Flamingo Road (1949)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Edmund H. North (additional dialogue)
Robert Wilder (play)

Release Date:

6 May 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A wrong girl for the right side of the tracks.

Plot:

Carnival dancer Lane Bellamy finds herself stranded in a southern town ruled by corrupt political boss Titus Semple...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Dancer | Southern | Political Machine | Carnival

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Lane Bellamy
Zachary Scott	...	Fielding Carlisle
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Sheriff Titus Semple
David Brian	...	Dan Reynolds
Gladys George	...	Lute Mae Sanders
Virginia Huston	...	Annabelle Weldon
Fred Clark	...	Doc Waterson
Gertrude Michael	...	Millie
Alice White	...	Gracie
Sam McDaniel	...	Boatright
Tito Vuolo	...	Pete Ladas

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Michael Curtiz Productions

Trivia:

Originally intended as a vehicle for Ann Sheridan, who turned down role played by 'Joan Crawford'.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Sheriff Titus Semple tells Fielding Carlisle to "get over to that girl's house and ask her to marry 'her'", instead of “marry you”.

Quotes:

Sheriff Titus Semple: Now me, I never forget anything.
Lane Bellamy: You know sheriff; we had an elephant in our carnival with a memory like that. He went after a keeper that he'd held a grudge against for almost 15 years. Had to be shot. You just wouldn't believe how much trouble it is to dispose of a dead elephant.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

South American Way

"You're nothing but a Carny girl!"

Alas, poor Joan is back to her usual tricks trying to pass herself off as an exotic harem dancer in a traveling circus. I think she's a little too old to be enticing the locals at 45. Perhaps her veil helps hide the years, but I digress. ~Spoilers Approaching!~ Half the movie has poor, struggling Joan trying to earn a descent living but Sydney "Mr. Mean" Greenstreet keeps throwing a monkey wrench in Joan's affairs. First he gets her fired from the local Italian eatery and then follows her to Lute Mae's road house. Pow Shazam, she marries money and moves into a big house where she gets to wear her leftover wardrobe from Mildred Pierce! She's now living the high life, and likes it, but Sheriff Titus just has a grudge against her. He tries to ruin her marriage and then throw her on the next train to "Destination Unknown." Joan fights back and finds Sheriff Titus Semple living it up at Lute Mae's. The confrontation begins! I give this movie four bitch slaps out of five.