An American drama; A story set at the turn of the 20th century about a Montana cattleman who collects a debt from an owner of a casino when he visits the fabled lawless city of San Francisco. Between these rivals is a beautiful woman. John Wayne and Ann Dvorak give glint-in-the eye performances even if they are slightly less than fully committed. It surpasses its B-movie status thanks to Joseph Schildkraut. As Morell, the casino owner, he stands out with his nuanced performance - scheming, yet respectful. Musically, it is charming with a handful of pleasant show numbers and there are some good special effects depicting the 1908 San Francisco earthquake raising the melodrama by half a notch.
Review of Flame of Barbary Coast
