When sea captain Edward G. Robinson finds a naked woman in his bunk, it's quite a nice surprise. It sounds more scandalous than it is; his ship has just rescued a lifeboat of survivors from a U-boat attack, and there isn't enough room for everyone. Uninjured, but still tired and frightened, the very alluring Lynn Bari found her way into his room and settled in for a good night's sleep. In the morning, they have a fun and frisky conversation as he shaves and she slinks out of his bathrobe into his sweatshirt.
The first mate, Victor MacLaglan, warns Eddie G against falling for Lynn. She doesn't have a passport and could be trying to cozy up to him for less than admirable reasons. Eddie G is a red-blooded man and disregards his friend's warning. He takes her to a nightclub, gets rip-roaring drunk, dances the rumba, and wakes up to her kisses in bed. What? This movie was made in 1944, during the Production Code, wasn't it? Then how did all this naughtiness get past the censors?
You'll have to watch Tampico to find out. There are parts of the movie that are very good, but others really threaten to ruin the whole picture. I liked the romance and the full-fledged character of Eddie G; Lynn was also good in a tailor-made Linda Darnell role. If you're looking for a war movie, you might be disappointed. There's far less emphasis on the war than you'd initially expect.