Une fille dans chaque port

Howard Hawks had been called by film critic Leonard Maltin as "the greatest American director who is not a household name." His imprint in the early Golden Age of Hollywood is everywhere. His versatility in expertly handling all types of genres, from screwball comedies, to westerns, to film noirs, to even musicals, is all encompassing. Hawks played a huge influence on future film directors such as Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and France's Jean-Luc Godard. The director's speciality, however, was movies about the friendly bonding of males, a concurrent theme in many of his films.

Beginning as a director in silent movies, his first movie containing the first traces of the Hawksian male trademark is February 1928's "A Girl In Every Port." Hawks wrote the story that the film's screenplay was based. It details a sailor, Spike (Victor McLaglen), who has a girlfriend in every port where his schooner docks at. Trouble brews when he discovers another sailor, Salami (Robert Armstrong), has coincidentally swept every girlfriend of his off their feet, leaving each of them a distinctive heart-shaped charm with an anchor inside. Spike finally catches up to Salami, and they duke it out. Using a similar set-up by the play and the movie "What Price Glory?" Hawks' story has the two adversaries ultimately forming a close bond-that is until Marie (Louise Brooks) enters the scene, stealing Spike (and his money) away from Salami. Film historians cite "A Girl In Every Port" as the first time in the director's oeuvre where his male characters feel friendship is more important than a relationship with a women. In this movie, Louise Brooks plays a conniving thief who is out to steal every penny from the gullible Spike.

An avid tennis player as a youth (he won the United States Junior Tennis Championship), Hawks joined the Aviation Section of the U. S. Signal Corps during World War One teaching untrained pilots how to fly. Living in Pasadena, California, after the war, he had worked summer jobs at film studios. His first employment was as a prop boy for Douglas Fairbanks films. Working alongside the actor, Mary Pickford and Cecil B. DeMille, Hawks secured a position at Paramount Pictures as a Production Editor and script writer. In 1925, Hawks was offered to direct films at Fox Films, with "A Girl In Every Port" his fifth movie.

The 21-year-old actress Louise Brooks' career took a giant leap forward in her role as Marie. Soon after "A Girl In Every Port" was released, German director G. W Pabst spotted her on the screen and felt she would be perfect for what turned out to be her defining role, 1929's "Pandora's Box." This Hawks film and her next appearance in "Beggars In Life" solidified Brooks' reputation as one of the more talented rising new stars in cinema.

Victor McLaglen and Robert Armstrong become best buddies after trying to beat the brains out of one another in this solid but unremarkable comedy from Howard Hawks. The delectable Louise Brooks is the scheming woman who threatens to come between them. Pabst hired Brooks for Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl after seeing her in this movie, and got so much more from her than Hawks does here.

It never ceases to amaze how, excepting rare instances, silent films often manage to be delightfully charming even if they don't immediately make a major impression. It helps the case of this one to be an early picture of iconic filmmaker Howard Hawks, one of the few surviving works of silent legend Louise Brooks, and moreover, a Fox Films production that wasn't consumed in the tragic vault fire of 1937. Setting aside the participants this may not be a feature that entirely stands out on its own - yet while perhaps not an absolute revelation, it's very ably made and solidly enjoyable, and a fine credit to all involved. 'A girl in every port' may not be a total must-see, but it's a fantastic classic on its own merits, and well worth checking out if one has the chance.

The writers give us a cheeky story of a womanizing lout cruising through various ports, coming into conflict with a fellow seaman who has the same habits, and ultimately finding brotherhood with him and further adventures. For all the social issues and other more serious notions that one could drum up as related points of discussion, the scenario is strictly played for comedy, and that pure intent makes it a good deal of fun from start to finish. The underlying story is solid and engaging in and of itself, but even more important in this case I think is the strong scene writing that gives us flavorful humor and apt guidelines for the actors, marked all the while with just the right measure of heart to help it to stick. Victor McLaglen and Robert Armstrong lead the cast with terrific performances of glad mirth and commendable expressiveness, and it's honestly a joy just to see them play around. One is rather inclined to think they didn't really need any instruction from Hawks to achieve such gay frivolity (and tinges of sincerity), but let there be no doubt that the man's direction is also wholly superb. Every shot and scene is orchestrated with a buzzing energy, not to mention frolicsome vitality, that squeezes every possible ounce of merriment out of every small moment. In fact, while I can hardly claim as of yet to have seen everything the director made, as far as I'm concerned this easily stands shoulder to shoulder with some of his best.

That excellence absolutely extends to cinematographers Rudolph J. Bergquist and L. William O'Connell, whose contributions reflect an active, dynamic mindfulness exceeding what one broadly associates with the silent era. Some shots in 'A girl in every port' are downright brilliant, for that matter, reflecting not just the gay spirit of the proceedings but an artistry that can't be said of all like fare. Those stunts and effects that are employed come off great, and even details like costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely. The production design and at direction, too, are just dandy, lending to the chipper tenor of the title and further demonstrating just how much skill, intelligence, and care went into it. And I hardly even need say how pleased I am to see Brooks here; she was a performer who was ahead of her time in some ways, particularly in the delicate nuance of her acting, and every opportunity to see her on the Silver Screen is a blessing.

There arguably comes a point in the latter half where the tone somewhat shifts, and the revels are traded in for more story-driven beats in a manner that feels imbalanced; as a consequence the picture might be uneven to some degree. More distinctly irksome, perhaps, is how the ending is a tad too neat and tidy, coming off a bit as Movie Magic more than earnest storytelling. But even at that, at large it's so tremendously smart in its craft, in every capacity - writing, direction, acting, all the work of those behind the scenes - that it forges ahead through the marginal roughness and is all-around stupendously entertaining. To the extent that this is less than perfect, the imperfections are minor.

Flawless it is not, yet while I certainly anticipated liking this when I sat to watch, still I'm taken with just how good it is. Every last trace of the feature conjured and assembled with welcome wit and thoughtfulness, and with a mind only for giving audiences a good time. That goal was very capably met, and between Hawks, McLaglen, and Armstrong, let alone Brooks or anyone else on hand, I don't know who deserves the most credit for its success. One way or another this remains an admirable slice of cinema past, and though as a matter of personal preference it may not appeal equally to all, I'd have no qualms recommending it to just about anyone. Suggested especially for fans of the era, or of those involved, 'A girl in every port' holds up well even more than ninety years later, and is well worth the time it takes to watch.

The only reason this fllm seems to garner attention is due to Louise Brooks in the final segment. She is attractive enough but displaying little dramatic talent, just a show piece that any woman, actress or not, could have provided the film makers.

I am among those who just 'don't get" Louise Brooks, and I guess I will die unchanged. Nothing special at all in my book. She just had a "look," but no talent.

A buddy movie, that could be termed gay "but without any sex," just camaraderie devoid of the influence of the female.

A Girl In Every Port is a nice comedy equiped with laughs, betrayal, lust and fighting. It is about two sailors and their adventures with women. As one character finds his girls being stolen leaving the infamous heart and anchor on all of his women. Love interest in this movie is Mam'selle Godiva/ Tessie, played by Louise Brooks. A circus diver she enters the film late in the movie. She fiens interest in one of the friends, trying to seduce the other. A predatory character, Tessie is a nice addition to this film. Which without could have become just another non-convincing comedy. I enjoyed this film mainly because of Brooks. All in all a nice movie.