Under Two Flags *** (1936, Ronald Colman, Claudette Colbert, Rosalind Russell, Victor McLaglen) – Classic Movie Review 5411

Quintessential Englishman Ronald Colman is at his most spirited, lively and stylish, as Sergeant Victor, an Englishman who joins up in the French Foreign Legion since taking the blame for his brother’s crime, in director Frank Lloyd’s amusing 1936 romantic fiction film of Foreign Legion life in the Sahara desert.

Colman is soon romanced by Claudette Colbert (as a local gal called Cigarette because she finds the legionnaires a bit of a draw) and she in turn is loved by Legion commander Major Doyle (Victor McLaglen), who wickedly sends Colman on a deadly mission to try to get rid of him. But then Colman falls for English socialite Lady Venetia Cunningham (Rosalind Russell).

20th Century Fox’s graceful action adventure with elements of comedy and romance is packed with star appeal and old-style entertainment value. It is an appealing showcase for the charismatic Colman and Colbert, with a quality Fox studio production. The fight scenes were directed by Otto Brower.

Also in the cast are J Edward Bromberg, Nigel Bruce as Captain Menzies, Onlsow Stevens, C Henry Gordon as Lieutenant Petaine, Gregory Ratoff, Herbert Mundin, Lumsden Hare, Fritz Leiber, Louis Mercier, Frank Reicher, Thomas Beck and William Ricciardi.

It runs 111 minutes with the cut version at 96 minutes.

W P Lipscomb and Walter Ferris’s screenplay is adapted from the book Under Two Flags: A Story of the French Foreign Legion by Ouida (1839–1908), filmed as silent movies in 1915, 1916 and 1922.

It runs 111 minutes, is shot in black and white by Ernest Palmer, is produced by Darryl F Zanuck and Raymond Griffith, and is scored by Louis Silvers.

John Carradine’s scenes as Cafard were deleted.

In Carry On Follow That Camel (1967), Anita Harris plays a character named Corktip, a reference to Colbert’s character Cigarette.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5411

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