The wife Lil Dagover of a French battleship captain Walter Huston falls for a young officer Warren William.The wife Lil Dagover of a French battleship captain Walter Huston falls for a young officer Warren William.The wife Lil Dagover of a French battleship captain Walter Huston falls for a young officer Warren William.
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- TriviaFirst and only American film for German film star Lil Dagover. This is possibly First National's attempt to find their own Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich who were popular at MGM and Paramount, respectively.
- Quotes
Lottie Corlaix: I might just as well be married to the lighthouse out there.
- Crazy creditsOpening card: 1914 On the eve of mobilization the battle cruiser Lafayette, pride of the French navy, returns to its base at Toulon.
- ConnectionsRemade as Sacrifice d'honneur (1935)
- SoundtracksSi tu veux... Marguerite
Music by Albert Valsien
Featured review
spectacular is the word for Lil
Too bad Lil Dagover made only one Hollywood movie, but at least it's not lost, and English- speaking audiences get a chance to savor her without the distraction of subtitles.
There is a lot of plot ellipsis in this story about a lady with a past trying to settle into respectability as the wife of a French naval officer (Walter Huston). Unfortunately, the husband is at sea most of the time and when his ship finally comes into port and she arrives on board for a welcoming party World War One suddenly begins, the party is called off and the ship is torpedoed. Romantic rivalry (involving Warren William as an officer subordinate to Huston) and a threatening figure from her past (John Wray) are also mixed up in the mayhem.
However, the film is mostly about Lil. Her charm, her poise, her jewels, her costumes, her legs, her profile, her ivory skin, her raven hair, her captivating smile—all on display in generous close-ups. If this all seems reminiscent of Dietrich in the von Sternberg films, this exposure of Dagover was probably intended by the executives at First National who imported her, probably as their version of Dietrich or possibly Garbo, whose manner resembles hers. Her rather thick German accent is difficult to understand at times, and creates problems in some scenes, but she hits all of the required emotional notes, especially when playing the frustration of an abandoned wife.
The final fadeout is particularly striking.
There is a lot of plot ellipsis in this story about a lady with a past trying to settle into respectability as the wife of a French naval officer (Walter Huston). Unfortunately, the husband is at sea most of the time and when his ship finally comes into port and she arrives on board for a welcoming party World War One suddenly begins, the party is called off and the ship is torpedoed. Romantic rivalry (involving Warren William as an officer subordinate to Huston) and a threatening figure from her past (John Wray) are also mixed up in the mayhem.
However, the film is mostly about Lil. Her charm, her poise, her jewels, her costumes, her legs, her profile, her ivory skin, her raven hair, her captivating smile—all on display in generous close-ups. If this all seems reminiscent of Dietrich in the von Sternberg films, this exposure of Dagover was probably intended by the executives at First National who imported her, probably as their version of Dietrich or possibly Garbo, whose manner resembles hers. Her rather thick German accent is difficult to understand at times, and creates problems in some scenes, but she hits all of the required emotional notes, especially when playing the frustration of an abandoned wife.
The final fadeout is particularly striking.
helpful•61
- mukava991
- Jan 31, 2015
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- Also known as
- The Captain's Wife
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 5 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was The Woman from Monte Carlo (1932) officially released in Canada in English?
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