Barbary Coast (film)
Encyclopedia
Barbary Coast is a period film directed by Howard Hawks
. Shot in black-and-white
and set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush
era, the film combines elements of crime
, Western, melodrama
and adventure
genres, features a wide range of actors, from good-guy Joel McCrea
to bad-boy Edward G. Robinson
, and stars Miriam Hopkins
in the leading role as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge.
), arrives in San Francisco Bay from New York aboard the Flying Cloud. A gold digger of the other kind, she has come to wed the wealthy owner of a local saloon. The men at the wharf are more than happy to greet the 'white woman,' but reluctant to inform her that her fiancé is dead, murdered most likely by a certain Louis Chamalis (Robinson), the powerful owner of another Barbary Coast
establishment, the Bella Donna restaurant and gambling house. Mary is at first quite upset, but quickly pulls herself together and asks the way to the Bella Donna, with a look of ambition on her face.
Mary meets Chamalis and quickly agrees to be his companion, not only for economic reasons (as an attraction, she helps draw in customers), but for personal pleasure as well. Chamalis gives her the name 'Swan' and she becomes more or less his female escort. She accompanies him on promenades in town (the 'sinful' unwed couple is insulted in one scene by the mayor's wife) and he showers her with extravagant gifts. Their relationship sours rather quickly, however, and Swan is angered by some of Chamalis's destructive power-mongering. She does not, however, mind running a crooked roulette
wheel and cheating the miners out of their gold.
Colonel Cobb, in the meantime, has opened a printing press
, with the intention of starting a respectable newspaper for the people of San Francisco. He and his colleagues successfully print the first paper, which includes an article criticizing a recent unpunished murder by Chamalis and his entourage. When Chamalis finds out, he tries to destroy Cobb's newly acquired machine and threatens burning down the building, but is halted by Swan, who comes to Cobb's defence. Chamalis, nonetheless, demands that Cobb never print anything attacking him. The colonel unwillingly complies.
Time passes and Swan, disillusioned with her life in San Francisco, saddens. Her distant behavior irks Chamalis, who feels frustrated and stonewalled. One dreary morning she sets out on horseback. Later in the day it begins to rain heavily and she seeks refuge in a small seemingly abandoned cabin, where she meets a tall lonesome poet and gold miner named Jim Carmichael (McCrea). Swan is quite taken with him, but lies about her current situation after hearing his criticisms of the harlots and thieves of the city. He offers her his book of poems as a memento and she returns to the Bella Donna.
Later Carmichael decides to return to his home state New York and must pass through San Francisco. Unfortunately because of fog the ship will not leave for a few days. He encounters Chamalis' helper, Old Atrocity, who, remarking his bags of gold is happy to show him to a nice hotel and restaurant. Carmichael winds up at the Bella Donna and is surprised to find Mary working there. He is served a drugged up liquor and plays roulette at her table. He cannot retain his composure, vehemently insults 'Swan' and eventually bets and loses most of his money. The rest is pickpocketed.
Carmichael wakes up the following morning in the Bella Donna's kitchen. His eloquent speech impresses Chamalis, who hires him on the spot as a waiter. Carmichael's presence perturbs Mary, who would rather he depart, offering him money. An honest man, he refuses, wishing to earn the fare on his own.
Later Colonel Cobb leaves up a poster telling about a murder Chamalis' ordered and how the Bella Donna cheats customers. Seeing it, Chamlis' henchman "Knuckles" Jacoby shoots both the man who put it up and the publisher when he tries to defend him. Dying, Cobb orders his assistant to print the truth. A vigilante
group is formed and soon hangs Knuckles.
Devastated on hearing the news of Cobb's death, Mary re-acknowledges her love for Carmichael, and works the roulette table so that he wins back the gold he previously lost. Chamalis finds out and is angry with her. He sets out to kill Carmichael, who is actually hiding in Mary's bedroom. The lovers decide clandestinely to leave together. They find a secret rowboat and attempt to board the ship in the harbor. It is a foggy night, and they have trouble seeing, but easily hear Chamalis pursuing them. He shoots and injures Carmichael and finally discovers them hiding beneath a pier. Mary begs him, as proof of his love for her, not to kill Carmichael. Chamalis agrees, but in an act of greater love allows her to go with him. A posse then arrives to punish Chamalis for all his crimes.
