Seven Sinners (1940)

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writers:

Ladislas Fodor (story)
John Meehan (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

25 October 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She's Dynamite...Tearing Through A Lawless Pacific Paradise! (1948 rissue poster)

Plot:

Bijou, a saloon singer with a reputation for insighting brouhahas, is one of several deportees from a south Pacific island to arrive at another U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Saloon | Jealousy | Dance | Deportation

Cast

Marlene Dietrich	...	Bijou Blanche
John Wayne	...	Lt. Dan Brent
Albert Dekker	...	Dr. Martin
Broderick Crawford	...	Edward Patrick 'Little Ned' Finnegan
Anna Lee	...	Dorothy Henderson
Mischa Auer	...	Sasha Mencken
Billy Gilbert	...	Tony
Richard Carle	...	District Officer
Samuel S. Hinds	...	Governor Harvey Henderson
Oskar Homolka	...	Antro (as Oscar Homolka)
Reginald Denny	...	Captain Church
Vince Barnett	...	Bartender
Herbert Rawlinson	...	First Mate
James Craig	...	Ensign
William Bakewell	...	Ensign Judson
Antonio Moreno	...	Rubio
Russell Hicks	...	First Governor
William B. Davidson	...	Police Chief (as William Davidson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Alden	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Danny Beck	...	Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Saloon / Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Mamo Clark	...	Native Girl at Antro's Table (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jay Eaton	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Edgar Edwards	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Virginia Engels	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Willie Fung	...	Charlie, Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Tay Garnett	...	Drunken Sailor, Fight Sequence (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Junior', Antros Henchman (uncredited)
Michael Harvey	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Sailor (uncredited)
Mary Ann Hyde	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Soledad Jiménez	...	Bijou's Maid (uncredited)
Noble Johnson	...	Irate Russian (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Henchman at Antro's Table (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Naval Officer at Shipboard Dance (uncredited)
Larry Lawson	...	Chief Officer (uncredited)
Claire Meade	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harry Payne	...	Second Mate (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Tom Seidel	...	Ensign James Scott (uncredited)
Evelyn Selbie	...	Fortune Teller (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Antro's Henchman (uncredited)
Harry Seymour	...	Piano Player (uncredited)
John Sheehan	...	Drunk (uncredited)
Charles Stafford	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Peter Sullivan	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Frank Swann	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Nanette Vallon	...	First Maid (uncredited)
Roquell Verria	...	Native Girl at Antro's Table (uncredited)
Henry Victor	...	Dutch Police Officer (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	Ensign (uncredited)
Ward Wing	...	Sailor (uncredited)
William Yetter Sr.	...	Dutch Police Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Tay Garnett

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ladislas Fodor		story
John Meehan		writer
Harry Tugend		writer
László Vadnay		story (as Laslo Vadnai)

Produced by
Joe Pasternak	....	producer

Original Music by
Hans J. Salter		(as H.J. Salter)
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté		(as Rudolph Mate)

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent		(as Ted Kent)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Karlson	....	assistant director (as Phillip Karlstein)

Art Department
Martin Obzina	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound supervisor
Robert Pritchard	....	sound technician

Stunts
James Fawcett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	....	stunts (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ken Terrell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Wolfe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	gowns: Miss Dietrich
Vera West	....	costumer (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Other crew
Alanson Edwards	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Captain I.C. Johnson	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1940) (UK) (theatrical) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.)
• Empire Films Ltd. (1940) (Canada) (theatrical) (as Empire Films Ltd.)
• Eagle-Lion Films (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Marlene Dietrich Collection)
• Koch Media (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (????) (West Germany) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Café of the Seven Sinners (UK) (reissue title)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (nf) | Germany:6 (DVD release) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6795)

Filming Locations:

Saugus Airfield, Saugus, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Quotes:

Lt. Dan Brent: Imagine finding you here.
Bijou: I'm the type of girl you're liable to find anywhere.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Band of Brothers: Crossroads (#1.5)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE

OK

An OK Marlene Dietrich film. I didn't find her as beautiful and talented as a lot of others must have. John Wayne looks very young and earnest. It was interesting to see Broderick Crawford in a role like this. But, again, this film was just OK. Grade: C-