The Garden of Allah (1936).

The Garden of Allah (1936), Is a dramatic film directed by Richard Boleslawski and produced by David O. Selznick. Based on the 1905 novel of the same name by Robert S. Hichens. Hichens's novel had been filmed twice before, as silent films made in 1916 and 1927. Cast: Marlene Dietrich and Charles Boyer with Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith, Joseph Schildkraut, John Carradine, Alan Marshal, and Lucile Watson. The music score is by Max Steiner. It was the second film to be photographed in three-strip Technicolor gaining an honorary Academy Award for cinematography. The filming locations were in Buttercup, California and Yuma, Arizona.

After the death of her father, Domini Enfilden returns to Le Couvent de Ste. Cecile, where she grew up, to reunite with her friend,  Mother Josephine. The Mother Superior, advises her to travel to the Sahara Desert, where she might find the answers she is looking for.

Meanwhile, at a Trappist monastery at el Lagarnine in Tunis in Northern Africa, a visitor, Captain de Trevignac, tastes the liqueur for which the monastery is best known for. The liqueur is made from a secret formula by Brother Antoine, who has just fled the monastery, taking the secret with him.

While traveling to the city of Beni Mora, Algeria, Domini meets Antoine on a train, but he says nothing to her.

Later, in a cafe, Antoine can not take his eyes off an exotic dancer named Irena.



When Irena pulls a knife on her lover, Hadj, who will not marry her, Antoine helps Domini escape with her life, and this is when Boris introduces himself as, Boris Androvsky.

The next day, they ride to the Oasis of the city Azur, where they meet Count Ferdinand Anteoni, who tells Domini to wait to travel into the desert until the urge is very strong. When native girls admire the crucifix around Boris' neck, he does not like them hanging on him, so he throws it into the water.

Domini, does not like his violent outbursts and Anteoni warns Domini, "a man who fears to acknowledge his God is unwise to set foot in the desert," and tells them that the Arabs have a saying that the desert is the garden of Allah.

Later, a man tells Domini that something glorious is waiting for her during her travels into the desert, but also gives her a warning.

While out riding, they come to a church. There, Father J. Roubier, who promised Mother Superior he would look out for Domini, notices Boris. Although, the priest warns Domini not to fall in love with Boris, he agrees to marry them the next day.

Following the wedding, Boris and Domini take a caravan into the desert with Domini's guide, Batouch, and Hadj.

One night, Domini lights a torch to guide Boris back to the camp and instead saves a patrol that has been lost for three days. Among the men is de Trevignac. Boris returns and de Trevignac is sure they have met before.

After Batouch serves a bottle of the Lagarnine liqueur, de Trevignac remembers who Boris is and leaves the table in anger. Domini, confused, pleads with Boris to tell her the truth about his past but, he refuses.

The next morning, before De Trevignac and his men leave, he tells Anteoni where the caravan is camped.

At dinner, Anteoni tells the story of the Lagarnine liqueur, which will never again be manufactured as the monk who knew the secret of the liqueur disappeared after taking his final vows. Boris, then states tearfully "that the man had a right to love".

Boris, then shares with Domini about his life at the monastery, where he had lived since childhood under the vow of silence, and spoke with people for the first time when, as an adult he was put in charge of the monastery's hotel.

Believing that no one who loves will be punished by God, Domini agrees to let Boris return to the monastery. At the gates of the monastery, Boris and Domini say good-by for the last time..

 

Fun Facts:

Merle Oberon was originally signed to play Domini, but was "bought off" by David O. Selznick at a cost of $25,000.

Marlene Dietrich's first film in Technicolor.

Gilbert Roland was originally cast as Boris Androvsky.

Among the actors David O. Selznick considered and tested for the role of the monk Boris Androvsky before casting Charles Boyer were Robert Taylor, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone, George Brent, Laurence Olivier, Fredric March, Brian Aherne, Noel Coward, Maurice Evans, Robert Donat, Ivor Novello, John Gielgud and Jean Gabin.

For the role of Capt. De Trevignac, David Niven, Cesar Romero and Ray Milland were tested before 'Alan Marshal was cast.

