The magnificent Marlene Dietrich unabashedly flirts with every Navy man in uniform and even dons Navy whites herself in "Seven Sinners," an entertaining piece of romantic fluff. Teamed with handsome John Wayne as Dan, a Naval officer with Admirals in his pedigree, Dietrich is a show in herself. Given some fine songs like "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," she plays Bijou, a notorious nightclub singer of uncertain origin, who has been deported from numerous islands throughout he South China Sea for inciting mayhem wherever she sings.
Although Bijou's luggage includes several suitcases, the fabulous wardrobe and outrageous hats that she pulls from them were designed by Irene and are nothing short of dazzling; Dietrich sashays along crowded streets incongruously garbed as a movie star among extras posing as Southeast Asian coolies on a fictional island. Dietrich glitters with rhinestones, is shaded by wide-brimmed floppy hats, smiles behind black lace, displays her famous legs in form-fitting sheaths, and sings "The Man's in the Navy" dressed in a white Naval uniform. While the young John Wayne is handsome and winning, his part is definitely secondary. Dietrich deserved a top drawer supporting cast, and she was rewarded with a grizzled Albert Dekker as a ship's doctor, a dim Broderick Crawford as Bijou's husky bodyguard, a sly Mischa Auer as a larcenous magician, a chubby Billy Gilbert as a loveable bar owner, a shady Oskar Homolka as a mobster, and a debonair Reginald Denny as a Naval commander.
Beyond Dietrich and the stellar supporting cast, "Seven Sinners" has other assets. The shadowy black-and-white cinematography by Rudolph Mate throws patterns across faces and turns dark rooms into geometric plays of light and shadow through the use of blinds and shutters. While the story is slight and, despite a slightly surprising ending, predictable, action and music abound. Director Tay Garnett opens and closes the film with a barroom brawl that illustrates Bijou's effect on her male audiences. Ultimately, the film's appeal rests on Marlene Dietrich. Devotees of Dietrich will relish every flirtatious glance, every song, and every close-up; many will go wild over her cross dressing for "The Man in the Navy" number; however, followers of John Wayne may be disappointed by his non-western secondary role as the femme fatale's romantic interest. Dietrich fans rejoice, Wayne fans beware.
Although Bijou's luggage includes several suitcases, the fabulous wardrobe and outrageous hats that she pulls from them were designed by Irene and are nothing short of dazzling; Dietrich sashays along crowded streets incongruously garbed as a movie star among extras posing as Southeast Asian coolies on a fictional island. Dietrich glitters with rhinestones, is shaded by wide-brimmed floppy hats, smiles behind black lace, displays her famous legs in form-fitting sheaths, and sings "The Man's in the Navy" dressed in a white Naval uniform. While the young John Wayne is handsome and winning, his part is definitely secondary. Dietrich deserved a top drawer supporting cast, and she was rewarded with a grizzled Albert Dekker as a ship's doctor, a dim Broderick Crawford as Bijou's husky bodyguard, a sly Mischa Auer as a larcenous magician, a chubby Billy Gilbert as a loveable bar owner, a shady Oskar Homolka as a mobster, and a debonair Reginald Denny as a Naval commander.
Beyond Dietrich and the stellar supporting cast, "Seven Sinners" has other assets. The shadowy black-and-white cinematography by Rudolph Mate throws patterns across faces and turns dark rooms into geometric plays of light and shadow through the use of blinds and shutters. While the story is slight and, despite a slightly surprising ending, predictable, action and music abound. Director Tay Garnett opens and closes the film with a barroom brawl that illustrates Bijou's effect on her male audiences. Ultimately, the film's appeal rests on Marlene Dietrich. Devotees of Dietrich will relish every flirtatious glance, every song, and every close-up; many will go wild over her cross dressing for "The Man in the Navy" number; however, followers of John Wayne may be disappointed by his non-western secondary role as the femme fatale's romantic interest. Dietrich fans rejoice, Wayne fans beware.