Barbary Coast (1935)

[Ann Harding]

I went to see this Howard Hawks film with Joel McCrea, Miriam Hopkins and Edward G. Robinson. It turned out to be a very interesting picture with a literate script by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.

It takes place in San Francisco during the gold rush in the 1850s. Mary Rutledge (M. Hopkins) arrives from NY by boat to discover that her fiancee has lost his millions and died during her crossing. It doesn't take her long to decide to meet Louis Chamalis (E.G. Robinson), the owner of the local gambling joint and the most powerful (and corrupt) man in town. She becomes the lady in charge of roulette, attracting punters and suckers to loose their gold... Until she meets Jim Carmichael (J. McCrea), a young man, who reads Shelley, with quite a few gold bags....

This Samuel Goldwyn production boasts the usual great technical staff with Ray June at the camera and Richard Day making the sets.
Miriam Hopkins accepts to become the 'henchwoman' of Robinson for the money she can get out of him. While himself, he would like her to love him. He realises at the end she will never love him the way she loves McCrea and set her free. This final scene looks a bit too rushed to ring completely true. But, nevertheless, the film offers an interesting view of power and violence. McCrea never carries a gun or any weapon, but, in the end, he wins the lady. His only weapon is his florid speech. I can just imagine Hecht and MacArthur having fun while writing such a script!
I should add a few words for the wonderful supporting cast: Walter Brennan absolutely hilarious as 'Old Atrocity', Brian Donlevy and Donald Meek among others.
Worth investigating.

[feaito]

I went to see this Howard Hawks film with Joel McCrea, Miriam Hopkins and Edward G. Robinson. It turned out to be a very interesting picture with a literate script by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.

It takes place in San Francisco during the gold rush in the 1850s. Mary Rutledge (M. Hopkins) arrives from NY by boat to discover that her fiancee has lost his millions and died during her crossing. It doesn't take her long to decide to meet Louis Chamalis (E.G. Robinson), the owner of the local gambling joint and the most powerful (and corrupt) man in town. She becomes the lady in charge of roulette, attracting punters and suckers to loose their gold... Until she meets Jim Carmichael (J. McCrea), a young man, who reads Shelley, with quite a few gold bags....

This Samuel Goldwyn production boasts the usual great technical staff with Ray June at the camera and Richard Day making the sets.
Miriam Hopkins accepts to become the 'henchwoman' of Robinson for the money she can get out of him. While himself, he would like her to love him. He realises at the end she will never love him the way she loves McCrea and set her free. This final scene looks a bit too rushed to ring completely true. But, nevertheless, the film offers an interesting view of power and violence. McCrea never carries a gun or any weapon, but, in the end, he wins the lady. His only weapon is his florid speech. I can just imagine Hecht and MacArthur having fun while writing such a script!
I should add a few words for the wonderful supporting cast: Walter Brennan absolutely hilarious as 'Old Atrocity', Brian Donlevy and Donald Meek among others.
Worth investigating.

How lucky you are Christine! To have the chance of watching so many Classic vintage films from the 1930s on the Big Screen, as they were intended to be seen.

This is one of those films which are regarded as lackluster on Maltin's capsule review of his TV Movies Guide, but which nevertheless has always been a favorite of mine, ever since I first saw it on Public TV, dubbed in Spanish. In Chile it was titled "La Reina de la Ruleta" (The Queen of the Roulette).

In spite of its flaws, what I like most about this film is the way in which the director handles the love triangle between the three principals and the tender relationship that develops between Hopkins and McCrea (lots of chemistry), who give restrained performances, especially McCrea. A good contrast with G. Robinson's strong characterization.

[MikeBSG]

This is a very interesting movie. It doesn't especially feel like a Howard Hawks movie, perhaps because of the cast. However, I was briefly reminded of "Rio Bravo" during a scene in which Joel McCrae had to work in the saloon.

Hawks was on record as saying that he didn't like Edward G. Robinson much, but I think Robinson's farewell in this movie is unforgettable.