The young girl sewing in the first scene at the convent is Marlene Dietrich's daughter, Maria Riva.

This was the first Technicolor film to be shot on location. Yuma, Arizona gave the film makers all the sand dunes they could desire, but contaminated drinking water and 135 degree heat soon had the company in revolt. When the daily rushes showed Boyer's face had burned a bright  red, the remainder of the film was shot on a Hollywood sound stage.

I usually do not enjoy watching movies like this.. but, this film was such fun and beautiful to watch, that I just could not stop watching.. This maybe.. one of my favorite Boyer performances. Color films of the 1930's are a rarity and the cinematography in this film showcased the desert beautifully.

Lucile Watson (May 27, 1879 – June 24, 1962)  began her career on the stage debuting on Broadway in the play Hearts Aflame in 1902.

Her next play was The Girl With Green Eyes, the first of several Clyde Fitch stories.

At the end of 1903, Lucile performed in Fitch's "Glad of It". This play featured several young performers including Lucile who would move on to major Broadway or motion picture prominence: Robert Warwick, John Barrymore, Thomas Meighan and Grant Mitchell.

 For the rest of the decade she performed in several more Fitch stories into the 1910s.

Sometime in the 1910s she was briefly married to silent film star Rockliffe Fellowes.Her marriage to Fellows produced no children.

Watson's first film role was in the 1916 silent film The Girl with Green Eyes, a film version of the Clyde Fitch play she had performed in on Broadway in 1902.

She did not appear in another movie until 1930, when she had an uncredited role in, The Royal Family of Broadway.

Watson was primarily a stage actress, starring in plays: Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, Heartbreak House, Ghosts, The Importance of Being Earnest and Pride and Prejudice.

Her second husband was playwright Louis E. Shipman whom she married in 1928. She was widowed in 1933.

Watson reached the height of her adult acting career in playwright Lillian Hellman's anti-fascist dramatic stage play, Watch on the Rhine on Broadway (1941).

Two years later in Hollywood, she and Lukas reprised their roles in the film adaptation. In perhaps her best known film role, Lucile Watson's performance as 'Mrs. Fanny Farrelly' was also acknowledged with a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but she lost to actress Katina Paxinou for her performance as Pilar in, For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Watson died on June 25, 1962, after suffering a heart attack at age 83.

Pre-Code: Trouble in Paradise (1932).

Trouble in Paradise(1932). Pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Cast: Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis and Herbert Marshall, and features Charles Ruggles, Edward Everett Horton and C. Aubrey Smith.

In Venice, during dinner, Lily accuses Gaston(who is posing as a baron) of being a thief and he in turn, accuses her of being a pickpocket. But when he presents her garter to her, she falls instantly in love with him and they decide to join forces. They are almost caught while robbing aristocrat Francois Fileba's room.



A year later, in Paris, Gaston and Lily are still in love and working together when, at the opera, Gaston steals a diamond-studded purse from Mariette Colet, owner of Paris's perfumerie, Colet and Co. Posing as Monsieur LuValle, Gaston returns the bag to collect the reward and lands a job as her secretary.

It is not long before Gaston, begins making plans to embezzle money from the company. Lily, works as Gaston's assistant and pretends to be devoted to Mariette even though she is jealous of her and Gaston's relationship.

After a few weeks, Mariette introduces Gaston to her friends and Fileba, asks him if he has ever been in Venice, of course Gaston denies it. Now, fearful that Fileba, will expose them, Gaston and Lily must leave Paris. Fileba, soon remembers Gaston, was the man who robbed him in Venice and warns Mariette, but she does not really seem to care.

When Lily, realizes the reason why Gaston, wants to leave in the morning, is because he made plans to meet with Mariette, she steals the money from the safe. Now, that everyone knows his true identity, how will Gaston get out of this love triangle?



What I loved most about this romantic comedy, was the many beautiful sets and costumes.

Kay Francis (January 13, 1905 - August 26, 1968). She costarred with William Powell many times and performed in as many as six to eight movies a year, making a total of 21 films between 1929 and 1931. With her dark beauty and her deep voice perfectly suited for early sound- films made Francis one of the top film stars of the early 1930s.

