Seven Sinners (1940)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

An Exercise In Nonsense

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I'm "Falling in Love Again" with Marlene Dietrich, focusing on her three films with "the duke", John Wayne. They were made during his rise to box office success after "Stagecoach" and her attempt to get over the stigma of being named box office poison the year before after ending her long association with Joseph Von Sternberg. She scored a huge hit with "Destry Rides Again" as the glamorous Frenchie, and now she's gone from the wild west to the south seas as the glamorously dressed Bijou, a notorious character kicked off island after island, and protected by a group of devoted groupies, among them Broderick Crawford and Mischa Auer. Settling back on an island with a new governor, she is reunited with old boss Billy Gilbert and sets her romantic sights on naval officer John Wayne who's already escorting around the governor's daughter, Anna Lee.Exotic sets, a few songs, amusing dialog and a camp story makes this fun viewing for the fans of Dietrich and the Duke. Ms. Lee, of "General Hospital" fame, offers a unique contrary persona to Dietrich's. Marlene gets to sing the standard, "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" as well as a catchy naval song. She's dressed to the nines, full of mischief and pretty much the reason for tuning in, although with that supporting cast, there's amusement every step of the ride. Wayne basically phones in his performance, with nothing much to do but provide romantic support to the dynamic leading lady until confronting the villain (Oscar Homolka) at the end in a fight sequence that would be repeated in his next two outings with Dietrich as well, "The Spoilers" and "Pittsburgh".There's a pre-story where she charges her way through into the office of a delusioned ship's doctor (Albert Dekker) who falls for her instantly but must go on to his next destination, leaving Dietrich free to roam around her old stomping grounds until she gets into more trouble. The fight at the end is gloriously filmed with the camera often sped up, some humor thrown in and a shocking bit of violence that was never resolved. However, Dietrich seems to be having the best time in making this, and a few subtle references indicate that the story was influenced by some of her earlier works. Vince Barnett is very funny as a bartender who keeps changing his coat in order to avoid being hit when the final fight breaks out.

This was a fair adventure story with some eccentric characters. For example:Albert Dekker as "Dr. Martin, the musician; Broderick Crawford as "'Litle Ned' Finnegan," Marlene Dietrich's punch-happy protector, and Dietrich as 'Bijou Blanche," a cabaret singer bouncing from place to place. Dietrich loved to play Cabaret singers and "Bijou Blanche" is a great name for her. She didn't look pretty in here, more grotesque with the super-thin eyebrows and tons of lipstick. She was definitely unappealing....and I like her, normally. Her "makeup" sins, if nothing else, made me dump this VHS.Of note, John Wayne, Anna Lee, Mischa Auer, Billy Gilbert, Richard Carlson, Oscar Homolka, Reginald Denny and James Craig are all familiar names that add to the cast. Yet despite all the impressive names, I don't think it was that great. I wouldn't watch it again.

Okay, this is far from the best film either John Wayne or Marlena Dietraich ever did. Sure, it's very silly and cartoon-like at times (especially due to the supporting performances by Billy Gilbert, Mischa Auer and Broderick Crawford), but still it does manage to entertain. Dopey fun? Sure, you betcha.John Wayne was young and quite dashing in the film and I could certainly see how this movie helped his career. Marlena Dietrich plays pretty much the same type character she played in films such as DESTRY RIDES AGAIN or THE SPOILERS--you know, the worldly lady with the "heart of gold". This movie is a little different from her others because she seems to sing MORE than ever. Some will like this, but I don't particularly care for this. In fact, I have never liked the films of Dietrich as I always found her WAY too unreal-looking and I thought it was silly how men act when they see her in movies (sort of like the way guys acts when they see a "swell dame" in a Tex Avery cartoon). Oh, well,...I guess it was just something peculiar about the 30s and 40s.Apart from a decent performance by Wayne and some cute, but slight, comedic support, the movie is only about average. It's not as good as the other two films mentioned in this review but it's an agreeable time-passer. Fun but forgettable.PS--Although I am not exactly an expert on naval ships, Wayne's ship changes significantly (it's obviously 2 different ships)--one is a WWI vintage one with old-fashioned towers while the other is very modern for the time. A true naval expert might even be able to figure out if they are even different types of ships (like a cruiser and a battleship)--but I KNOW they are NOT the same boat. Not a major mistake but one you way want to look for if you see the film.

After Marlene Dietrich at a new studio, Universal, had made something of a comeback in Destry Rides Again, the studio was understandably looking for new properties to follow it up. They certainly got one in Seven Sinners, a really great blend of satirical comedy and drama. Certainly Dietrich is no poor man's Sadie Thompson. One wonders why she never did her own version of Rain. She pokes fun at that type of character, but there is a skillful blend of both drama and satire in this film.Stagecoach was done the year before and with it John Wayne finally joined the list of A players. Director Tay Garnett had Wayne in mind for this film, but Dietrich would have the final approval. The story goes he deliberately arranged for Dietrich to have lunch at the studio commissary at a time Wayne would be there. She took one look at Wayne who reminded her so much of former lover Gary Cooper, she said to Garnett in that Dietrich baritone, "Daddy, buy me that."This is Dietrich's film, but there's enough action to satisfy any Wayne fan. Tay Garnett assembled a good supporting cast with good girl Anna Lee, Dietrich retainers Mischa Auer and Broderick Crawford, befuddled owner of the Seven Sinners Cafe Billy Gilbert, and the very sinister Oscar Homolka.Up until All the King's Men, the part that Broderick Crawford played here was a typical part, the dumb lug who's the hero/heroine's friend. He does it well, but Crawford resented the typecasting. He was quoted as saying that while he never considered himself the world's greatest wit, he did resent playing half a one all the time back in the day. This was Crawford's only film with Wayne and that's interesting because both of them were heavy boozers.Dietrich like in Destry Rides Again has two good songs to sing written by fellow German expatriate Frederick Hollander and Frank Loesser, I've Been in Love Before and The Man's in the Navy. She also sings I Can't Give You Anything But Love, one of the great standards back in the day.Seven Sinners is classic Marlene Dietrich one of her most enjoyable films and John Wayne fans will like it also.