Morocco (1930)

A cabaret singer and a Legionnaire fall in love, but their relationship is complicated by the results of his womanizing and due to the appearance of a rich man who wants her for himself.

Director:

Josef von Sternberg (as Josef Von Sternberg)

Writers:

Jules Furthman (adapted by), Benno Vigny (from the play "Amy Jolly" by)

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich, Adolphe Menjou

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gary Cooper	...	Légionnaire Tom Brown
Marlene Dietrich	...	Mademoiselle Amy Jolly
Adolphe Menjou	...	Monsieur La Bessiere
Ullrich Haupt	...	Adjutant Caesar
Eve Southern	...	Madame Caesar
Francis McDonald	...	Sergeant Tatoche
Paul Porcasi	...	Lo Tinto

Storyline

The Foreign Legion marches in to Mogador with booze and women in mind just as singer Amy Jolly arrives from Paris to work at Lo Tinto's cabaret. That night, insouciant legionnaire Tom Brown catches her inimitably seductive, tuxedo-clad act. Both bruised by their past lives, the two edge cautiously into a no-strings relationship while being pursued by others. But Tom must leave on a perilous mission: is it too late for them?

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Plot Keywords:

love | legionnaire | singer | nightclub | foreign legion | 

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Taglines:

Who is this woman who scorns a hundred men...to give her love to a Devil-May-Care Soldier? (Print Ad- San Jose Evening News, ((San Jose, Calif.)) 31 January 1931)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 Greatest American Movies.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sergeant Tatoche: Now listen here, fat-heads. We're back home again and that's because we did a little fighting. And I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: Well, here comes us, The Foreign Legion. Each man a hero, all the booze in the world made for us, and the women thrown in. But, you're wrong. This time, you're gonna behave yourselves like gentlemen even if it'll kills you. Yes, I'm talking to you, you heard what I said!

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Connections

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions: America's Greatest Love Stories (2002)

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Soundtracks

Quand l'Amour Meurt
(1904) (uncredited)
Music by Octave Crémieux
Lyrics by Georges Millandy
Sung by Marlene Dietrich in Lo Tinto's nightclub

User Reviews

Luminous

My favourite Sternberg-Dietrich vehicle will always be "The Scarlet Empress", but all their films are worth more than a cursory glance. They're, to my mind, the most interesting thing to come out of the early thirties (and, although dated, far less so than more recognized classics of the era because of their unadulterated FUN).

Sternberg made art department COUNTRIES for Dietrich to languish in, true in all their Hollywood films, and still dazzling today. Plot, narrative are shaky, sometimes almost nonexistent, allowing for spectacle to take over, and what a spectacle it all is! Dietrich is probably one of the most macabre, knowingly lewd feminine manifestations ever to grace the silver screen (well, at least Sternberg was knowing, Dietrich herself....?). Highly recommended.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Spanish Arabic Italian

Release Date:

6 December 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amy Jolly

Filming Locations:

Yuma, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$191

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1