Set in wartime Argentina, Gilda has fascinated both audiences and critics since its release in 1946. The film stars Rita Hayworth in her best-remembered role, as the title character, caught in a love triangle between a tough casino owner and a professional gambler (Glenn Ford). Melvyn Stokes' study of the film provides an in-depth account of its production history and addresses Rita Hayworth's complex star persona and ethnic identity; Gilda's status as a "noir" film; and what the film had to say about relations between men and women in a world transformed by war.