La Maison des 7 péchés

An American drama; A story about a saloon entertainer banished from various American protectorates in the Pacific, who uses her femme-fatale charms to achieve her aims including wooing a Navy officer in a South Seas gin joint. This is an enjoyably exotic adventure with raffish comedy, romance and glamour. The film's enduring strength is confined to how Marlene Dietrich thrives as the flamboyant torch singer and scarlet woman. Dietrich satirises the Shanghai Lil stereotype sirens of Far East showbusiness past with aplomb and humour. The young and handsome Naval Lieutenant playing amorous to her is John Wayne, who smooches up to create some nice chemistry. Broderick Crawford, Mischa Auer, Samuel S Hinds, Reginald Denny, and Oscar Homolka all give fine supporting performances. The production standards are good. The sets are reminiscent of film director Josef von Sternberg's films. The atmosphere of a cheap, evil island cafe is captured well. The bar-room finale is preposterous but the rumbustiousness and playful excess the audience experiences from the beginning was energy that had to go somewhere, so the film going out like a thermobaric implosion seemed like a fitting fortissimo coda.

Marlene Dietrich stars as Bijou, a nightclub singer whose mere presence causes men to riot. Her unholy aura causes her to be exiled from one South Pacific island as the film begins, so she heads out for another island with her lunkhead bodyguard Little Ned (Broderick Crawford) and two-bit magician Sasha (Mischa Auer) in tow. It doesn't take long for Bijou to land a new nightclub singer job, and even less time for her to set the menfolk aflame, including sleazeball Antro (Oskar Homolka) and US Navy Lt. Dan (John Wayne).

This meandering flick changes moods almost as often as Dietrich changes outfits, from silly farce to heartfelt romance to menacing drama. The supporting cast is excellent, although Dekker is wasted as a drunken ship's doctor, and Crawford's loud brute grows a bit tiresome. Dietrich, who was 38 at the time of filming, looks ten years older, thanks to too much weight loss, an unflattering hairstyle, and some regrettable outfits. She's beginning to resemble the slightly inhuman mannequin she would become in the last half of her life, too artificial and almost a parody of her 30's heyday. Even her throaty singing seems like a takeoff on her own inimitable style, like someone doing an exaggerated impersonation of Marlene Dietrich.

Wayne's admiration onscreen seems very genuine, and it's been stated by multiple sources that it continued offscreen, as well. The climactic barroom brawl loses some steam by using cartoonishly sped-up action and an obvious stunt double for Wayne, although it does provide the unexpected sight of seeing John Wayne in a fist fight with Oskar Homolka.

Both Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne are at their physical peak in 'Seven Sinners', a South Seas island romp that concludes with one of the most colorful barroom brawls in movie history. Dietrich is a Sadie Thompson kind of character, island hopping as she is deported from one tropical island to another--always attracting a bunch of attentive admirers with a knack for inciting riots. It's a film that's briskly entertaining from start to finish.

Dietrich has never been more appealing, gorgeously gowned and photographed to advantage whether appearing in skin-tight glittering gowns or sporting lacey parasols or wearing a sailor's uniform. She projects the same sort of character she played in 'Destry Rides Again'. John Wayne is young, handsome and earnest in one of his earlier roles. James Craig can be spotted briefly as an admiring ensign. Mischa Auer and Oscar Homolka have some colorful supporting roles, but the most enjoyable member of the cast is Billy Gilbert as the night club owner who sees trouble brewing the minute Dietrich shows up at his tavern.

Breezy entertainment with a couple of good songs done in the stylish Dietrich manner.

Its fun and spunky enough, but it has the schizophrenic feel of a "B" film with "A-list" actors. It was made by Universal, which had taken a chance the year before, and cast Dietrich in "Destry Rides Again" following her inclusion in the famous "box-office poison" list. Wayne was just transitioning from shoestring Republic Pictures; he had made zillions of minor films, and his career was just starting to take off. Dietrich often seems to be in a different film altogether; the way she looks and acts goes way above what the material calls for - she was always extremely conscious of her "look" and image. Her musical numbers are fun, especially the awesome nightclub number in Navy uniform drag - who else could pull THAT one off so successfully!

Bijou Blanche, a sort of chanteuse, provoked a riot, literally, everywhere in which she appears. When we first see her, she is arriving by ship to a place she is not exactly welcomed, she goes to the Seven Sinners club, where its owner doesn't have too many fond memories of Bijou, but she is a woman who will bring a lot of business his way. Ms. Blanche has the right amounts of sophistication, beauty and elegance that proves to be disarming for the men lucky enough to get her attention.

Bijou, who has a two-man entourage, Little Ned, and Sasha, soon discovers the American Navy, which has a presence in the island. It takes little before most of the sailors discover the mysterious beauty who can belt a song as well as play pool like a pro. Lt. Dan Brent, also falls under her spell, in spite of being the unofficial escort for the daughter of the man in command.

There are enough tensions in the air as a sinister Anthro, who wants Bijou for himself enters the picture. Anthro is a man who knows how to throw a knife as Tony, the owner of the club, can attest. Bijou has the kind of reaction men seem to have whenever she is around. One of the most fun brawls occurs at the Seven Sinners, but at the end, Bijou has her way, as it's always the case.

Directed with his usual style by Tay Garnett, the new DVD copy has an excellent quality since it is part of a newly released package featuring films of John Wayne. The great Marlene Dietrich is Bijou, a woman who knows what makes men tick. She kept reminding us of Destry, in that in both films she played saloon entertainers. A young, handsome John Wayne is perfect opposite Ms. Dietrich. Their chemistry is right.

The pleasure of watching this movie is watching an interesting supporting cast full of familiar faces. Broderick Crawford and Misha Auer play Little Ned Finnegan and Sasha, who are devoted to Bijou. Oskar Homolka is perfectly menacing and gives the film another dimension in the mystery surrounding his persona. Billy Gilbert also puts an appearance as Tony, the owner of the joint.

Not seen often these days, "Seven Sinners" is worth a look because of the amazing cast and the fun everyone seemed to be having, and of course, Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne at their best.