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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you're a serious classic film devotee, especially one with a soft spot for pre-Code mysteries, then The Girl from Havana might just offer a quaint diversion. Otherwise, for most modern viewers, this one's probably a miss. It's got some charm, but man is it slow sometimes.
Anyone looking for complex plots or big action will probably find themselves checking their watch. But if you're interested in how these early detective stories unfolded, or just want to see a specific kind of old Hollywood acting, it has its moments.
Our main character, Joan Anders (Natalie Moorhead), works for a jewelers' protective association. Which is a very specific job title, isn't it?
Her big idea for catching a gang of jewel thieves is to go undercover as a chorus girl. On a boat! The setup for a musical comedy troupe is a bit thin; you don't actually see a lot of 'musical comedy' happening, mostly just Joan looking thoughtful in a sequined outfit.
She's supposed to be blending in, but she often just looks a little out of place, which is actually kind of endearing. Like she's trying her best.
The whole steamer trip from Los Angeles to Havana takes up a good chunk of the film. It's meant to build tension, I think, but mostly it just feels like a long boat ride.
This is where things get messy for Joan. She falls for Allan Grant (Paul Page), who is, naturally, one of the guys she's supposed to be investigating. Their romance sparks up really fast.
One minute they're just talking, the next it's like they've known each other for years. It's a trope, sure, but here it feels less like chemistry and more like, 'well, we need a romantic lead, so here he is.'
Paul Page's performance as Grant is interesting. He carries this sort of conflicted look throughout, which makes the eventual reveal less of a shock and more of an 'ah, I kinda thought so' moment.
There's a scene where he's just staring out at the ocean, and the camera lingers on him for a beat too long. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you this moment matters.
When the gang is finally apprehended, it's not with a huge bang, but more of a quiet unraveling. And then comes the big twist about Allan Grant.
Turns out, he's the son of a murdered jeweler and only joined the gang to track down his father's killer. It's a neat piece of plotting for the era, even if it's not entirely unpredictable.
This reveal makes a lot of Grant's earlier brooding make sense, retrospectively. It's a decent twist, but the buildup to it is a bit of a meandering path.
The pacing is often a bit uneven. Some scenes go on about 20 seconds too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than emotional. Then other parts rush by so quickly, you almost miss a key plot point.
Dorothy Brown, who plays a fellow chorus girl, has some fun small moments. Her reactions are often more genuine than some of the main players, a small thing that's easy to overlook but adds a bit of spark.
The whole ending wraps up a little too neatly, a bit too fast after all the slow build-up on the ship. It's like they suddenly realized they were running out of reel.
Overall, The Girl from Havana is a curious watch. It's less about a thrilling detective story and more about experiencing a particular kind of old film. The specific charm of old movies is here, but so are the little rough edges and slow bits.
You can tell it was made for a different audience, with different expectations for pace and realism. Still, for a movie from that time, it's not without its charms, especialy if you have a soft spot for these early genre pieces. Give it a look if you're curious, but don't expect a pulse-pounding thriller. Just a quiet little mystery that takes its time.
IMDb —
1926
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