Under Two Flags (1936 film)
| Under Two Flags | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Frank Lloyd |
| Produced by |
Joseph M. Schenck (uncredited) Darryl F. Zanuck (uncredited) |
| Written by |
Bess Meredyth (uncredited) Allen Rivkin (additional dialogue, uncredited) |
| Screenplay by |
Walter Ferris W. P. Lipscomb |
| Based on |
Under Two Flags by Ouida |
| Starring |
Ronald Colman Claudette Colbert Victor McLaglen Rosalind Russell Gregory Ratoff Nigel Bruce John Carradine |
| Music by | Louis Silvers |
| Cinematography | Ernest Palmer |
| Edited by | Ralph Dietrich |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time |
112 minutes (copyright length) 98 minutes (re-release version) |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
English Arabic French |
| Budget | $1,250,000[1] |
Under Two Flags is a 1936 American adventure romance film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Ronald Colman, Claudette Colbert, Victor McLaglen and Rosalind Russell. The picture was based on the 19th century novel of the same name by the writer Ouida. The film has portions of action and melodrama and was widely popular with audiences of its time. The supporting cast features Nigel Bruce, John Carradine and Fritz Leiber.
The novel was previously adapted for the screen in 1912, 1916 starring Theda Bara, and 1922 with direction by Tod Browning.[2]
Plot
Victor (Ronald Colman) has taken the blame for his younger brother's crime and joins the French Foreign Legion to escape his past, taking with him his valet, Rake (Herbert Mundin). His commander is the ruthless Major Doyle (Victor McLaglen), who becomes jealous when Cigarette (Claudette Colbert), a cafe singer, sets her sights on Victor. He, however, is more interested in a refined Englishwoman, Lady Venetia (Rosalind Russell), and he eventually dumps Cigarette for her. Then, Doyle sends Victor off on a suicidal mission to get rid of his rival.
Cast
- Ronald Colman as Sergeant Victor
- Claudette Colbert as Cigarette
- Victor McLaglen as Major J.C. Doyle
- Rosalind Russell as Lady Venetia Cunningham
- Gregory Ratoff as Ivan
- Nigel Bruce as Captain Menzies
- C. Henry Gordon as Lieutenant Petaine
- Herbert Mundin as Rake
- John Carradine as Cafard
- Lumsden Hare as Lord Seraph
- J. Edward Bromberg as Colonel Ferol
- Onslow Stevens as Sidi-Ben Youssiff
- Fritz Leiber as French Governor
- Thomas Beck as Pierre
- William Ricciardi as Cigarette's Father
- Frank Reicher as French General
- Francis McDonald as Husson
- Harry Semels as Sergeant Malinas
- Nicholas Soussanin as Levine
- Douglas Gerrard as Colonel Farley
Production
The role of 'Cigarette' was originally filmed with Simone Simon but when Zanuck wasn't impressed with her footage he refilmed it with Claudette Colbert.[1]
The film was shot on location in California (Imperial County, Indio, La Quinta and Palm Springs (Palm Canyon)), and in Yuma, Arizona.[3]
Reception
The film was a success at the box office.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Philip Liebfriend, Films of the French Foreign Legion, Bear Manor Media 2011
- ↑ Tepa Lupack, Barbara, ed. (1999). Nineteenth-century Women at the Movies: Adapting Classic Women's Fiction to Film. Popular Press. p. 275. ISBN 0-879-72805-1.
- ↑ Under Two Flags at the American Film Institute Catalog
External links
- Under Two Flags at the TCM Movie Database
- Under Two Flags on IMDb
- Under Two Flags at AllMovie
- Under Two Flags film clip on YouTube