Flame of Barbary Coast

5/28/19451h 31m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ The brawling, colorful story of the queen of hearts and the ace of gamblers... with a shock climax such as the screen has never known! ~

Overview:

Duke Fergus falls for Ann 'Flaxen' Tarry in the Barbary Coast in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. He loses money to crooked gambler Boss Tito Morell, goes home, learns to gamble, and returns. After he makes a fortune, he opens his own place with Flaxen as the entertainer; but the 1906 quake destroys his place.

Director:

Joseph Kane

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

montana
entertainer
money
cowboy
barbary coast

Cast

John Wayne

~ as ~

Duke Fergus

Ann Dvorak

~ as ~

Ann 'Flaxen' Tarry

Joseph Schildkraut

~ as ~

Boss Tito Morell

William Frawley

~ as ~

Wolf Wylie

Virginia Grey

~ as ~

Rita Dane

Russell Hicks

~ as ~

Cyrus Danver, Owner San Francisco Star

Jack Norton

~ as ~

Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star

Paul Fix

~ as ~

Calico Jim

Manart Kippen

~ as ~

Dr. Gorman

Eve Lynne

~ as ~

Martha, Morell's Secretary

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
6
Who ever came up with the title is to be commended. It suggests a storyline way, way, more interesting than this film turns out to actually be! "Tito" (Joseph Schildkraut) pretty much runs San Francisco and together with his gal "Flaxen" (Ann Dvorak) has quite a easy life - until, that is, cowboy "Duke" (John Wayne) arrives in town and takes a bit of a shine to the lady. He's just a touch too naive though for city life, and soon has to head home - broke - after being fleeced in the casino. Determined to win it all back - and more - he takes lessons in card-playing and soon returns, this time much better prepared to combat the dodgy goings-on at the card table, and to win the heart of the lady. Sadly, aside from a rare few scenes of fisticuff action, this is all rather dreary. The scenario is well trodden, and although Dvorak makes for quite a decent leading lady, the rivalry between the sophisticate crook and his handsome interloper just doesn't ever catch fire. The pace is just too forced, and there is far too much emphasis on the rather uninteresting love triangle element. This film is only really notable for the last fifteen minutes which offers us quite a well created and impressive look at just how the earthquake and subsequent fire devastated the city leaving carnage - and opportunity - in it's wake. Again there is plenty of charm from the star, but it is nowhere near enough to sustain this and though it might have been more impressive on a big screen, on a small one it proves merely to be quite a procedural and, frankly, dull, vehicle for Wayne that promises much but delivers little.