Kay Francis stars with Ricardo Cortez and Lyle Talbot in the 1934 potboiler "Mandalay" directed by Michael Curtiz.
Francis plays Tanya Borodoff, who is madly in love with gunrunner/worm Tony Evans (Cortez) in Rangoon. While at a club owned by Nick (Warner Oland), Tony is ordered by Nick to get a boat and pick up some guns for the black market. And he wants Tanya to stay behind and work for him in his club. Tony agrees, dumps poor Tanya, and takes off.
Tanya doesn't want to work for Nick, but she's advised by a coworker to use the men in the club to her own advantage. Tanya does so, gets in trouble, and is about to be deported when she blackmails the police captain. She gets 10,000 rupees from him, changes her name, and takes off for Mandalay by boat. On the boat, she meets a drunken doctor (Lyle Talbot)...and Tony! Well, as usual, Kay's got the spectacular outfits. She also sings "When Tomorrow Comes" -- several times. She looks great. Francis always projected class and sophistication, making her an odd choice for a gunrunner's girlfriend who has to work as a prostitute. Nevertheless, her dignified performance carries the film. Cortez is appropriately slimy, and Talbot is quite young here and charming. I remember him from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. What a career he had.
Evidently Shirley Temple was supposed to be in this film, but her scenes were deleted.
Precode film, melodramatic - for Kay Francis fans, and, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, there are many again.
Francis plays Tanya Borodoff, who is madly in love with gunrunner/worm Tony Evans (Cortez) in Rangoon. While at a club owned by Nick (Warner Oland), Tony is ordered by Nick to get a boat and pick up some guns for the black market. And he wants Tanya to stay behind and work for him in his club. Tony agrees, dumps poor Tanya, and takes off.
Tanya doesn't want to work for Nick, but she's advised by a coworker to use the men in the club to her own advantage. Tanya does so, gets in trouble, and is about to be deported when she blackmails the police captain. She gets 10,000 rupees from him, changes her name, and takes off for Mandalay by boat. On the boat, she meets a drunken doctor (Lyle Talbot)...and Tony! Well, as usual, Kay's got the spectacular outfits. She also sings "When Tomorrow Comes" -- several times. She looks great. Francis always projected class and sophistication, making her an odd choice for a gunrunner's girlfriend who has to work as a prostitute. Nevertheless, her dignified performance carries the film. Cortez is appropriately slimy, and Talbot is quite young here and charming. I remember him from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. What a career he had.
Evidently Shirley Temple was supposed to be in this film, but her scenes were deleted.
Precode film, melodramatic - for Kay Francis fans, and, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, there are many again.