Mandalay (1934)

Mandalay
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Written by Austin Parker and Charles Kenyon; story by Paul Hervy Fox
1934/US
First National Pictures (Warner Bros.)
IMDb page
First viewing/Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 6

Madame Lacalles: Well, I don’t suppose it’s any use in my telling you. You’ll have to find out for yourself. But if you’ve got any sense, you’ll make the best of it. You’ll go on living. And before you get through, you’ll find out that it’s easier to make men do what you want them to, than it is to fall in love, and have *them* make a fool of *you.* Anyway, you’re pretty enough to go a long way – if you use your head.

Director Curtiz managed to fit a complex plot in a 60 minute film and to do it well.

The setting is Rangoon, Burma.  Gun runner Tony Evans (Ricardo Cortez) has pulled into port on his yacht. He is accompanied by beautiful Russian refugee Tanya Bodoroff (Kay Francis), who is madly in love with him.  Tony needs capital to make his next gun purchase.  He turns to Nick (Warner Oland), the owner of a luxurious nightclub/brothel, for a loan.  Nick refuses to make a loan but he will give Tony the money in exchange for Kay Francis, whom he expects to be the main draw at the club.  The unscrupulous Tony agrees.

Tanya takes awhile to adapt to her new job as “hostess”/entertainer.  Once she does though she learns the art of seduction and blackmail.  This skill finally allows her to escape from her life of degradation and head off by riverboat to Mandalay where she hopes to make a fresh start.

She meets alcoholic doctor Dr. Gregory Burton on the boat.  He also has a past he is trying to escape.  They become confidants and then Gregory declares his love.  While this is going on fugitive scumbag Tony boards the boat and tries to take up again with Tanya, who is now using the name Marjorie Lang.  I’ll stop here.  Rest assured the drama only amps up.

I thought this was good in all aspects.  Most of these short movies try to cram in too much plot.  This also has a complex plot but the film tells its story well.  I think this was the first time I saw Lyle Talbot play anything other than a thug and he did quite well as did all the actors.  I must say I prefer Kay Francis in her flirtatious, comedic mode, though.  Her Orry-Kelly gowns are to die for.

When the Hays Code came into effect Joe Breen declared that the film could not be fixed or reissued because the central character was an immoral woman.