I am surprised that John Ford did not have a directorial credit on this film - that is usually reserved for films that no one wants to own but this is a very fine, excellent film. Wallace Beery is usually remembered as the star not many people could get on with (except Louise Brooks!!) but he was an extremely good actor when the parts were not too syrupy. "Flesh" is reminiscent of "The Secret Six" and Beery gives a powerful performance as Polakai, a too trusting wrestler.
Laura Nash (Karen Morley) is being released from a German prison but although she pleads with the stony faced warder (Frank Reicher), Nicky, her boyfriend, is not to be released. In a beer garden she makes the acquaintance of Polakai (he helps her pay her bill), a waiter who also doubles as their star wrestler. He gives her a place to stay - in exchange she teaches him English and tidiness. She is also taking his money and when she is caught she spins a story about getting her "brother" out of prison. Polakai gets her "brother" out of prison but Nicky (Ricardo Cortez) proves to be not the type of boy you would take home to meet the parents. They keep the "brother" and "sister" act going but when Laura confesses that she is having his child, he convinces her to marry Polakai and go with him to America - he then skips out, being the slimy rat that he is!!! Not once during the film does he express any concern or love about the baby!!!
When the baby is born Polakai and Laura go to America to see if he can conquer the wrestling scene there as he did in Germany. Of course Nicky comes back into their lives - the way he explains his awful behaviour - "I'm not looking for a medal - just thanks"!!! Suddenly Nicky is Polakai's manager and does his best to corrupt the gentle wrestler. Along with Willard (John Miljan) they tell him when to lose and when to win. Polakai decides to quit wrestling and earn his money honestly but Laura can't handle the poverty and goes back to Nicky - he is less than keen, he even beats her. She doesn't care - she is such a chump and returns to Polakai but only to persuade him to re-instate Nicky as his manager. As he climbs to the top of the wrestling world he switches from beer to whiskey - the drink of degradation!!! (A similar thing happened in "The Secret Six" only then the unoffending drink was milk).
Polakai can't cope with the dishonesty of what he is forced to do and becomes a drunk. Laura knows that her actions are to blame and tells him the truth about everything. He is supposed to throw the fight that night but Laura gives him the courage to fight in the fair way his conscience dictates. The final scene shows Polakai in prison (he has killed Nicky after witnessing a particularly brutal beating) with Laura promising that soon things will be alright again.
1932 was a big year for Karen Morley - she appeared in 10 films with varying success. She was given plum roles in "Arsene Lupin", "Flesh" and "Scarface" - then things went wrong. She was independent and opinionated (like Ann Dvorak) and Hollywood didn't like that - especially in starlets. When she married top young director Charles Vidor, that was it - by the next year she was reduced to a tiny role in MGM's lavish "Dinner at Eight". And where would the movies be without Ricardo Cortez and John Miljan!!!
Highly Recommended.
Laura Nash (Karen Morley) is being released from a German prison but although she pleads with the stony faced warder (Frank Reicher), Nicky, her boyfriend, is not to be released. In a beer garden she makes the acquaintance of Polakai (he helps her pay her bill), a waiter who also doubles as their star wrestler. He gives her a place to stay - in exchange she teaches him English and tidiness. She is also taking his money and when she is caught she spins a story about getting her "brother" out of prison. Polakai gets her "brother" out of prison but Nicky (Ricardo Cortez) proves to be not the type of boy you would take home to meet the parents. They keep the "brother" and "sister" act going but when Laura confesses that she is having his child, he convinces her to marry Polakai and go with him to America - he then skips out, being the slimy rat that he is!!! Not once during the film does he express any concern or love about the baby!!!
When the baby is born Polakai and Laura go to America to see if he can conquer the wrestling scene there as he did in Germany. Of course Nicky comes back into their lives - the way he explains his awful behaviour - "I'm not looking for a medal - just thanks"!!! Suddenly Nicky is Polakai's manager and does his best to corrupt the gentle wrestler. Along with Willard (John Miljan) they tell him when to lose and when to win. Polakai decides to quit wrestling and earn his money honestly but Laura can't handle the poverty and goes back to Nicky - he is less than keen, he even beats her. She doesn't care - she is such a chump and returns to Polakai but only to persuade him to re-instate Nicky as his manager. As he climbs to the top of the wrestling world he switches from beer to whiskey - the drink of degradation!!! (A similar thing happened in "The Secret Six" only then the unoffending drink was milk).
Polakai can't cope with the dishonesty of what he is forced to do and becomes a drunk. Laura knows that her actions are to blame and tells him the truth about everything. He is supposed to throw the fight that night but Laura gives him the courage to fight in the fair way his conscience dictates. The final scene shows Polakai in prison (he has killed Nicky after witnessing a particularly brutal beating) with Laura promising that soon things will be alright again.
1932 was a big year for Karen Morley - she appeared in 10 films with varying success. She was given plum roles in "Arsene Lupin", "Flesh" and "Scarface" - then things went wrong. She was independent and opinionated (like Ann Dvorak) and Hollywood didn't like that - especially in starlets. When she married top young director Charles Vidor, that was it - by the next year she was reduced to a tiny role in MGM's lavish "Dinner at Eight". And where would the movies be without Ricardo Cortez and John Miljan!!!
Highly Recommended.