She (1935)

She
Directed by Lancing C. Holden and Irving Pichel
1935/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
Repeat viewing

She, Queen Hash-A-Mo-Tep of Kor: I am yesterday, and today, and tomorrow. I am sorrow, and longing, and hope unfulfilled. I am Hash-A-Mo-Tep. She. She who must be obeyed! I am I.

Leo Vincey’s (Randolph Scott) dieing uncle tells him of the family legend that a 15th century ancestor, John Vincey, found the flame of immortality. Leo bears a remarkable likeness to his ancestor.  He sets off with the uncle’s assistant on a journey to the Arctic to locate the flame. On the way, they meet up with Tanya (Helen Mack), a guide’s daughter. An avalanche reveals the entrance to a volcanic cave and from there to Kor, a land ruled by Hash-A-Mo-Tep or She (Helen Gahagan), an immortal beauty and absolute monarch who has bathed in that same flame. She has been waiting through the centuries for the return of her beloved John Vincey and believes Leo is his reincarnation. In the meantime, Leo has fallen in love with Tanya which does not bode well for Tanya’s survival.

Helen Gahagan and Randolph Scott

Marien C. Cooper, who produced this film, intended it as a lavish special effects successor to his 1933 King Kong. Unfortunately, it was a box office bomb. I believe the problem may have been that Helen Gahagan just lacked the charisma to bring life to the title role. In addition, the rituals of the civilization of Kor and the screenplay are both fairly clunky. The film is nothing special on any front, though the Max Steiner score is rather nice and the settings are certainly lavish.

I thought it was fun to find out where Rumpole of the Bailey’s wife got her nickname (“She Who Must Be Obeyed”). This movie killed Helen Gahagan’s film career. She went on to become a U.S. Congresswoman from California.

Excerpt – scene between Helen Gahagan and Helen Mack