Seven Sinners (1940)

Directed by: Tay Garnett | 87 minutes | action, drama, music, comedy, adventure, romance | Actors: Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Anna Lee, Mischa Auer, Billy Gilbert, Richard Carle, Samuel S. Hinds, Oskar Homolka, Reginald Denny, Vince Barnett, Herbert Rawlinson, James Craig, William Bakewell

‘Seven Sinners’ is fairly entertaining fare with nice actors that makes for an entertaining eighty minutes. At the same time, the film is not very special and too limited to make much of an impression. This romantic comedy, or comic romance, relies mainly on the charisma of the two protagonists and the attractive lighting and, in several ways, the decoration.

The story, as far as it goes, ripples along, introducing us along the way to the two famous lovers and a small roster of colorful henchmen and antagonists, such as the lovable jackass Sasha (Mischa Auer) and magician and purse thief Tony (Billy Gilbert). ), who assist Bijou during her antics on the various islands. The fact that the story we witness as spectators is not new to Bijou or her comrades, but rather forms a well-known course of events, is nicely illustrated by the symmetrical beginning and end of the film. The film starts and ends with a fierce bar fight, the result of which is that singer Bijou and the participants in the fight are banned.

Oddly enough, Bijou is always the reason for these fights. With her sultry songs and diva-like personality, she turns all men’s heads, which sooner or later causes tension. It is a role that Dietrich fits the bill perfectly. At times she even threatens to put too much elegance and attitude into her role for such a frivolous film. She performs a few songs with her characteristic low voice, as if she was still in De Blauwe Engel. The song The man’s in the navy, performed several times, is clearly central, and her performance in naval outfit makes the men in ‘Seven Sinners’ fall for her en masse. In the film, Dietrich appears in many provocative dresses and suits, often tight-fitting and outfitted with feathers or other head ornaments; and the camera loves Dietrich, who is exposed in beautiful, classic Hollywood fashion.

At the time of this film, John Wayne was still ahead of his great success, but as Lieutenant Dan plays a charming role that clearly demonstrates his appeal through his tough and sympathetic appearance. He has a pleasant interaction with Dietrich, with whom two more joint projects would follow.

The pair have a nice romance in ‘Seven Sinners’, although it is somewhat short-lived and, although surprisingly, ends unsatisfactorily. Furthermore, the film relies a bit too much on simple broad humor and few diverse musical intermezzos to be really recommended. ‘Seven Sinners’ is quite palatable and is at least worth a look because of the Dietrich-Wayne duo, but will probably leave a lasting impression on few spectators.