L'ammaliatrice

Charming is the perfect word for this movie. Dietrich is at her best as she charms her two beaus, the score is charming, and Rene Clair brings the same light touch he showed the next year in I Married a Witch. Quite funny, but more than any thing else, charming.

Sandwiched in between some of her great films at Universal with John Wayne is this modest programmer for Marlene Dietrich that depends considerably on her charms to carry it off. Perhaps it might have been a much better film had the two leading men she wanted been available.

According to a recent biography of Marlene Dietrich, the two men she wanted for The Flame Of New Orleans were Cary Grant and Adolphe Menjou. She had worked with both before, Menjou in Morocco and Grant in Blonde Venus. She liked Menjou and sad to say MGM wouldn't make him available. At the time she and Cary Grant did not get along all that well, he played the other man in Blonde Venus. But in the interim he had gotten superstardom so Dietrich thought that Grant might prove to be a good screen partner now. Alas, that screen team was never to be.

Marlene and her maid Theresa Harris arrive in New Orleans where from the outset it's made plain to the viewer that Dietrich is out to hook a rich fish from the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The one she looks to land is rich and fussy Roland Young and she does bait a trap for him. But a roistering sea captain played by Bruce Cabot spoils it all for her though eventually Young falls for her as expected.

Now if you can't figure out who she winds up with, there's something terribly wrong with you.

Cabot does give a strong performance as the captain, I'm sure he was a rougher type than Cary Grant would have been. Of course as was usual with Marlene and her leading man, the obligatory affair was had. But she also said she found Cabot to be something of a boor and dropped him quickly.

Theresa Harris had a very interesting and unusual role for a black actress of the time. She might be a maid, but she functions more like a partner in crime with Dietrich's schemes. She's nobody's fool in this film and even gets a love interest of sorts in Young's driver Clarence Muse.

The film did get an Oscar nomination for Best Art&Interior Direction and the sets were grand. Rene Clair did a very good job of conveying New Orleans of 1841. Still the film is minor league Dietrich and it could have been a lot better if she had gotten the players she wanted as co-stars.

Marlene Dietrich, ever since seeing her for the first time in the brilliant 'Witness for the Prosecution' (where she gives a very memorable performance), was a very engaging actress and performer. Especially in the 30s, where she was in a lot of films that played to her strengths. Also like some of Rene Clair's other films, my personal favourite (and my first watched film of his) being one of the best versions of one of Agatha Christie's best books 'And Then There Were None'.

'The Flame of New Orleans' is worth seeing, if more a one-time watch than repeated viewings worthy. Dietrich did much better before and since, though she is not disgraced here, and the same goes for Clair who doesn't come off too badly still either. There are a good deal of good things here, including Dietrich, but some quite serious drawbacks that take away from the enjoyment somewhat. Making for an inoffensive and above average if not much more than that film.

Admittedly the story can be a little over-complicated and in other places it can be quite flimsy, the central triangle could have done with more personality perhaps too and the ending can be seen from miles off.

Did find Andy Devine a bit wearing at times and his comedy overdone.

However, 'The Flame of New Orleans' benefits greatly from classy production values, the sets and production design being particularly great. The music is immensely appealing to listen to and fits the film's frothy nature very nicely. The script is gently witty, charmingly frothy and has a lively energy. While the story can easily be criticised, at least to me it wasn't dull and it has a genuine charm underneath all the froth.

Clair's direction has the right lightness of touch, and doesn't get pedestrian. Furthermore, Dietrich is luminous and brings a lot of grace and verve to the lead role. Roland Young and particularly Bruce Cabot make the most of their fairly sketchy characters, having quite nice chemistry with Dietrich. The rest of the cast do good jobs, with particularly amusing turns from Theresa Harris and Mischa Auer.

Altogether, good frothy fun though with not everything working. 7/10

René Clair lost some of his charm when he went to Hollywood, but chances were good that he couldn't lose it all. I quite love his 1942 film I Married a Witch, starring Veronica Lake. I think I like this Marlene Dietrich vehicle even better. Oh, this is a charmer, all right. The plot is too complicated to describe here, but the story is very clever and very entertaining. The film is sweet, romantic and quite funny. The cast is exceptional. Bruce Cabot is surprisingly great as the leading man. You might remember him as the block of wood who won out over the monkey in King Kong. He must have gained some talent as he aged; he's much more handsome at this point, and has an effortless charm, reminiscent of Clark Gable. Roland Young plays his rival. One thing I'll always love about Golden Age Hollywood is the bevy of character actors, something we have entirely lost in the present. Here we have Mischa Auer, Anne Revere, Andy Devine, Theresa Harris and Franklin Pangborn. I had thought for sure Morocco was the best reason to own Universal's Marlene Dietrich set, but, so far, this is the best.

Marlene D plays a dual role. As the Countess, she dresses like an ostrich and is a trickster who gets her way by fainting so she can bag a wealthy suitor. In her other role, she looks exactly the same yet seems to fool the rest of the cast. There you go, it can't be a good film. A Dietrich vehicle that has some amusing scenes at the beginning with potential suitor Bruce Cabot (Catour) resembling a Clark Gable type.

As always, Dietrich just glows star quality. Roland Young (Giraud) plays his part well as a wealthy, interested party and I also thought Anne Revere (Giraud's sister) and Melville Cooper (Giraud's brother-in-law) put in amusing, convincing performances.

As for the other characters, unfortunately, we get comedy sailors that include Andy "clear your throat" Devine (1st Sailor). Not funny. The better comedy comes from a surprising source – Mischa Auer (Zolotov). For a change, Mischa Auer doesn't miss the mark – he's funny in his role (the only time I can remember him successfully doing this) and Franklin Pangborn (Bellows) as Auer's European companion has that kind of face that screams comedy. He reminds me of one of my Portuguese cousins – she looks just like him.

It's a fluffy film that is completely unbelievable but entertains while it is going. I wouldn't recommend it, but it's OK - nothing too gripping going on.