Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

This is my entry into Epinions member rkingfish's databasediveW/O of first time reviews of illusive material.

John Wayne is probably best known for his leading roles in traditional westerns. However, in 1945, he starred in Flame Of the Barbary Coast, a sophisticated, black and white, non-traditional, quasi-musical western, that features more glamour than violence and more dancing girls than gunslingers.

Montana rancher Duke Fergus (John Wayne) travels to the San Francisco shoreline, known as the Barbary Coast, in the early 1900's to collect a debt from a wealthy casino owner, Tito Morell. (Joseph Schildkraut) Fergus is immediately attracted to Morell's mistress, and lead dancer, Flaxen Tarry, (Ann Dvorak) who helps him win big at the roulette wheel. However, he promptly loses his winnings in a rigged card game with Morell.

Fergus returns to Montana and sells his ranch herd for gambling money, and hires his old friend, Wolf Wylie (William Frawley) to teach him to play cards. Upon returning to San Francisco, Fergus wins enough money to open his own casino, The Silver Dollar, and hires Flaxen to headline his show. However, just when the competition gets heated, both casinos are destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Flaxen is severely injured, and in the aftermath, must decide whether to go with Fergus to Montana or help Morell rebuild his empire on the Barbary Coast.

This film is fairly enjoyable, superficial, easily digestible, lightweight entertainment. The dance numbers are lively and well choreographed. The costumes are fairly revealing for the time period, but the romance is maddeningly chaste, lacking in any real depth or passion, and I never really bought into the cowboy singing in the saddle routine.

The special effects of the earthquake are over in a flash, but quite thrilling, considering the lack of technology available in the mid 1940's. Unfortunately, the storyline pretty much fizzles after the somewhat anti-climactic disaster scenes.

The acting is mediocre, at best, due in part to the weak script. While Wayne exudes his usual rugged, good natured charm, Schildkraut delivers a rather stiff, wooden performance. Dvorak adds a little spice to the film with her flirtatious style. Wayne and Frawley also display a nice chemistry in their shared scenes. The film also includes a brief, amusing appearance from Butterfly Mc Queen of Gone With The Wind fame.

While I have never been a big fan of Ted Turner's efforts to colorize the old classics, although the black and white photography is lustrous, this film could use a little color to jazz up the dance numbers. Overall, Flame Of the Barbary Coast is not without a certain quaint charm. As a sort of quasi-musical hybrid western, it will not likely appeal to hardcore western fans. However, it may appeal fans of musicals and lightweight period romances.



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older