Barbary Coast (film)

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Barbary Coast
Directed by Howard Hawks
Produced by Samuel Goldwyn
Written by Ben Hecht

Charles MacArthur

Starring Miriam Hopkins
Edward G. Robinson
Music by Alfred Newman
Cinematography Ray June
Editing by Edward Curtiss
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) October 13, 1935 (1935-10-13)
Running time 90 minutes
Country Flag of the United States
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile


Barbary Coast (released in 1935) is a period film directed by Howard Hawks. Shot in black-and-white and set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era, the film combines elements of crime, Western, melodrama and adventure genres, features a wide range of actors, from good-guy Joel McCrea to bad-boy Edward G. Robinson, and stars Miriam Hopkins in the leading role as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge.

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[edit] Synopsis

On a foggy night in 1850, Mary Rutledge, accompanied by retired Colonel Marcus Aurelius Cobb (Frank Craven), arrives in San Francisco Bay from New York aboard the Flying Cloud. A gold digger of the other kind, she has come to wed the wealthy owner of a local saloon. The men at the wharf are more than happy to greet the 'white woman,'[1] but reluctant to inform her that her fiancé is dead, murdered most likely by a certain Louis Chamalis, the powerful owner of another Barbary Coast establishment, the Bella Donna restaurant and gambling house. Mary is at first quite upset, but quickly pulls herself together and asks the way to the Bella Donna, with a look of ambition on her face.

Mary meets Chamalis and quickly accepts to be his companion, not only for economic reasons (as an attraction, she helps draw in customers), but for personal pleasure as well. Chamalis gives her the name 'Swan' and she becomes more or less his female escort. She accompanies him on promenades in town (the 'sinful' unwed couple is insulted in one scene by the mayor's wife) and he showers her with extravagant gifts. Their relationship sours rather quickly, however, and Swan is angered by some of Chamalis's destructive power-mongering.

Col. Cobb, in the meantime, has opened a printing press, with the intention of starting a respectful newspaper for the people of San Francisco. He and his colleagues successfully print the first paper, which includes an article criticizing a recent unpunished murder, Chamalis and his entourage. When Chamalis finds out, he tries to destroy Cobb's newly acquired machine and threatens burning down the building, but is halted by Swan, who comes to Cobb's defence. Chamalis, nonetheless, demands that Cobb never print anything attacking him. The colonel unwillingly complies.

Time passes and Swan, disillusioned with her life in San Francisco, saddens. Her distant behavior irks Chamalis, who feels frustrated and stonewalled. One dreary morning, she sets out on horseback. Later in the day, it begins to rain heavily and she seeks refuge in a small seemingly abandoned cabin, where she meets a tall lonesome poet and gold miner named Jim Carmichael. Swan is quite taken with him, but lies about her current situation after hearing his criticisms of the harlots and thieves of the city. He offers her his book of poems as a memento and she returns to the Bella Donna.

Later, Carmichael decides to return to his home state New York and must pass through San Francisco. The ship will not leave for a few days unfortunately. He encounters Old Atrocity, who, remarking his bags of gold, is happy to show him to a nice hotel and resaurant. Carmichael winds up at the Bella Donna and is surprised to find Mary working there. He is served a drugged up liquor and plays roulette at her table. He cannot retain his composure, vehemently insults 'Swan' and eventually bets and loses most of his money. The rest is pickpocketed.

Carmichael wakes up the following morning in the Bella Donna's kitchen. His eloquent speech impresses Chamalis, who hires him on the spot as a waiter. Carmichael's presence perturbs Mary, who would rather he depart, offering him money. An honest man, he refuses, wishing to earn the fare on his own.

Chamalis's henchman Jacoby later shoots and kills Col. Cobb. Overwrought on hearing the news of his murder, Mary re-acknowledges her love for Carmichael, and works the roulette table so that he wins back the gold he previously lost. Chamalis finds out and is angry with her. He sets out to kill Carmichael, who is actually hiding in Mary's bedroom. The lovers decide clandestinely to leave together. They find a secret rowboat and attempt to board the ship in the harbor. It is a foggy night, and they have trouble seeing, but easily hear Chamalis pursuing them. He shoots and injures Carmichael and finally discovers them hiding beneath a pier. Mary begs him, as proof of his love for her, not to kill Carmichael. Chamalis agrees, but in an act of greater love allows her to go with him. A posse then arrives to punish Chamalis for all his crimes.

[edit] Background and Analysis

Released a little over a year after the Production Code became effectively enforced in Hollywood, Barbary Coast is, due to its subject matter, still quite risqué and may to the modern viewer seem in violation of the code in several ways. The film suggests drug use and prostitution. Most of the characters appear inebriated throughout the picture and the heroine, however strong and critical of her power-hungry companion, is herself of questionable morality, luring gold miners to her roulette table. As Joel McCrea's character puts it, one cannot tell whether there are 'snakes or forget-me-nots in her hair.'

The film is historically accurate in many aspects. For example, when Mary arrives at the wharf, she must be carried by the men to the restaurant, as the streets have not yet been paved. In one comedic scene, Frank Craven, while admonishing the San Franciscans about their poor treatment of the Chinese, sinks waist-deep in the mud. Similar vigilance committees or posses were also repeatedly created in historic San Francisco to combat miscreants, who, although never quite so powerful as Edward G. Robinson's character, were probably more violent.

[edit] Main cast

[edit] References

  1. ^ At the end of 1849, the population of the city numbered approximately 20,000, of which only about 300 were women. Most were harlots and some historians believe that a mere 15 or so were white. For more information, see http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hbtbcidx.htm

[edit] External links

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