Marrocos

Either if you're a man or a woman, you'll fall for Amy Jolly, that would be read 'amie jollie' = beautiful friend, in French speaking Morocco. Marlene Dietrich not exactly at her best, but very sexy, playing gracefully from a man-eater 'Carmen' (plenty of suggestions linking both characters) to a female sutler, following 'her man' into the desert. First, on high heels shoes, than taking her shoes off, and going on naked feet, along with a handful of native women, and donkeys, and she-goats. One tends to forget the great director (von Sternberg) behind this great woman-star, and that's unjust. The script may have been good, but it would not develop onto this smooth running 90 minutes of relative inaction (for 21st century standards), but for the cleverly devised sequences, photography, and dialogues.

I'm so glad I finally saw this movie yesterday on the big screen, at a special session. Those who can't afford this luxury, certainly can afford renting, nay, buying this video?

"Talkies" had been around just a couple years when Paramount made "Morocco," but watching this film one might think it was a late silent movie. That's because of the dialog - or paucity of it. "Morocco" is a film with few lines and even fewer words in those few lines. But then, the two leads in this early desert flick never were known for their verbosity or lengthy lines of dialog. Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich both grew up in the silent era, and had many films under their belts by 1930. And, both of their careers were noted for roles with little dialog. As very good actors, their expressions and movements spoke a lot.

This is a good movie that gives a feel for the desert, a foreign legion setting, and life in colonial Africa. The time is during the Rif war of 1911-27, between Spain with France as an ally, and Berber tribes from the Rif (mountainous) region of Morocco. The film is based on German novel, "Amy Jolly, the Woman from Marrakesh," by Benno Vigny. Dietrich plays Mademoiselle Jolly, who is a cabaret singer. She is the woman of a love triangle that includes Cooper. Cooper is in a sultry role as Legionnaire Tom Brown.

Cooper was 29 and Dietrich 28 when this film was made. Both got their starts in silent films - Cooper in the U.S. and Dietrich in Germany. Cooper had been in some 50 movies before this and Dietrich had been discovered in Berlin. This was her Hollywood debut.

This is a good early look in sound films of two great stars of the silver screen. Jolly performs a couple of numbers that are risqué.

After her stunning international success in The Blue Angel, Marlene Dietrich was open to all kinds of film offers from all countries. She shrewdly negotiated with Adolph Zukor at Paramount Pictures in the USA and made her feature film debut in Morocco co-starring with Paramount's number one leading man Gary Cooper. She couldn't have predicted it, but it was a permanent move away from Germany.

Dietrich was a package deal for with her came the director of The Blue Angel Joseph Von Sternberg. No doubt Von Sternberg created the image that we now know her for, sensual, alluring, and standing by her man when she does make her choice.

One thing about Morocco I found different than most of the films I've seen of Dietrich is that she's not in control of the situation. In most films she usually is, but in Morocco Cooper's very much in charge. She's got a wealthy man in Adolphe Menjou panting after her, but she can't see him for beans. It's Gary Cooper an ordinary dogface Foreign Legionaire that she's fallen for.

Cooper in fact plays a part Tyrone Power would affect great success with later, a hero/heel. Cooper is carrying on an affair with the wife of one of the officers at his post when he meets Dietrich. The man must have had something going for him.

Von Sternberg did a great job in creating the atmosphere of not only Morocco, but of the Foreign Legion. Men with forgotten pasts and dubious futures, living only for the moment.

Although I think Marlene Dietrich did better films than Morocco in her Hollywood years, Morocco was a grand and auspicious beginning for her.

While traveling from Europe to Morocco by ship, the cabaret singer Mademoiselle Amy Jolly (Marlene Dietrich) meets the wealthy Monsieur La Bessiere (Adolphe Menjou) that offers to "help" her in Morocco, but Amy refuses his offer. Mademoiselle Amy Jolly is hired by Lo Tinto (Paul Porcasi) to sing in his nightclub and in her debut, she meets Monsieur La Bessiere again having dinner with his friends Adjutant Caesar (Ullrich Haupt) and his wife Madame Caesar (Eve Southern). He invites Amy to stay with him, but the singer feels attracted by the lady-killer Legionnaire Tom Brown (Gary Cooper). Amy invites Tom to go to her apartment after the show but their encounter does not work very well. Tom leaves her apartment and Amy follows him. Meanwhile Madame Caesar stalks Tom on the street but he returns with Amy to her apartment. However two thieves attack him and he self-defends and kills the guys. Tom is arrested and Adjutant Caesar unsuccessfully tries to force him to confess that he had met his wife. Monsieur La Bessiere offers to help Tom but he is assigned to a suicide mission with the Foreign Legion. La Bessiere proposes marriage to Amy, but she is divided between her true love with Tom and the comfortable life she might have with the millionaire.

"Morocco" is the first film of Marlene Dietrich in America with a strange triangle of love among a cabaret singer, a legionnaire and a millionaire. The romance has a daring scene for a 1930 film, when Marlene Dietrich kisses Eve Southern on the lips and a magnificent conclusion, unusual in Hollywood movies. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Marrocos" ("Morocco")

'Morocco' may not be the best of the seven Marlene Dietrich-Josef Von Sternberg collaborations, but there is so much to love and what is loved about their other collaborations is seen aplenty in 'Morocco' as well.

Its weak link is the story, which does creak in the pacing at times, especially in the more uneventful stretches, and it is also threadbare thin and clichéd. Occasionally it is a little stagy in the dialogue too.

However, Dietrich makes her character a real person, her toughness hard-hitting, her risqué-ness sensual and her vulnerability deeply touching. Cooper has rarely looked so young and is incredibly handsome, while his acting was stronger in later years he is still likable and at ease. Menjou is wonderfully dapper. Sternberg directs sumptuously and with adroit atmosphere, of which 'Morocco' is rich in.

There are many memorable scenes, including Dietrich's ornate and deliciously outrageous first appearance, one of the most erotic nightclub scenes on film, a wonderfully romantic love scene and one of the most unforgettably hot kisses in cinematic history.

Visually, 'Morocco' looks great, especially in the luminous lighting and ravishingly atmospheric cinematography. The music is very catchy with some parts ahead of their time. Most of the script is clever and sophisticated and there is still a huge amount to keep one engrossed despite the unexceptional story.

In summary, very good and rich in atmosphere film that has a lot that is hard to forget in the long run. 8/10 Bethany Cox