Women of All Nations

In the 1920s and into the 30s, Fox made a string of movies starring Sergeant Quirt (Edmund Lowe) and Sergeant Flagg (Victor McLaglen). Despite what IMDB's trivia says, "Women of All Nations" isn't the first film in the series* but the fourth.

I must say up front that I've seen a few Quirt & Flagg films (including the 1950s remake of "What Price Glory?") and haven't been very impressed by the films. Part of it might be because although the pair are Marines, they never seem to be in war and the film makes it seem like being a Marine is nothing but laughs and chasing women. Is this one any different? Well, not especially. It plays much like a Popeye cartoon minus Olive Oyl...as Quirt and Flagg are almost at odds with each other or fighting over some woman.

The pace of this one is tiring. The duo keep fighting and arguing and acting like thick-headed fools throughout the movie. It's not terrible...but a bit tiresome after a while. Worth seeing only as a time-passer and not much more.

*IMDB says that "This the first of five films made during the pre-code period with the duo, Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen". It's the fourth but perhaps they are implying that the Pre-Code era began around 1930...but this still wouldn't make this the first. I'm really not sure how they came up with this number.

Women Of All Nations is still another watered down version of the characters of Captain Flagg and Sergeant Quirt made popular in the Maxwell Anderson play What Price Glory. Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe after creating the original parts on film in What Price Glory went on to play these parts in a series of movies. The films concentrated on the rollicking hijinks of these two Marine lifers without the serious drama portion of What Price Glory.

This episodic film is watered down pretty good. McLaglen and Lowe spend the film chasing after Greta Nissen a Swedish floozie who's playing up to both of them. Young private El Brendel who came to the Marines by way of Sweden joins McLaglen and Lowe in their adventures both romantic and dangerous.

Humphrey Bogart is supposed to be in this film as one of the Marines under McLaglen and Lowe. The Citadel Film Series book on The Films Of Humphrey Bogart lists this replete with still of Bogey in dress blues with the stars. He might be in this print in passing, I missed him and supposedly in longer versions he's there.

One person also down the credits is Bela Lugosi as an Arab sheik who adds Niesen to his harem. All three McLaglen, Lowe and El Brendel try to cut in on Bela. Of course in the end duty calls and the Marines go another place where Uncle Sam has need of them.

Women Of All Nations is choppy and episodic and asks to much of its stars to carry it.

In 1931 when this movie was produced, many actors still stuck in the technics of the silent movies. In this film, text passages should help the viewers understand what's going on and give some idea about the story - which, by the way - is rather simple. Victor McLaglen was a great star in those days and played the main part with Edmound Lowe co-starring. Humphrey Bogart who played already with McLaglen in "A Devil with Women" was to appear in that movie.

Already in "A Devil with Women", Bogie thought that this movie could end his beginning film career because it was, Quote a financial and artistic failure with a stupid plot and mismatched actors Unquote (Darwin Porter in "Humphrey Bogart - The early years" 2003 The Georgia Literary Associaton). Bogie threatened to buy up all copies of this film and have them destroyed according to Darwin Porter.

This experience in 1930 may have been the reason why Bogie was cut out in this 1931 film and why he was frustrated not to be a co-star to McLaglen.

It is hard to understand in our days that a film like "Women of all Nations" could ever be released - the only reason was McLaglen who was a kind of hero in early "action" movies.

Bogie fans will be disappointed, as to my knowledge only bad copies of this film - without Humphrey Bogart - are existing.

The film depicts the picaresque adventures of career Marines Sgts. Quirt and Flagg, played by Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe and directed by renowned helmsman Raoul Walsh. Because it is so episodic, it does tend to drag somewhat and, yes, Bogart's scenes were left on the cutting room floor. But, it offers Bela Lugosi an excellent supporting role as Prince Hassan in the last segment of the film, who catches Quirt and Flagg (as well as comedian El Brendel) invading Bela's harem to assignate with his #1 sweetie, played by the lovely Norwegian blonde actress Greta Nissen. Lugosi gets to ham it up in a comic vein, speaks some Hungarian and meows like a cat to try to catch the three rapscallions and in general livens up the proceedings. Not to mention that for those of us who are his devotees, he looks rather luscious in his Middle Eastern duds.

The 1926 silent "What Price Glory?" introduced Victor McLaglen as Captain Jim Flagg, and Edmund Lowe as Sgt. Harry Quirt, fellow marines who become friendly rivals, especially where there are women involved. The team was so popular that they repeated the roles in 1929's "The Cock-Eyed World," 1931's "Women of All Nations," and 1933's "Hot Pepper" (plus cameos in the 1931 2-reeler "The Stolen Jools"). Judging by the evidence on screen, the viewer may wonder why another sequel would have even been considered, as "Women of All Nations" meanders from one character to another, the endless banter between the two stars quite tiresome, especially the third wheel, El Brendel (the two year gap between films seems to have been a major factor). Among the unbilled performers who provide the only sparks, we have (all too briefly as a hoochie coochie dancer) the vivacious blonde Marjorie White, diminutive dynamo of early musical comedy (particularly 1933's "Diplomaniacs"), whose life was tragically cut short by a fatal car crash in 1935 (her last film was an early Three Stooges short, "Woman Haters"). But the most famous name belongs to Bela Lugosi, a frequent player at Fox Studios prior to "Dracula," shot just as his Dracula saw release in Feb 1931. As Prince Hassan, he indulges in stock villainous poses, threatening the lives of our two heroes for daring to making love to his favorite wife. The trollop has the audacity to hide both men in her boudoir (with El Brendel just outside), while the Prince slowly becomes aware of just how many suitors she has as all three indulge in catlike meows! Lugosi was no stranger to Marjorie White, as they later appeared together in "The Black Camel" and "Broadminded" the same year. Lugosi would also see more of Edmund Lowe, in 1932's "Chandu the Magician," 1934's "Gift of Gab," and 1935's "The Best Man Wins," while Victor McLaglen would get top billing over Boris Karloff in 1934's "The Lost Patrol" (Raoul Walsh would direct Karloff in "The Yellow Ticket," in the summer of 1931). Bela would return to Fox for "Chandu the Magician," 1933's "The Devil's in Love" (his last unbilled role), and 1939's "The Gorilla."