The Flame of New Orleans (1941)
In the early years of cinema, René Clair was one of the most celebrated of the French motion picture directors. He entered the profession when he was commissioned to produce an absurdist, Dadaist short subject, Entr’acte (1924), which is still considered a classic of its type. His career bloomed in the silent era with farcical comedies and fantasy films; and unlike many artists, he did not suffer with the transition to sound. His early talkies, such as Le Million (1931) and À Nous la Liberté (1931), were innovative musical comedies that influenced movies in Europe and America, including Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. However, when Clair received a Hollywood contract, the first film he directed was such a flop, it was uncertain if he would ever work again. Looking at The Flame of New Orleans (1941) today, it is hard to see how this agreeable romantic comedy nearly sabotaged René Clair’s directorial career.
Marlene Dietrich stars as Countess Claire Ledoux, a con artist unlikely of true noble blood, who finds herself flat broke in New Orleans in the mid-18th Century. The logical solution to extricate herself from her impoverishment is to trick a wealthy gentleman into marriage. Rich, gouty, middle-aged Charles Giraud (Roland Young) provides the perfect pigeon. While Claire finds it easy to lure her prey with a faked fainting spell, her plans are jeopardized when she has an accidental encounter with a dashing ship’s captain (Bruce Cabot). Will love or money win out? You can probably guess.
The Flame of New Orleans is far from the best film that either René Clair or Marlene Dietrich were associated with, but it is not the disaster that it seemed at the time. The worst you can say about it is it is slight. The romance and comedic situations are fairly predictable, but the production — from sets, to costumes, to staging and direction, to cinematography — is top notch. Had the film come a little later in Clair’s Hollywood career, the script might have been a little sharper, as the director liked to hone a screenplay to perfection before shooting commenced. However, this was not possible on The Flame of New Orleans, due to Clair’s relative unfamiliarity with the language. While the dialogue is perhaps not as sharp as it could of been, the final film is still light and enjoyable; and at 79 minutes, it doesn’t wear out its welcome.
Marlene Dietrich and Bruce Cabot are appealing in the romantic leads, and Marlene gets to have a little fun pretending to be a scandalous “twin” cousin (one wishes there was a bit more of this subplot). The film is aided immeasurably by top tier character actors, including Franklin Pangborn, Misha Auer, and Andy Devine. However, the film really belongs to Roland Young, who steals every scene with his haughty attitude and comic exasperation.
One thing that is worth noting is The Flame of New Orleans employs a much larger African-American cast than most films of the period. While most of these actors are playing the roles of servants, there is none of the cringe-inducing racist content that one might expect of the time. In fact, Theresa Harris gets a chance to shine in the role of Clementine. While she is Claire’s maid, she is presented more as Claire’s best friend, confidant, and collaborator. Often, her character is the smartest person in the room.
The Flame of New Orleans is not a forgotten classic, but it is better than its reputation. Whether you are a fan of Marlene Dietrich, René Clair, or Roland “Topper” Young, you will find something to like in this breezy little film.
USA/B&W-79m./Dir: René Clair/Wr: Norman Krasna/Cast: Marlene Dietrich, Bruce Cabot, Roland Young, Theresa Harris, Melville Cooper, Mischa Auer, Franklin Pangborn, Andy Devine, Eddie Quillan, Laura Hope Crews, Frank Jenks, Clarence Muse, Anne Revere
For Fans of: If you like romantic comedies where a strong female lead tries to hook a rich husband, such as The Lady Eve (1941) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), you may also enjoy The Flame of New Orleans.
Video: Kino Lorber Studio Classics released a Blu-ray of The Flame of New Orleans on March 31st. The image is derived from an older transfer, but the Blu-ray upgrade provides a big uptick in sharpness and clarity over previous DVD releases. Print damage is minimal, so apart from a few minor scratches and speckles, the image looks great. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono also sounds clear and authentic.
Special Features include:
- A new audio commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin and actress/film historian Rutanya Alda
- The original theatrical trailer for The Flame of New Orleans, as well as bonus trailers for The Blue Angel (1930), The Song of Songs (1933), The Spoilers (1942), Pittsburgh (1942), A Foreign Affair (1948), No Highway in the Sky (1951), Witness For the Prosecution (1957), The Young in Heart (1938).
Streaming: At the time of this review, The Flame of New Orleans was unavailable to stream on any of the major subscription services. It was also unavailable to download as a digital rental or purchase.
More to Explore: In 1945, Roland Young and Mischa Auer re-teamed with director René Clair for And Then There Were None, the first and best film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s play (which was based on her earlier novel). The film is in public domain, so there are a lot of low quality, dupey versions on the market. For a nice copy of the film, I recommend the Blu-ray from VCI Entertainment.
Trivia: You’d never know it from the finished product, but The Flame of New Orleans had a pretty contentious shoot. Marlene Dietrich feuded with Bruce Cabot during the filming. She considered him conceited, stupid, and unprofessional (he had trouble remembering his lines). Marlene also stated that the crew hated René Clair, possibly due to his unfamiliarity with English.
For More Info: In later life, René Clair did a lot of writing about the movies, including his own. Some of that writing is collected in Cinema Yesterday and Today. There are also many books available on Marlene Dietrich. One of the best is Marlene Dietrich: The Life by her daughter, Maria Riva.
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