La loi des tropiques

Bennett has top billing, which must have been some consolation for starring in this story of a torch singer in the tropics attempting to elude the law. The film is OK - and it has several pleasing songs sung by a trio of tropical lads - but the presence of Bennett does not raise it from "B" to "A" status. Maybe Jack Warner wanted to help his old poker partner by giving her a job. And she took it because, according to her biographer, she hadn't put away so much as a dime for the inevitable rainy days and she needed the money to support her palatial lifestyle.

Although the former #1 glamour queen of Hollywood is only 36, she is not looking especially fabulous in this film. But Mona Maris, a dead ringer for Bennett's poker playing comrade, Kay Francis, does look fabulous. Unlike Bennett, Francis did save her money for a rainy day, but when the rainy day came she found it impossible to go quietly into obscurity and she too made a few "B" films. Both ladies, like so many other former femme stars out of fashion, took up live theatre in the late 40s. Bennett fans are advised to skip this film and watch Topper instead.

Warner Bros. seemed to be doing a retread of TORRID ZONE, the film that starred James Cagney and Ann Sheridan. And CONSTANCE BENNETT is no substitute here for Sheridan, for whom the role of a nightclub singer running from the law would have been perfect...except that by this time, Sheridan was doing Grade A films.

JEFFREY LYNN, with a mustache, has the kind of role you might expect James Cagney to be in. He's the inventor of a process that produces rubber faster than the usual time it takes. He's assigned to a rubber plantation where he can carry out a way to increase production of rubber. When he's jilted by his would be bride, he makes a deal with a nightclub singer (CONSTANCE BENNETT) who agrees to play the role for a fee and as a means (unknown to him) to escape the law because of an incident in her past. Naturally, they fall in love before the last reel after the usual plot contrivances.

It's formula stuff and gets the Warner Bros. B-film treatment with clumsy attempts at humor along the way, but at least there are two nice supporting performances from MONA MARIS (looking beautiful) and the reliable REGIS TOOMEY, both sympathetic to Bennett's cause.

Summing up: Passes the time quickly, but is one you'll soon forget. Bennett's penciled in eyebrows are a distraction and she looks ill suited for a role that would have fit Sheridan like a glove.

Good movie with the usual plot. Girl doesn't go with intended (always different reasons) and other girl (in this case Constance Bennett) falls in love (with Jeffrey Lynn). He gets telegram and drinks because of being jilted. But they are all good serviceable actors and the top four in the film are as good as any known star or character actor. So, why do some make "it" and some not so much? It comes down to whether you like them when you see them or not. They catch your eye AND THAT'S IT GENERALLY SPEAKING!!

Jeffrey Lynn works on a rubber plantation. He's on a week's holiday in town to get married with his girl from the States. Instead he gets a 'Dear John' letter. Instead he marries Constance Bennett in a marriage of convenience. They head back upriver, where they fall in love with each other. What he doesn't know is that she's wanted for murder back home.

It's a satisfactory B version of OIL FOR THE LAMPS OF CHINA, eked out with some good performances like Hobart Bosworth as the manager, an amusing turn by Frank Puglia, and Thomas E. Jackson as, of course, a detective. The ending is abrupt, but at 75 minutes, that's an epic length for a Bryan For production.

Deep, deep, miserably deep "B". However, Bennett is delightful, as always, and makes the picture worth watching. Also, if you've ever had the urge to beat the crap out of Peter Gunn, there's an OK fight scene that Craig Stevens gets the worst of, and the chick who plays Regis Toomey's wife is a 40's hottie.