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:

Dedicated to the Legion of Women Who, Without Uniforms, Flags or Glory, Follow Their Men Into Danger and Death! (Print Ad- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, ((Pittsburgh, Penna.)) 5 December 1930)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

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

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Features legendary actress Marlene Dietrich's only Oscar nominated performance.

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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 Gary Cooper: The Face of a Hero (1998)

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Soundtracks

Give Me the Man
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Karl Hajos
Lyrics by Leo Robin
Written for the movie and possibly played as background music

User Reviews

Masterful use of early primitive sound

It's interesting to read other reviews of Morocco. Some people just don't seem to have a clue, and it would be fascinating to learn what they think of as a good film from this era. Nevertheless, I was surprised to see that only one reviewer mentioned the sound, and that was to criticize it. Sternberg's use of sound as a tool jumped right out at me. There are numerous scenes in this film which have the possibility of being overly tedious and run the risk of being boring. Much is made of Sternberg's visual prowess and the rich texture displayed here, but I'm surprised that everyone seems to be missing the effect of the sound. Throughout the film, in scenes which need to build tension yet are visually somewhat tiresome (Legionaires marching in the street for example) Sternberg uses various sound devices artfully. We hear the monotonous drumbeat as the men march. The longer this goes on, the more irritating it becomes and as a result, puts the audience on edge. This adds to the tension of the scene immensely. The same thing happens in other parts of the film when we hear a short nearly monotone musical phrase repeated over and over ad nauseum, or when the sound of the wind blowing through the trees also becomes irritating. Each time, the scene is intended to build tension and each time, Sternberg's use of sound perfectly complements the visual to achieve the desired effect. This movie is on my "you gotta see this one" list.