Les renégats

1930's "Renegades" was among a number of early talkies depicting adventurers among the French Foreign Legion, in this case four individuals who get in and out of trouble with their superior officer, Captain Mordiconi (C. Henry Gordon). Warner Baxter headlines as Belgian Jean Deucalion, who had been betrayed by his fiancée, Eleanore (Myrna Loy), a spy for the enemy, taking his revenge against her years later from a position of power in French Morocco, set up by The Marabout, Sheik Muhammed Halid (Bela Lugosi), leader of the riffs. Warner Baxter had previously appeared with Lugosi in "Such Men Are Dangerous," and worked with Boris Karloff in 1929's "Behind That Curtain." Lugosi, steadily employed at Fox Studios prior to his groundbreaking "Dracula," enjoys his most flamboyant role that year, sparring effortlessly with Myrna Loy, who has willingly joined his harem: "you very clever, for a woman!" Making his film debut was Victor Jory, who would be back in the Legion (along with Lugosi and C. Henry Gordon) in 1933's "The Devil's in Love," also at Fox. Still typecast as exotic vamps, the young Myrna Loy is as evil as can be, but still irresistibly beautiful (she also worked with Boris Karloff, in 1932's "The Mask of Fu Manchu").

Well, it isn't a very exciting film; it's quite slooow for the most part and poorly acted, even in 1930 terms; and has little cinematic value. It is not completely awful though. This is the worst performance I have ever seen from Myrna Loy - You will know where the term "cardboard cut-out" came from, and Warner Baxter is his usual over-dramatic, bombastic self. In my humble opinion he was one of the most overrated actors from that period, always seeming to play very righteous characters.

Considering its' broad acting, Bela Lugosi is actually quite good and stands out as a breath of fresh air from the others. He even swings his robe over his body and walks out the tent door in his theatrical 'Dracula' style!

There is some camera movement, but most of it is long dolly shots of two people having a conversation. Victor Fleming had not quite honed his workmanlike style and is quite far from Gone with the Wind in this one. And the plot is absolutely ridiculous - a very typical half-baked one from that period. Not really worth anyone's time, except as a curio for fans of the actors/director or early talkies.

Nothing could save this turkey. Myrna Loy sleepwalks through her role; most likely waiting for William Powell to rescue her for the balance of the 1930s. Warner Baxter, the only actor in the history of Hollywood more self-righteous on screen than John Wayne fails to get our sympathy because this land actually belongs to the Arabs, not the French. Bela Lugosi is amusing in his small role, and is the only authentic performance in the film. Unless you like rooting against the Indians in old cowboy and Indian movies, you will not care for the political incorrectness of this film. It is best left in the stack of films that are not really necessary to be seen.