. When the first draft of the script was submitted to Joseph Breen
, he commented to Samuel Goldwyn
that "The whole flavor of the story is one of sordidness, and low-tone morality." After months of revisions by Ben Hecht
and Charles McArthur, the story changed from a story of an area of San Francisco where men came to find pleasure in drinking, prostitution, and gambling, to a love story. Breen commented to Will Hays that it was now a love story "between a fine, clean girl" and a sentimental young man and that there was "no sex, no unpleasant details of prostitution" and contains "full, and completely compensating, value [...] the finest and most intelligent picture I have seen in many months".
s Andre Sennwald found the film entertaining. Time
felt it was "painfully uninspired". Scholastic
, a magazine for youth recommended the film for its "authentic background and characters of the days of gold-discovery". Newsweek
complained that the plot from the original book was thrown away. Canadian Magazine assured Canadians that the film had "nothing to do with the cheap, tawdry 'coast'" from the novel.Chicago threatened to ban the film. Goldwyn edited a few scenes and the film was allowed to be exhibited there. The Chicago Legion of Decency condemned Barbary Coast. Interestingly, Bishop of Los Angeles, John Cantwell saw the movie with four other priests and enjoyed it, none found it immoral.
Howard Hawks
Howard Winchester Hawks was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era...
. Shot in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
and set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
era, the film combines elements of crime
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
, Western, melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
and adventure
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
genres, features a wide range of actors, from good-guy Joel McCrea
Joel McCrea
Joel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
to bad-boy Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
, and stars Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
in the leading role as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge.
Synopsis
On a foggy night in 1850, Mary Rutledge (Hopkins), accompanied by retired Colonel Marcus Aurelius Cobb (Frank CravenFrank Craven
Frank Craven was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town....
), arrives in San Francisco Bay from New York aboard the Flying Cloud. A gold digger of the other kind, she has come to wed the wealthy owner of a local saloon. The men at the wharf are more than happy to greet the 'white woman,' but reluctant to inform her that her fiancé is dead, murdered most likely by a certain Louis Chamalis (Robinson), the powerful owner of another Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California
Barbary Coast was a red-light district in old San Francisco, California. Geographically it constituted nine blocks bounded by Montgomery Street, Washington Street, Stockton Street, and Broadway...
establishment, the Bella Donna restaurant and gambling house. Mary is at first quite upset, but quickly pulls herself together and asks the way to the Bella Donna, with a look of ambition on her face.
Mary meets Chamalis and quickly agrees to be his companion, not only for economic reasons (as an attraction, she helps draw in customers), but for personal pleasure as well. Chamalis gives her the name 'Swan' and she becomes more or less his female escort. She accompanies him on promenades in town (the 'sinful' unwed couple is insulted in one scene by the mayor's wife) and he showers her with extravagant gifts. Their relationship sours rather quickly, however, and Swan is angered by some of Chamalis's destructive power-mongering. She does not, however, mind running a crooked roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
wheel and cheating the miners out of their gold.
Colonel Cobb, in the meantime, has opened a printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
, with the intention of starting a respectable newspaper for the people of San Francisco. He and his colleagues successfully print the first paper, which includes an article criticizing a recent unpunished murder by Chamalis and his entourage. When Chamalis finds out, he tries to destroy Cobb's newly acquired machine and threatens burning down the building, but is halted by Swan, who comes to Cobb's defence. Chamalis, nonetheless, demands that Cobb never print anything attacking him. The colonel unwillingly complies.
Time passes and Swan, disillusioned with her life in San Francisco, saddens. Her distant behavior irks Chamalis, who feels frustrated and stonewalled. One dreary morning she sets out on horseback. Later in the day it begins to rain heavily and she seeks refuge in a small seemingly abandoned cabin, where she meets a tall lonesome poet and gold miner named Jim Carmichael (McCrea). Swan is quite taken with him, but lies about her current situation after hearing his criticisms of the harlots and thieves of the city. He offers her his book of poems as a memento and she returns to the Bella Donna.
Later Carmichael decides to return to his home state New York and must pass through San Francisco. Unfortunately because of fog the ship will not leave for a few days. He encounters Chamalis' helper, Old Atrocity, who, remarking his bags of gold is happy to show him to a nice hotel and restaurant. Carmichael winds up at the Bella Donna and is surprised to find Mary working there. He is served a drugged up liquor and plays roulette at her table. He cannot retain his composure, vehemently insults 'Swan' and eventually bets and loses most of his money. The rest is pickpocketed.
Carmichael wakes up the following morning in the Bella Donna's kitchen. His eloquent speech impresses Chamalis, who hires him on the spot as a waiter. Carmichael's presence perturbs Mary, who would rather he depart, offering him money. An honest man, he refuses, wishing to earn the fare on his own.
