I am a Humphrey Bogart fan and like most of his movies, those I've seen anyway. This film was made about 5 years before his death. Bogart plays Billy Dannreuther, an American ex-pat who has brokered an illegal land deal in British East Africa for a band of crooks played by Peter Lorre (O'Hara), Philip Morley (Peterson), Marco Tulli (Ravello), and Ivor Barnard (Maj. Jack Ross). They plan to steal and sell uranium belonging to the British government. Gina Lollobrigida plays Bogart's wife Maria. While waiting in an Italian port to take a ship to Africa Bogart meets a British couple, Harry and Gwendolyn Chelm (Edward Underdown and Jennifer Jones), also waiting to sail on the same ship. Bogart and Gwendolyn hit it off, while Maria (Bogie's wife) develops a crush on Harry Chelm. The band of four crooks is continually imagining intrigue and betrayal by Bogart. Philip Morley as Peterson is particularly funny.
When I first saw the film I had the sense that it lacked a sense of direction, the story wasn't driven forward, it kind of meandered along. But it was funny, interesting, and held my attention well the whole way. I later learned that the director John Huston tore up the script at the start of the film and flew in Truman Capote who wrote new scenes every day.
The comedy is of an older style. I haven't seen Bogart in any other comedies, and I don't know that he made any others. The film has a relaxed sense to it. I got the feeling that listening to Bogart speak in real life would not sound too different to the way he spoke in this film. I like it more now than when I first saw it. It is one of those movies that I watch again and again.