La Maison des 7 péchés

This was a fair adventure story with some eccentric characters. For example:

Albert Dekker as "Dr. Martin, the musician; Broderick Crawford as "'Litle Ned' Finnegan," Marlene Dietrich's punch-happy protector, and Dietrich as 'Bijou Blanche," a cabaret singer bouncing from place to place.

Dietrich loved to play Cabaret singers and "Bijou Blanche" is a great name for her. She didn't look pretty in here, more grotesque with the super-thin eyebrows and tons of lipstick. She was definitely unappealing....and I like her, normally. Her "makeup" sins, if nothing else, made me dump this VHS.

Of note, John Wayne, Anna Lee, Mischa Auer, Billy Gilbert, Richard Carlson, Oscar Homolka, Reginald Denny and James Craig are all familiar names that add to the cast. Yet despite all the impressive names, I don't think it was that great. I wouldn't watch it again.

Bijou Blanche, a sort of chanteuse, provoked a riot, literally, everywhere in which she appears. When we first see her, she is arriving by ship to a place she is not exactly welcomed, she goes to the Seven Sinners club, where its owner doesn't have too many fond memories of Bijou, but she is a woman who will bring a lot of business his way. Ms. Blanche has the right amounts of sophistication, beauty and elegance that proves to be disarming for the men lucky enough to get her attention.

Bijou, who has a two-man entourage, Little Ned, and Sasha, soon discovers the American Navy, which has a presence in the island. It takes little before most of the sailors discover the mysterious beauty who can belt a song as well as play pool like a pro. Lt. Dan Brent, also falls under her spell, in spite of being the unofficial escort for the daughter of the man in command.

There are enough tensions in the air as a sinister Anthro, who wants Bijou for himself enters the picture. Anthro is a man who knows how to throw a knife as Tony, the owner of the club, can attest. Bijou has the kind of reaction men seem to have whenever she is around. One of the most fun brawls occurs at the Seven Sinners, but at the end, Bijou has her way, as it's always the case.

Directed with his usual style by Tay Garnett, the new DVD copy has an excellent quality since it is part of a newly released package featuring films of John Wayne. The great Marlene Dietrich is Bijou, a woman who knows what makes men tick. She kept reminding us of Destry, in that in both films she played saloon entertainers. A young, handsome John Wayne is perfect opposite Ms. Dietrich. Their chemistry is right.

The pleasure of watching this movie is watching an interesting supporting cast full of familiar faces. Broderick Crawford and Misha Auer play Little Ned Finnegan and Sasha, who are devoted to Bijou. Oskar Homolka is perfectly menacing and gives the film another dimension in the mystery surrounding his persona. Billy Gilbert also puts an appearance as Tony, the owner of the joint.

Not seen often these days, "Seven Sinners" is worth a look because of the amazing cast and the fun everyone seemed to be having, and of course, Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne at their best.

"Seven Sinners" is a decent, light-hearted comic romp, first and foremost a vehicle for Marlene Dietrich, with John Wayne as a co-star. Dietrich plays "Bijou", an entertainer at the title island nightclub who is always being deported from various islands because trouble tends to always follow in her wake. (Such as the barroom brawl that plays out behind the opening credits.) Here, Bijou is wooed by an easygoing Navy captain named Dan Brent (The Duke), just one of the people who's fallen under her spell. The latest trouble arises in the form of a character named Antro (Oskar Homolka), a smooth yet menacing type.

The first-rate supporting cast also includes Albert Dekker as an initially gruff ships' doctor, Broderick Crawford as a well-intentioned lug, the luminous young Anna Lee as the governors' daughter, Mischa Auer as a magician who has a tendency to steal anything that isn't nailed down, Billy Gilbert as harried nightclub boss Tony, Samuel S. Hinds as the governor, and Vince Barnett as a bartender, et al. The Duke is quite engaging, and he and Dietrich do make a good pair. Basically, this very lively comedy does showcase the sexy Dietrich very well, giving her the opportunity to belt out a few numbers.

Overall, "Seven Sinners" offers nothing really substantial, but it IS entertaining to watch while it lasts; it's Homolka who injects tension with his mere presence. You just KNOW that this character is going to be a real problem. Crawford and especially Auer tend to steal the show whenever Dietrich is not around. This may not be the best team-up of Dietrich and The Duke, but it delivers undemanding fun for a little under an hour and a half.

Six out of 10.

After Marlene Dietrich at a new studio, Universal, had made something of a comeback in Destry Rides Again, the studio was understandably looking for new properties to follow it up.

They certainly got one in Seven Sinners, a really great blend of satirical comedy and drama. Certainly Dietrich is no poor man's Sadie Thompson. One wonders why she never did her own version of Rain. She pokes fun at that type of character, but there is a skillful blend of both drama and satire in this film.

Stagecoach was done the year before and with it John Wayne finally joined the list of A players. Director Tay Garnett had Wayne in mind for this film, but Dietrich would have the final approval. The story goes he deliberately arranged for Dietrich to have lunch at the studio commissary at a time Wayne would be there. She took one look at Wayne who reminded her so much of former lover Gary Cooper, she said to Garnett in that Dietrich baritone, "Daddy, buy me that."

This is Dietrich's film, but there's enough action to satisfy any Wayne fan. Tay Garnett assembled a good supporting cast with good girl Anna Lee, Dietrich retainers Mischa Auer and Broderick Crawford, befuddled owner of the Seven Sinners Cafe Billy Gilbert, and the very sinister Oscar Homolka.

Up until All the King's Men, the part that Broderick Crawford played here was a typical part, the dumb lug who's the hero/heroine's friend. He does it well, but Crawford resented the typecasting. He was quoted as saying that while he never considered himself the world's greatest wit, he did resent playing half a one all the time back in the day. This was Crawford's only film with Wayne and that's interesting because both of them were heavy boozers.

Dietrich like in Destry Rides Again has two good songs to sing written by fellow German expatriate Frederick Hollander and Frank Loesser, I've Been in Love Before and The Man's in the Navy. She also sings I Can't Give You Anything But Love, one of the great standards back in the day.

Seven Sinners is classic Marlene Dietrich one of her most enjoyable films and John Wayne fans will like it also.

Its fun and spunky enough, but it has the schizophrenic feel of a "B" film with "A-list" actors. It was made by Universal, which had taken a chance the year before, and cast Dietrich in "Destry Rides Again" following her inclusion in the famous "box-office poison" list. Wayne was just transitioning from shoestring Republic Pictures; he had made zillions of minor films, and his career was just starting to take off. Dietrich often seems to be in a different film altogether; the way she looks and acts goes way above what the material calls for - she was always extremely conscious of her "look" and image. Her musical numbers are fun, especially the awesome nightclub number in Navy uniform drag - who else could pull THAT one off so successfully!