Flamingo Road (1949)

So much average

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

. . . against the rampant corruption in American Politics, culminating in our alleged POTUS #45 (aka, "Putin's Pick, Putin's Pawn, or Putin's Puppet"). The corpulent geezer playing the part of Evil Party Machine Mastermind "Titus Semple" during FLAMINGO ROAD is a dead ringer for the Real Life "Fake President" of 2018. The well-named and always prophetic Warner Bros. outfit depict Titus as a serial swindler, Fat Cat bully boy, Capitalist Pig, malicious misogynist, self-centered Enemy of the People, compulsively lying spreader of "Fake News" (which one of those Commandments that the misnamed "Righteous" hypocrites are always overlooking calls "bearing false witness"), and obvious Minion of Satan. All Warner Bros. would need to add to this characterization to make it a perfect "spot-on" fit with "Putin's Puppet" is to add a backstory about Titus' dad being a community organizer for the Brooklyn Ku Klux Klan, with his grand-pappy being New York City's top-ranked pimp. Therefore, FLAMINGO ROAD merits top-notch kudos for its unblinking glimpse into America's sad future.

It's not a simple-minded movie full of characters etched in black and white. Greenstreet, as the sheriff of a small Florida town, is thoroughly rotten, true, and the editor of the local newspaper, the Advertiser, is thoroughly good. But the rest of the characters have more dimensions.Crawford is a hootchy-kootchy dancer abandoned in town by her traveling circus and works her way to the mink-clad top by a series of dog-leg moves motivated by her hatred for Greenstreet. Zachary Taylor is a weakling who finally takes to drink. David Brian as one of Greenstreet's local tools, falls for Crawford, rejects her, and then reforms for good. Greenstreet pays the price the code demanded at the time.I've been trying to think of another movie character that Joan Crawford reminds me of. And I finally realize it was Bruce the shark in "Jaws." That adventure could easily have shown Roy Scheider shoveling chum into Crawford's open mouth. I don't think there's every been a more grasping, ambitious, narcissistic actress. She was to everyone else in her films as the steam roller is to the soggy tar beneath it.She did finally deliver a couple of good performances -- "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane," for instance -- but for most of her career she just bulldozed her way through. Sometimes the result was ludicrous. See "Johnny Guitar," in which she packs a pistol and invites her enemies upstairs in her casino although there is "no whiskey, just bullets."Zachary Taylor had a fine role in an unusual movie, "The Texan," and nothing happened after that. Greenstreet is unbelievable as the pudgy Southrin sheriff who mangles his British accent with demotic Southernisms, "A man don't know what's best for him sometime."If anyone walks away from this with any pride, it must be David Brian, who handles a somewhat twisted and complicated role with a degree of competence.It's not a bad movie, not insulting. It's just plain typical of a romantic melodrama with social overtones.

Flamingo Road (1949)*** (out of 4)Soap opera with some trash thrown in is the best way to describe this Warner thriller. Lane Bellamy (Joan Crawford) decides its time to leave the circus so when they leave town she decides to stay. At first this seems like a good idea when she meets deputy sheriff Dan Reynolds (David Brian) but soon the sheriff (Sydney Greenstreet) decides to play dirty and have her thrown into jail. Once out she plans her revenge. FLAMINGO ROAD is part politics, part thriller, part soap opera and there's even some trash moments thrown in and as usual director Michael Curtiz manages to hold everything together and deliver a very entertaining film. The movie certainly isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but there are enough very good moments to make it worth viewing and especially if you're a fan of the cast. Crawford, supporting a blonde hair color, manages to be very good here, although this certainly won't rank among her best performances. Some of the best scenes has her going on off the crooked sheriff as she makes it clear that she's not going to be pushed around by anyone. Brian is very good in his supporting role and I especially liked the weakness he managed to bring the character. Zachary Scott plays the man Crawford ends up marrying and is very good as well. Greenstreet played a lot of lovable bad guys in his career but that's not the case here because he's 100% bad and the actor steal the film playing the snake. Curtiz handles the material extremely well and he keeps everything moving at a very fast pace and thankfully things never slow down even when the plot becomes somewhat predictable. Fans of the cast are certainly going to want to check this one out.

This is one of Joan Crawford's better movies because it is so entertaining. This movie has it all: drama, snappy dialogue, memorial characters. good guys and bad guys, excellent film noir cinematography, fluid continuity, and a wonderful ending. Most commanding is Sydney Greenstreet. He carries this movie; his performance is strong and surprisingly dynamic. Before Boss Hogg there was Boss Semple and in this movie the Boss is in charge until he gets his come-uppance. Joan Crawford gives a wonderful performance as the carnival worker who gets caught up in political corruption. Her scenes with Mr. Greenstreet are the highlights of the movie. The movie treats a number of compelling themes in a straightforward manner and without becoming melodramatic.