She performed in the films, Girls About Town (1931) and Twenty-Four Hours (1931). After Kay's career skyrocketed at Warners, she would return to Paramount for the film, Trouble in Paradise (1932).

In 1932, Warner Brothers persuaded both Francis and Powell to join the ranks of Warners stars. In exchange, Francis was given roles that allowed her a more sympathetic screen persona.

Beyond Tomorrow (1940).

Beyond Tomorrow (1940). Fantasy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. Released by 20th Century Fox under the title: Beyond Christmas. Cast: Harry Carey, Aubrey Smith, Charles Winninger, Alex Melesh as Josef, Maria Ouspenskaya, Helen Vinson, Rod La Rocque, Richard Carlson and Jean Parker.

Three wealthy lonely elderly men, Michael O'Brien, Allan Chadwick and George Melton, are planning on Christmas Eve alone, after their Christmas guest cancel, when Michael suggests that they toss three wallets, out the window and ask who ever returns them to stay for dinner.

They give a beautiful mink coat, to their Russian housekeeper and friend, Madame Tanya, who is over come with their kindness..

George, is certain that no one would will return the wallets and just as they are about to begin to sit down to Christmas dinner. Down on his luck, Texan James Houston and clinic worker Jean Lawrence, both return the wallets. Jimmy and Jean, fall in love over dinner and soon spend all their time with Michael, Allan and George, until the three men tragically die in a plane crash.

After the accident, the three men return as ghosts, but only Madame Tanya, feel their presence. Michael has left Jimmy, some money with which he uses to launch his singing career. Because of the circumstances surrounding his inheritance, he attracts the attention of radio radio star, Arlene Terry. It is not long before Jimmy, begins to neglect Jean and makes plans with Arlene to go away for the weekend.

Soon after George is called to heaven and Allan is called to heaven by his son David, a solider killed in World War I. Michael is also called to heaven but refuses to go because he wants to help Jimmy, even if it means he has to stay on earth for eternity.

Arlene's jealous, husband fatally shoots Jimmy at the country inn. Jimmy is rushed to the hospital, where he dies on the operating table and now Jimmy, is able to see Michael. Jimmy, realizes that he has made a terrible mistake and Michael asks God to give Jimmy another chance. Will Jimmy receive another chance and will Michael go on to be with his son in heaven ?

This is an extremely enjoyable movie to add to your Christmas treasured list of films. You will need the whole box of Kleenex for this Christmas classic.

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Helen Vinson (September 17, 1907 – October 7, 1999). Vinson was often featured in roles in which she played the part of the other woman or (pre-Code). Her first film role was in, Jewel Robbery (1932), which starred William Powell and Kay Francis. She performed as Doris Dulafield in, The Kennel Murder Case, which starred Powell. One of her memorable roles was in, The Wedding Night (1935). She played the wife of Gary Cooper and the rival of Anna Sten, in a story about the Connecticut tobacco fields. Another performance was in the film, In Name Only (1939), in which she was cast as the treacherous friend of Carole Lombard, Kay Francis and Cary Grant. Another well known role for Vinson was as an undercover federal agent posing as a femme fatale in the film, Enemy Agent (1940). She followed that role with the role of Helen Draque in, The Thin Man Goes Home.

Jean Parker (August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005). She was discovered by Ida Koverman, secretary to MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer, after she saw a poster featuring Parker portraying Father Time.

She performed in important roles such as Beth in the original, Little Women, she also performed in the films, Lady for a Day and Gabriel Over the White House, Sequoia, Limehouse Blues, The Ghost Goes West, Rasputin and the Empress, with the Barrymore siblings (John, Ethel, and Lionel) in the only movie they all made together. In 1939, she starred opposite Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy in, The Flying Deuces.

In the 40s, she performed in the film, Dead Man's Eyes. Parker managed her own airport and flying service with then-husband Doug Dawson in Palm Springs, California until shortly after the start of World War II. During the war, she toured many of the veteran hospitals throughout the U.S. In the 1950s, Parker co-starred opposite Edward G. Robinson in, Black Tuesday, had a small role in, The Gunfighter and performed in another western, Lawless Street (1955). Her last film performance was in, Apache Uprising (1966).