Later Colonel Cobb leaves up a poster telling about a murder Chamalis' ordered and how the Bella Donna cheats customers. Seeing it, Chamlis' henchman "Knuckles" Jacoby shoots both the man who put it up and the publisher when he tries to defend him. Dying, Cobb orders his assistant to print the truth. A vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
group is formed and soon hangs Knuckles.
Devastated on hearing the news of Cobb's death, Mary re-acknowledges her love for Carmichael, and works the roulette table so that he wins back the gold he previously lost. Chamalis finds out and is angry with her. He sets out to kill Carmichael, who is actually hiding in Mary's bedroom. The lovers decide clandestinely to leave together. They find a secret rowboat and attempt to board the ship in the harbor. It is a foggy night, and they have trouble seeing, but easily hear Chamalis pursuing them. He shoots and injures Carmichael and finally discovers them hiding beneath a pier. Mary begs him, as proof of his love for her, not to kill Carmichael. Chamalis agrees, but in an act of greater love allows her to go with him. A posse then arrives to punish Chamalis for all his crimes.
Cast
- Miriam HopkinsMiriam HopkinsEllen Miriam Hopkins was an American actress known for her versatility in a wide variety of roles.Hopkins was born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Bainbridge, a town in the state's southwest near the Alabama border...
as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge - Edward G. RobinsonEdward G. RobinsonEdward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
as Luis Chamalis - Joel McCreaJoel McCreaJoel Albert McCrea was an American actor whose career spanned 50 years and appearances in over 90 films.-Early life:...
as Jim Carmichael - Frank CravenFrank CravenFrank Craven was an American stage and film actor, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for originating the role of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's Our Town....
as Colonel Cobb - Walter BrennanWalter BrennanWalter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
as Old Atrocity - Brian DonlevyBrian DonlevyBrian Donlevy was an Irish-born American film actor, noted for playing tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best known films are Beau Geste and The Great McGinty...
as Knuckles Jacoby
Production
The movie is based on the 1933, bestseller The Barbary Coast by Herbert AsburyHerbert Asbury
Herbert Asbury was an American journalist and writer who is best known for his true crime books detailing crime during the 19th and early 20th century such as Gem of the Prairie, Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld and The Gangs of New York...
. When the first draft of the script was submitted to Joseph Breen
Joseph Breen
Joseph Breen is an American soap opera actor.He played contract parts on both Guiding Light and Loving before being offered his most front-burner role to date: that of Lisa’s long-lost son, Scott Eldridge, on As the World Turns...
, he commented to Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was an American film producer, and founding contributor executive of several motion picture studios.-Biography:...
that "The whole flavor of the story is one of sordidness, and low-tone morality." After months of revisions by Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht
Ben Hecht was an American screenwriter, director, producer, playwright, and novelist. Called "the Shakespeare of Hollywood", he received screen credits, alone or in collaboration, for the stories or screenplays of some 70 films and as a prolific storyteller, authored 35 books and created some of...
and Charles McArthur, the story changed from a story of an area of San Francisco where men came to find pleasure in drinking, prostitution, and gambling, to a love story. Breen commented to Will Hays that it was now a love story "between a fine, clean girl" and a sentimental young man and that there was "no sex, no unpleasant details of prostitution" and contains "full, and completely compensating, value [...] the finest and most intelligent picture I have seen in many months".
Reception
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
s Andre Sennwald found the film entertaining. Time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
felt it was "painfully uninspired". Scholastic
Scholastic
Scholastic may refer to:* Scholastic * Scholastic Corporation, a book publisher* Scholasticism, a form of theology and philosophy* School, a place of learning* A junior member of a religious order, such as the Jesuits...
, a magazine for youth recommended the film for its "authentic background and characters of the days of gold-discovery". Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
complained that the plot from the original book was thrown away. Canadian Magazine assured Canadians that the film had "nothing to do with the cheap, tawdry 'coast'" from the novel.Chicago threatened to ban the film. Goldwyn edited a few scenes and the film was allowed to be exhibited there. The Chicago Legion of Decency condemned Barbary Coast. Interestingly, Bishop of Los Angeles, John Cantwell saw the movie with four other priests and enjoyed it, none found it immoral.
External links
- Diane Stevenson, "The Mixture of Genres in Two Films by Howard Hawks" in the Film and the Romantic special issue, Jeffrey Crouse (ed.), Film International, Vol. 7, No. 6, December 2009, pp, 24-31.