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Benito (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery gent), Sarah (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery gent), Lee Ann, Megan and Thom (mystery movie and mystery guests), Dewey Webb (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie, mystery guests) and Mandy Marie (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
For Friday, our leading lady has a mystery companion.
Update: Rita Hayworth and Alexander Scourby.
And our non-mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Glenn Ford.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest and mystery companion), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery companion), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery companion), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mystery companion) and Benito (Thursday’s mystery companion).
ladailymirror.com 
Juanita Moore in AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD.
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I’m pretty sure it’s Juanita Moore, but a wild guess, Band of Angels.
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Juanita Moore
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I don’t know who this is, but unless it’s an unusual movie for the time period, the person probably had a small role. I notice these small-part actors a lot more now that I’ve seen Lynn Nottage’s play, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark,” which was inspired by Theresa Harris and other Hollywood actors of color who were always relegated to the background.
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Isn’t that the marvelous Juanita Moore, so memorable in Imitation of Life?
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Julia Marshbanks in “Intruder in the Dust”.
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Juanita Moore in “Affair in Trinidad”
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It’s Juanita Moore in “Affair in Trinidad.”
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Affair in Trinidad (1952)w/Juanita Moore, Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford….
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Authority figure Howard Wendell.
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So with Howard Mendell I go to Affair in Trinidad.
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Juanita Moore and Howard Wendell in AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD.
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Howard Wendell
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Howard Wendell in Affair in Trinidad.
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Howard Wendell today. Movie is maybe “Affair in Trinidad”?
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Howard Wendell is the mystery gent.
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Steven Geray is surprised. by what?
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I say, it’s Steven Geray, acteur francais
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Steven Geray.
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Thanks to Howard Wendell, I know this is “Affair in Trinidad.”
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Our mystery movie is Affair in Trinidad with Steve Geray for today, Howard Wendell for Tuesday, and Juanita Moore for Monday.
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Juanita Moore, Howard Thatcher in Affair In Trinidad
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Monday: Juanita Moore. Tuesday: Howard Wendell. Wednesday: Steven Geray. Mystery Movie: Affair in Trinidad (1952)
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Wednesday I’m going with Steven Geray
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Howard Wendell and Torin Thatcher.
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Torin Thatcher.
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Is Tuesday and Thursday’s gent Fred Clark?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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The Mystery Companion is Torin Thatcher.
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Is Tuesday/Thursday = Fred Clark?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Thursday’s mystery companion: Torin Thatcher
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Torin Thatcher, without Ray Harryhausen special effects, or even a toupee
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Affair in Trinidad with Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford today. Juanita Moore on Monday, which I thought at the first of the week but declined when thinking of Imitation of Life. Steven Geray Wednesday.
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Rita Hayworth and Alexander Scourby; Glenn Ford, flanked by Albert Szabo and Gregg Martell.
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Monday is Juanita Moore – the film is Affair in Trinidad (1952)
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Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford and Alexander Scourby.
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Friday is Rita Hayworth with Alexander Scourby and Glenn Ford in the other photo for Fri
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Tues is Howard Wendell
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Rita Hayworth and Glen Ford. Affair in Trinadad.
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Juanita Moore and Torin Thatcher in Affaire in Trinidad.
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Affair In Trinidad, methinks.
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