Randolph Scott plays John Calhoun, a former con man who insists he’s gone honest now that he runs a saloon and gambling home in Malemute, Alaska. Gypsy Rose Lee is Belle De Valle, the entertainer who shows up to perform there. She’s also Calhoun’s former lover, and she’s more than a little skeptical that this tiger has changed his stripes.
Complications arise when Calhoun and his associates think their piano player is wanted for some wrongdoing in Seattle. Sheriff Mervin Matiland invites authorities to come to Malemute to pick him up. Calhoun and his friends are afraid they might wind up being picked up as well — for past deeds, of course — if the law starts snooping around.
So they plan to hustle Steve Atterbury off to Nome, which causes more than a little heartache for Lettie Candless (Dinah Shore), a young singer who’s fallen for him. Meanwhile, Calhoun cooks up a scheme that leaves him as president of the new bank of Malemute … and what happens next makes Belle doubt his honesty even more.
And to think she was starting to plan a life as Mrs. John Calhoun.
Review:
A part comedy, part musical that suffers from a thin plot, comic bits that aren’t all that funny and song and dance numbers that aren’t all that memorable. The best things about the film are Gypsy Rose’s wisecracks and her costumes — wow, what costumes. Just check out that black hat she wears on a visit to Calhoun’s bank.
This marked one of the first screen appearances for Dinah Shore, who plays Lettie, a young singer in love with the piano player at Calhoun’s saloon. She was actually in her late 20s when this film was made. She went on to become the first woman to have her own TV variety show.
Gypsy Rose Lee’s past is also more interesting than this film. She started out as a burlesque dancer at age 15 and became known as the queen of burlesque. When she first started appearing in films, it was under her real name, Louise Hovick, for fear her past would keep fans away. She later penned an autobiography that was turned into a Broadway play — “Gypsy.”
Directed by:
William A. Seiter
Cast:
Randolph Scott … Honest John Calhoun
aka Gentleman Jack
Gypsy Rose Lee … Belle De Valle
Dinah Shore … Lettie Candless
Bob Burns … Sam Slade
Charles Winninger … Pop Candless
William Marshall … Steve Atterbury
Guinn “Big Boy” Williams … Sheriff Maitland
Robert Armstrong … George
Florence Bates … Viola Chase
Victor Kilian … Professor Salsbury
Wanda McKay … Cherie Atterbury
Edward Fielding … C.V. Atterbury
Runtime: 83 min.
Memorable lines:
Belle De Valle, talking about the trouble she landed in when it turned out Honest John Calhoun didn’t pay for an expensive bracelet he gave her: “A very fine gentleman from Sioux City helped me out of my difficulties.”
Viola: “An elegant gentleman. A banker. He didn’t have much hair. And he creaked a bit when he walked, but he was a gentleman.”
Belle De Valle: “What’s your game up here.”
John Calhoun: “I’ve got the greatest proposition in the world. I’ve turned honest.”
Belle De Valle, casting him a disbelieving look: “Oh. And I’m 16 and never have been kissed.”
Belle De Valle: “And get this straight. No more playing around with that little red-headed singer.”
John Calhoun: “You’ve got that all wrong. We’re just friends. We’re just … ah …”
Belle: “Is platonic that word you’re looking for.”
Calhoun: “Yeah. Platonic.”
Belle: “When you turn platonic, wolves will be vegetarians.”
Calhoun: “I don’t know why you hang on to me. You always did all right without me.”
Belle: “Sure, I did all right without you. But with you, it’s more fun.”
Belle, when Calhoun opens a bank: “My happiness is tinged with a sort of amusement. Doesn’t it seem odd that you should be the custodian of other people’s money? That’s like sending a tiger to mind a baby.”
Calhoun: “What’s the old saying about a tiger changing its spots.”
Belle: “Leopards have spots.”
){kind=link}