Orizzonti di fuoco

"The Devil's in Love" is a very interesting movie, and fans of old movies consider this a gem. A good cast and a compelling plot are highlights. This could have been just another story of intrigue in the Foreign Legion, but Bela Lugosi gives a stand-out performance as the Military Prosecutor. Although Bela had a small role (remember the famous quote: "There are no small parts, only small actors") it was a key role and pivotal to the story. The scene Bela is in is actually fairly lengthy. Whereas Bela's name is absent from the main credits, Bela's performance did not go unnoticed by his growing number of fans-- who were now becoming, pardon the pun, Legion.

When I first thought of writing a review of The Devil's In Love, made by William (here "Wilhelm") Dieterle for Fox Films in 1933, I thought I would begin by calling it the most von Sternberg-like film by another director that I know of. On reflection, while I think this is still true, I don't think Dieterle thought for a minute "This is going to be an imitation JvS" the way many directors decades later made obvious Hitchcock imitations, I think the similarities to JvS's Dietrich films are worth considering but the differences are really more important.

First, the similarities: There is a scene between Loretta Young and Victor Jory where the effect of shadows from an overhead trellis or some such on her face is reminiscent of the shots in JvS's Morocco where we see the French Legionnaires overlaid with similar shadow patterns. Probably Hal Mohr, the excellent cameraman, had taken notice of Lee Garmes's photography of JvS films and this sort of thing came naturally, without being intended as imitation or "homage."

When the hero (Victor Jory, more often a villain), fleeing from unjust punishment in the Legion, takes up residence in a new town under a new name, he is visited by an old flame, Rena (the excellent Vivianne Osborne), who operates a cabaret-brothel in town. Her joint looks like a seedier, more low-rent version of the one LoTinto (Paul Porcasi) operates in Morocco, which at least aspired to "class." (Interestingly, Paul Porcasi, who played LoTinto in Morocco here appears as an irascible bartender--much more butch-looking than LoTinto was.) Where LoTinto's cabaret had a special section for the "society" of Morocco, so they wouldn't have to mingle with the hoi polloi, Rena's clientele appears to be all hoi polloi.

Rena's floor show is the tackiest imaginable with no-talent dancers who, it is implied, can be rented out for other purposes. Her floor show opens with a brash, untalented comedienne in a ridiculous oversized headdress rushing on to perform a cockney comic song--a blatant "distanciation effect" of the kind JvS used in The Blue Angel and, though it came later, in unexpected moments in The Devil is a Woman to emphasize the painful humiliation of Lionel Atwill's obsession with Dietrich. Perhaps to Dieterle, with his cultured German background, this sort of thing came naturally, with any similarity to JvS unintended.

Even with these similarities, the differences are more salient. Dieterle moves his film along at a brisk pace, in the manner of WB films of the period and doesn't indulge in the dreamy languorousness of JvS films. The dialogue is delivered crisply and so the whole feeling of the acting is different, more realistic. (I suspect that JvS had Dietrich speak her lines so slowly not for any aesthetic reason but simply to compensate for her lack to fluency in English.) Dieterle gives his actors many big close-ups, which JvS used sparingly. Loretta Young is Dieterle's lovely leading lady, a fine actress who JvS would surely have found uncongenial--but that just shows his limitations! Victor Jory makes for a tough, virile, no-nonsense leading man, a distinct improvement over Victor McLaglen, Clive Brook and--dare I say it?--even Gary Cooper.

Since screenwriting is not often celebrated unless it calls attention to itself, I'd like to say a good word for Howard Estabrook's script--a model of compression that covers a lot of ground without seeming rushed. His dialogue scenes, though they lack the wit of Sternberg and Furthman, are good at conveying characters' backstories without seeming to, without any of the languid reminiscence common to JvS's principals.

All in all, an unusually interesting film that combines the pace and zest of the best WB films with the conscious artistry common not just to JvS but also to Paramount films of the time. Highly recommended. -- Patrick O'Neill, 3/12/22.

Victor Jory never became a major star. He is better known for later character roles than for his early leads. But he was very handsome and an excellent actor.

His love scenes with Loretta Young in this romantic adventure thriller are passionate. Their kisses look very real. And very modern.

Vivienne Osborne is a standout here also. She plays a woman with a reputation. But the character has a good heart.

The print I saw was not clear. But what a joy that rare movies like this are turning up! And they are, in some sort of watchable condition, still intact. This is nothing truly special. But if one is willing to sift through movies of its era with similarly intriguing titles, one is likely to find some suprtb movies.

The first five minutes might make you think that this will not be your cup of tea - a Foreign Legion story, no thanks but stick with it. It's a proper in-your-face, full blown melodramatic storytelling from a master filmmaker, master storyteller.

Besides the genuinely engrossing story (yes, even ninety years later it'll keep you glued) what's thoroughly outstanding is the fabulous photography. William Dierterle's German expressionist heritage - which he'd exhibit amazingly a few years later his HUNCHBACK OF NOTE DAME is thoroughly evident here. The lighting, the shadows, the use of light and dark to express the mood is beautifully employed in this exceptionally well made picture.

It's just shame that like a lot of films from Fox Film, it hasn't been that well preserved. This means that a lot of the subtlety of the photography which is virtually a character in itself is sometimes lost. It also means that you can't fully appreciate the utter gorgeousness of Loretta Young as well as you should. She was surely the prettiest actress in the world! Her part however isn't that demanding and is only secondary to Victor Jory who is exceptional in this. Yes, Victor Jory is the romantic lead.

The more early thirties pictures I see, the more I keep finding him - especially at Fox Films where he was one of their leading men. After Fox went belly up, his star status slipped and he became a supporting actor on countless movies and to my amazement I have only recently realised that he was Wilkerson in GONE WITH THE WIND.

In this he's the principled and stoic if somewhat sanctimonious hero but shows real depth of character - people like this did exist... or at least after watching his superb authentic performance you'll really believe they did. A shame that as Hollywood grew, there wasn't room for him at the top but you see so many 'big names' from the pre-code days with minor bit parts just a few years later. Fame was very transitory back then.

1933's "The Devil's in Love" was yet another Fox entry in the French Foreign Legion adventures so popular at the time. Major Bertram (Robert H. Barrat) has just transferred his best doctor, Andre Morand (Victor Jory), to an outpost that means certain death, then ends up poisoned after taking some medication. Andre is quickly convicted of murder, but his good friend, Capt. Jean Fabien (David Manners), ensures his escape to Port Zamba, where he resumes his practice under the name Paul Vernay, gaining time to prove himself innocent before Chief of Police Radak (C. Henry Gordon) can find him. Both Victor Jory and Bela Lugosi (as well as C. Henry Gordon) had previously appeared in a 1930 Legion feature at Fox, "Renegades" (Jory's film debut), and had another connection for the same studio: Lugosi had played the fortune teller Tarneverro in 1931's Charlie Chan feature "The Black Camel," while in the 1941 remake "Charlie Chan in Rio," Jory played the role, now called Alfredo Marana. David Manners, from "Dracula" and "The Death Kiss," would work with Lugosi once more in 1934's "The Black Cat," while Loretta Young would actually work with Boris Karloff this same year, in "The House of Rothschild." Lugosi found steady employment at Fox prior to Dracula, but this one-shot return went unnoticed at the time; inexplicably, he receives no on-screen credit (for the last time), though it's clearly a showy part that served him well (about five minutes screen time). Wearing a bushy moustache and clad in military uniform, Bela's smug and confident prosecutor actually wins his case. Other impressive performances are essayed by J. Carrol Naish and Akim Tamiroff.