Red Dust (1932)

The owner of a rubber plantation becomes involved with the new wife of one of his employees.

Director:

Victor Fleming (uncredited)

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screen play) (as John Mahin), Wilson Collison (from the play by)

Stars:

Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Gene Raymond

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Clark Gable	...	Dennis Carson
Jean Harlow	...	Vantine
Gene Raymond	...	Gary Willis
Mary Astor	...	Barbara Willis
Donald Crisp	...	Guidon
Tully Marshall	...	McQuarg
Forrester Harvey	...	Limey
Willie Fung	...	Hoy

Storyline

Conditions are spartan on Dennis Carson's Indochina rubber plantation during a dusty dry monsoon. The latest boat upriver brings Carson an unwelcome guest: Vantine, a floozy from Saigon, hoping to evade the police by a stay upcountry. But Carson, initially uninterested, soon succumbs to Vantine's ostentatious charms...until the arrival of surveyor Gary Willis, ill with malaria, and his refined but sensuous wife Barbara. Now the rains begin, and passion flows like water...

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Plot Keywords:

french colony | coolie | love triangle | monsoon | french indochina | 

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Taglines:

a flaming, flaming thrill!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die gelbe Hölle

Filming Locations:

Stage 6, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$408,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Once an audience poll suggested that America's moviegoers held a great deal of sympathy for the recently-widowed Jean Harlow, whose husband Paul Bern committed suicide just three months into their marriage, Louis B. Mayer encouraged director Victor Fleming to complete the picture quickly so the studio could capitalize on the audience's goodwill. This was quite the reversal of attitudes, as Mayer had initially tried to replace Harlow for fear that her husband's suicide (which occurred under suspicious circumstances) would harm the film's box office returns.

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Goofs

When Clark Gable and Gene Raymond are in the tree while hunting, after the line: 'this would be a bad country to raise children in, wouldn't it?', the cloud in the background changes dramatically.

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Quotes

Barbara Willis: Men think they can stand anything.
Gary Willis: Gosh, think we can stand this bed?
Barbara Willis: Who else is going to?

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Connections

Featured in MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992)

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Soundtracks

Wild Orchids
(uncredited)
Music by William Axt

User Reviews

"You can check the wings and halo at the desk."

Wonderful pre-Code film with Clark Gable playing a rubber plantation owner in Indochina. Jean Harlow plays a prostitute that becomes an unwanted visitor of Gable's. Unwanted for a little while, at least. She is Jean Harlow, after all! Then an engineer arrives at the plantation along with his wife (Mary Astor). Gable quickly takes an interest in Astor, tossing Harlow aside.

This movie would make the career highlight reel of all involved. Good script and solid performances from all. Gable is at his charmingly gruff best. Harlow is sexy, fun, and very likable. Possibly my favorite role of hers. Astor is quite good, too. Even Gene Raymond works well and I usually can't stand him. This was remade as "Mogambo," directed by John Ford. It also stars Gable but with Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly and the setting moved to Africa. It's not as good as this one but still worth checking out. This one, though, is a classic that everybody should see.