City Without Men

Michael Duane is about to join the Navy to fight for the American way when he is sling in prison for something he didn't do. Wife Linda Darnell, who didn't fight him on enlisting moves into Margaret Hamilton's boarding house by the Big House and gets a job. She continues to try to get him out so he can go get himself killed for America, seeking the help of drunken former judge Edgar Buchanan. At the boarding house are the usual assortment of tough dames waiting for their men in prison: Sara Allgood, Glenda Farrell, Leslie Brooks.... a plethora of fine actresses, with their husbands played by the likes of Sheldon Leonard, Joseph Crehan, and Oscar O'Shea.

This B. P. Schulberg production for Columbia is a well-timed one, from a story by the cynical Budd Schulberg. The facts of the Columbia release as well as mediocre direction by Sidney Salkow limit its value. Also annoying is the poor print is was pulled from, "enhanced" by being badly colorized. Even so, it's good to see these old pros perform in roles that hint of pre-code smut. And it's buchanan who gets the big, inspirational speech, which he pulls off very nicely.

Picture quality on Alpha DVD release is terrible but garbled soundtrack is even worse. Almost like watching a primitive foreign-language talkie in a language not yet recognized. Basic situation--a boarding house full of girlfriends, wives, and mothers of convicts living across the street from a prison where their men are impounded--has possibilities (think "Stage Door" on visitors' day) but it's impossible to understand what Linda Darnell, Glenda Farrell, Margaret Hamilton (in change-of-pace role as a sassy beer-swilling card cheat), etc. are saying 80 percent of the time. (And what was Darnell doing in a Poverty Row clinker like this at this point in her career?) Odd little film with early David Raksin score, light years away from his "Laura" panache just a few years later.

In 1943, Linda Darnell was an up and coming star--destined to make quite a career for herself at Twentieth Century-Fox. However, as she hadn't yet had this big break, she appeared in smaller films--in this case a film for Columbia's B-unit. When you watch "City Without Men", it's pretty easy to tell that this wasn't a particularly distinguished film--with a plot that, at times, is VERY heavy-handed and even silly.

The film begins with a new recruit for the US Navy getting pulled into the middle of a spy ring just before Pearl Harbor. Although he captures two evil Japanese spies, his superiors believe he was in league with them--and sentence him to five years in prison. His fiancée (Darnell) is determined to not only try to get him out, but she goes so far as to move into a rooming house near the prison. This place is full of other women whose men are behind bars (such as Sara Allgood and Glenda Farrell). Can she manage to get someone to look at her boyfriend's case and give him a second chance?

The idea of the film isn't bad, but all the WWII jingoism is a bit hard to take. In particular, Edgar Buchanan makes a long speech about America, apple pie and the like and it just comes off as preachy and ridiculous. In fact, much of the film is pretty ridiculous--with silly one-dimensional characters and not much more. An odd film...and not a very good one.

Forgettable bit notable for Margaret Hamilton as one of the wives of prisoners. Hilarious moment is when all the wives in the boarding home gang up on one who is seeking to run off on her husband, watch Hamilton's tough act especially. YOu can't miss it. Think of Laverne and Shirley tough acts (second time I have referred to that show in commenting on old movies) or even Ethel Mertz behaviour. Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe of 'Petticoat Junction') and Sara Allgood as the boarding house mother BEG for Academy Award nominations. I don't know what ever made anyone think Buchanan could draw sympathy and pity from an audience, but every performance he gives, he is emoting or spewing wisdom or in PJ's case, thinking he is stealing the show with laughs and warm humour. Here he plays an alcoholic lawyer who pleads for Linda Darnell's husband. He actually might have been effective without the alcoholic slant. Allgood's attempts at sympathy are utterly pathetic and blatantly obvious.

In the end, when all seems said and done, Glenda Farrell kind of sets the stage for some sort of sequel is all I can figure. Thankfully there wasn't one, or it there was, I never saw it. Again, Hamilton does manage a few good laughs with her incarcerated husband.

It's unfortunate that City Without Men could not have been made post WWII. Sadly a lot of very dated flag waving gets caught up in what could have been an interesting story.

Michael Duane is a tugboat captain who gets caught with a couple of Nipponese gentlemen on his craft and is arrested. He gets five years in prison for stuff I think a smart lawyer could have beaten even war time.

His fiancé Linda Darnell moves to a boardinghouse to be near him run by Sara Allgood whose husband is in the same prison doing a life sentence. Among other roomers it are Glenda Farrell and Margaret Hamilton. It looks a whole lot like the theatrical boardinghouse in Stage Door with all the personalities. But there's no eager hope for a career with these women, they're down and outers and they know it.

Darnell has her hopes pinned on drunken attorney Edgar Buchanan and that's not much.

This was a somewhat interesting story done of course on the cheap. It lost me however when Edgar Buchanan started waving the flag and drawing illusions to the occupation of Manchuria to Pearl Harbor with this man's case. Today's audiences would be howling in laughter.

Sadly some real potential is lost in wartime flag waving.