Barbary Coast (1935)
Barbary Coast (1935), directed by Howard Hawks.
A mail order bride arrives in 1849 San Francisco -- mud streets and elaborate gambling halls -- to find her intended husband has been murdered and all his gold is now owned by the local crime boss. After due consideration -- it's not like she ever knew her fiancé -- she throws in with the gambler and runs his gaming tables.
When a handsome young poet-prospector appears... well, is it possible to get out and go back?
This is a middling melodrama/action picture. I review it because I want to be a Howard Hawks completist: "the greatest American director who is not a household name" (Leonard Maltin).
A good cast:
Miriam Hopkins: tough and clear-sighted, but not mean or hard-hearted. The actress seems largely forgotten today.
Edward G. Robinson: again doing the fearless little gangster, in frilly shirts this time.
Joel McCrea: the romantic lead.
Walter Brennan: a rascal called "Old Atrocity", looking much older than his 41 years. The secret of his success: his teeth were knocked out in a film fight and he could remove his dentures to age another 40 years instantly.
Brian Donlevy: born to be a tough guy. This is his first good role.
Also with Harry Carey and Donald Meek. David Niven is supposed to have a bit part but I didn't spot him.
Certain types of race-talk were not allowed by the Code, but the Code was pretty new in 1935. Hopkins causes a sensation when she first appears: "A New York white woman! Whiter than a hen's egg!" After she's been working in the gambling saloon for a while: "Do you think I'm still a white woman?"
Available on DVD. Indifferent unrestored quality.
