Sadly Over-hyped

Best movie of this year hands down!

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The opening scene has a bunch of guys in a South Seas cabaret go berserk, hitting each other and tearing up the furnishings. We don't see nor hear Marlene, but it's clear she just finished singing. Unfortunately, this is a standard response of men to Marlene(as Bijou). So why she has been banned from city after city in Indonesia and the South Seas. She brings in business to cabarets, but not enough to replace the destroyed furnishings or reputation of the establishment. Move over Sinatra. Even his bobby soxers weren't this ecstatic. At nearly 40y.o., Marlene looks and acts amazing. And those big soulful eyes. If you are typically bewitched by Marlene's typical screen persona, you should not be disappointed by her performance here.Marlene has tall, broad-shouldered, handsome, John Wayne to romance her on occasion, but it's decided that marriage to her would probably destroy his naval career. Thus, in the finale, they are shown going their separate ways: a bittersweet conclusion to a love affair. Wayne is a lieutenant in the US navy. Just what a US naval vessel is doing exploring Indonesia's many islands isn't pursued. In any case, in Wayne's first encounter with Marlene, he hugs her as he lifts her from the ship to the wharf. By the look on her face, she's quite agreeable to this treatment. This sets the stage for more romantic encounters between the two. Later, Wayne initiates a mega-barroom brawl between two groups, in which the room is totally destroyed, with men leaping around the room. It's mean to be largely a comical performance. This is the action climax of the film.If you like Billy Gilbert's extreme brand of wild befuddled humor, you will find plenty of it here, especially in the first half. He plays the proprietor of the 7 sinners cabaret, which was torn up the last time Marlene performed there. Hence, he's not anxious for a repeat performance. Nonetheless, he is bullied into allowing her to perform there. She sings several songs penned by the combination of Friedrich Hollaender and frank Loesser: "I've Been in Love Before", and "The Man's in the Navy". But, her most memorable performance is the classic from the '20s: "I Can't Give You Anything but Love", composed by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. Besides Billy Gilbert, and the climactic brawl, humor is sprinkled here and there. For example, a man grabs Marlene's arm roughly. She presses her lite cigarette into his hand, and he immediately releases her. A young Broderick Crawford, as Finnegan, serves as Marlene's voluntary protector, providing a bit of comedy here and there, as does Mischa Auer, as his companion magician and kleptomaniac. In a comical scene, Marlene holds up various items stolen by Auer, one by one, to a group of men, asking who they belong to. The men are embarrassed that these were stolen without their knowledge.This film is presently available at YouTube.

Okay, this is far from the best film either John Wayne or Marlena Dietraich ever did. Sure, it's very silly and cartoon-like at times (especially due to the supporting performances by Billy Gilbert, Mischa Auer and Broderick Crawford), but still it does manage to entertain. Dopey fun? Sure, you betcha.John Wayne was young and quite dashing in the film and I could certainly see how this movie helped his career. Marlena Dietrich plays pretty much the same type character she played in films such as DESTRY RIDES AGAIN or THE SPOILERS--you know, the worldly lady with the "heart of gold". This movie is a little different from her others because she seems to sing MORE than ever. Some will like this, but I don't particularly care for this. In fact, I have never liked the films of Dietrich as I always found her WAY too unreal-looking and I thought it was silly how men act when they see her in movies (sort of like the way guys acts when they see a "swell dame" in a Tex Avery cartoon). Oh, well,...I guess it was just something peculiar about the 30s and 40s.Apart from a decent performance by Wayne and some cute, but slight, comedic support, the movie is only about average. It's not as good as the other two films mentioned in this review but it's an agreeable time-passer. Fun but forgettable.PS--Although I am not exactly an expert on naval ships, Wayne's ship changes significantly (it's obviously 2 different ships)--one is a WWI vintage one with old-fashioned towers while the other is very modern for the time. A true naval expert might even be able to figure out if they are even different types of ships (like a cruiser and a battleship)--but I KNOW they are NOT the same boat. Not a major mistake but one you way want to look for if you see the film.

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!

An OK Marlene Dietrich film. I didn't find her as beautiful and talented as a lot of others must have. John Wayne looks very young and earnest. It was interesting to see Broderick Crawford in a role like this. But, again, this film was just OK. Grade: C-