RED DUST (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932), directed by Victor Fleming, is a red hot movie featuring the steamy collaboration of Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in their first starring roles together. Having been featured in secondary roles opposite Wallace Beery in the crime drama, THE SECRET SIX (MGM, 1931, RED DUST establishes Gable and Harlow, with their italic labeled names above the title, as the latest box-office draw. Coming in the wake of jungle related stories as TRADER HORN (1931) and TARZAN THE APE MAN (1932), or Harlow's floozy character somewhat inspired by W. Somerset Maugham's own Sadie Thompson lifted from RAIN (United Artists, 1932), RED DUST, set in a remote location of Indo-China, no doubt was a huge success at the time. Watching the chemistry between Gable and Harlow shows the reason why.
Taken from the play by Wilson Collison, the plot revolves around Dennis Carson (Clark Gable) in charge of a rubber plantation assisted by McQuarg (Tully Marshall) and Guidon (Donald Crisp). Upon their return from Saigon by boat, Carson encounters Vantine (Jean Harlow), a tough talking blonde babe of questionable background ("I'm not used to sleeping at night") eluding the Saigon police, found on the bed of the drunken Guidon. Carson, ("I've been looking at her kind ever since my voice changed"), allows Vantine ("Pollyanna, the Glad Girl") to remain on the plantation headquarters until the next boat arrives. Though they have a rocky start constantly arguing, Dennis and Vantine soon come to mutual terms. As Vantine leaves on the next boat, Dennis goes to greet Gary Willis (Gene Raymond), a young engineer to be his new assistant. Aside from being stricken with fever, Gary surprises Dennis by introducing him to his new bride, Barbara (Mary Astor). Later, due to the boat getting stuck in the mud, Vantine returns to the plantation and Dennis' life. After Gary recovers from his illness, Dennis sends him away on assignment assisted by McQuarg and Guidon to supervise the construction of a jungle bridge. In the meantime, Dennis, having already had a relationship with Vantine, finds himself doing the same with Gary's wife.
If the plot sounds overly familiar, in true Hollywood essence of "great movies are not made, they're remade," the basis of RED DUST reappeared in CONGO MAISIE (MGM, 1940), the second of the "Maisie" series starring Ann Sothern, and officially remade more famously as MOGAMBO (MGM, 1953) with the much older Clark Gable repeating his original role with different character name. Stretched out to nearly two hours as opposed to the original's 83 minutes, MOGAMBO, set in Africa, has Ava Gardner ("Honey Bear") and Grace Kelly (Linda) in the Astor and Harlow roles. MOGAMBO proved to be Gable's last great motion picture for MGM before leaving his home-based company after 23 years of service. The advantage MOGAMBO has over RED DUST is the fact that MOGAMBO does not have the studio bound with stage origin feel to it, yet, greatly benefits in both Technicolor and actual location shooting in Africa. The advantages RED DUST has over MOGAMBO is the fact the movie is very much pre-code, with situations and toned-down vulgar talk between Harlow and Gable. Other classic Harlow moments include her bathing in a barrel of drinking water; reading Peter Rabbit stories to Dennis; and her presentation of a tough girl with a heart of gold.
With Harlow having a reputation of not being such a good actress, under Victor Fleming's direction, she's actually quite effective here as well as alluring. Mary Astor as the dignified wife who falls into Gable's charms, comes off as second best. Gene Raymond is acceptable as the young man who looks up to his employer, but clueless to what's happening behind his back. With a small assortment of players listed in the cast, there's also Forrester Harvey as Limey, and Willie Fung assuming his usual stereotypical broken English speaking Chinese ("Ah lite") for comedy assurance.
Though the leading players prove more favorable than the title of RED DUST (RED LUST might have been more like it), the film itself is a classic in its own right. As in situations of remakes versus originals, it does leave the old question as to which movie is better, RED DUST or MOGAMBO. Distributed to home video in the 1980s, and later into DVD decades later, RED DUST continues to entertain whenever broadcast, sometimes on a double bill with MOGAMBO, on Turner Classic Movies. (***)
Taken from the play by Wilson Collison, the plot revolves around Dennis Carson (Clark Gable) in charge of a rubber plantation assisted by McQuarg (Tully Marshall) and Guidon (Donald Crisp). Upon their return from Saigon by boat, Carson encounters Vantine (Jean Harlow), a tough talking blonde babe of questionable background ("I'm not used to sleeping at night") eluding the Saigon police, found on the bed of the drunken Guidon. Carson, ("I've been looking at her kind ever since my voice changed"), allows Vantine ("Pollyanna, the Glad Girl") to remain on the plantation headquarters until the next boat arrives. Though they have a rocky start constantly arguing, Dennis and Vantine soon come to mutual terms. As Vantine leaves on the next boat, Dennis goes to greet Gary Willis (Gene Raymond), a young engineer to be his new assistant. Aside from being stricken with fever, Gary surprises Dennis by introducing him to his new bride, Barbara (Mary Astor). Later, due to the boat getting stuck in the mud, Vantine returns to the plantation and Dennis' life. After Gary recovers from his illness, Dennis sends him away on assignment assisted by McQuarg and Guidon to supervise the construction of a jungle bridge. In the meantime, Dennis, having already had a relationship with Vantine, finds himself doing the same with Gary's wife.
If the plot sounds overly familiar, in true Hollywood essence of "great movies are not made, they're remade," the basis of RED DUST reappeared in CONGO MAISIE (MGM, 1940), the second of the "Maisie" series starring Ann Sothern, and officially remade more famously as MOGAMBO (MGM, 1953) with the much older Clark Gable repeating his original role with different character name. Stretched out to nearly two hours as opposed to the original's 83 minutes, MOGAMBO, set in Africa, has Ava Gardner ("Honey Bear") and Grace Kelly (Linda) in the Astor and Harlow roles. MOGAMBO proved to be Gable's last great motion picture for MGM before leaving his home-based company after 23 years of service. The advantage MOGAMBO has over RED DUST is the fact that MOGAMBO does not have the studio bound with stage origin feel to it, yet, greatly benefits in both Technicolor and actual location shooting in Africa. The advantages RED DUST has over MOGAMBO is the fact the movie is very much pre-code, with situations and toned-down vulgar talk between Harlow and Gable. Other classic Harlow moments include her bathing in a barrel of drinking water; reading Peter Rabbit stories to Dennis; and her presentation of a tough girl with a heart of gold.
With Harlow having a reputation of not being such a good actress, under Victor Fleming's direction, she's actually quite effective here as well as alluring. Mary Astor as the dignified wife who falls into Gable's charms, comes off as second best. Gene Raymond is acceptable as the young man who looks up to his employer, but clueless to what's happening behind his back. With a small assortment of players listed in the cast, there's also Forrester Harvey as Limey, and Willie Fung assuming his usual stereotypical broken English speaking Chinese ("Ah lite") for comedy assurance.
Though the leading players prove more favorable than the title of RED DUST (RED LUST might have been more like it), the film itself is a classic in its own right. As in situations of remakes versus originals, it does leave the old question as to which movie is better, RED DUST or MOGAMBO. Distributed to home video in the 1980s, and later into DVD decades later, RED DUST continues to entertain whenever broadcast, sometimes on a double bill with MOGAMBO, on Turner Classic Movies. (***)