This was Marlene Dietrich's first American-made film. Because it was done so early, she looks a lot different from the person she played in films just a few years later. She frankly looks less "bizarre"--with less makeup and her painted eyebrows about an inch lower. She was, in my opinion, prettier in this film than in later productions. Additionally, because it was released in 1930, the sound quality is understandably poor. Like many films of the day, they were still trying to "get it right" with the sound--and many scenes are just too loud but most are too soft. Plus, oddly, there are several songs Ms. Dietrich sings, but there is absolutely no incidental music in the film otherwise. I didn't notice it for about fifteen minutes, but once I noticed, the film seemed strangely stark.
The performances of Dietrich, Gary Cooper and Adolph Menjou were fine and the cinematography of Dietrich's mentor, Josef von Sternberg, was lovely. BUT, there are major problems with the incredibly simple plot. Dietrich and Cooper fall in love--even though the film gives reason after reason that this never should have occurred OR that it should have died a natural death due to the lousy way Cooper treated his "lady love". Considering that Menjou was extremely kind, sophisticated, in love with Dietrich and mega-rich, it just made no sense for her to be so taken with Cooper! Now, in movies (as well as in real life) sometimes people CAN make foolish choices, but when it is used as a plot device so often as well as "love at first sight", it just takes away from the film's impact. Very good acting, very clichéd script.
The performances of Dietrich, Gary Cooper and Adolph Menjou were fine and the cinematography of Dietrich's mentor, Josef von Sternberg, was lovely. BUT, there are major problems with the incredibly simple plot. Dietrich and Cooper fall in love--even though the film gives reason after reason that this never should have occurred OR that it should have died a natural death due to the lousy way Cooper treated his "lady love". Considering that Menjou was extremely kind, sophisticated, in love with Dietrich and mega-rich, it just made no sense for her to be so taken with Cooper! Now, in movies (as well as in real life) sometimes people CAN make foolish choices, but when it is used as a plot device so often as well as "love at first sight", it just takes away from the film's impact. Very good acting, very clichéd script.