Flamingo Road (1949)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Edmund H. North (additional dialogue)
Robert Wilder (play)
(more)

Release Date:

6 May 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A wrong girl for the right side of the tracks.

Plot:

Carnival dancer Lane Bellamy finds herself stranded in a southern town ruled by corrupt political boss Titus Semple...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Dancer | Southern | Political Machine | Carnival

Cast

Joan Crawford	...	Lane Bellamy
Zachary Scott	...	Fielding Carlisle
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Sheriff Titus Semple
David Brian	...	Dan Reynolds
Gladys George	...	Lute Mae Sanders
Virginia Huston	...	Annabelle Weldon
Fred Clark	...	Doc Waterson
Gertrude Michael	...	Millie
Alice White	...	Gracie
Sam McDaniel	...	Boatright
Tito Vuolo	...	Pete Ladas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Iris Adrian	...	Blanche - Inmate of Women's Prison (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Leo Mitchell (uncredited)
Larry J. Blake	...	Martin (uncredited)
M.A. Bogue	...	Johnny Simms (uncredited)
Carol Brewster	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Dancer - Opening Montage (uncredited)
Frank Cady	...	Tom Hill (uncredited)
Tristram Coffin	...	Ed Parker (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Extra at Lutie Mae's (uncredited)
Russ Conway	...	Johnson - Reporter (uncredited)
Dick Elliott	...	Tom Coyne (uncredited)
Morgan Farley	...	Link Niles (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Angry Carnival Creditor (uncredited)
John Gallaudet	...	John Shelton (uncredited)
Pat Gleason	...	Carnival Barker (uncredited)
Roy Gordon	...	Senator Flagstedt (uncredited)
William Haade	...	Burr Lassen (uncredited)
Jan Kayne	...	Sarah - Reynolds' maid (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Train Conductor (uncredited)
Douglas Kennedy	...	Voice of Police Radio Broadcaster (uncredited)
Lester Kimmel	...	Jamison - Dan's Lawyer (uncredited)
Sunny Knight	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Detective (uncredited)
John McGuire	...	Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Sammy McKim	...	Hotel Bellboy (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Mailman (uncredited)
Dale Robertson	...	Tunis Simms (uncredited)
Dick Ryan	...	Carnival Barker (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Man (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Tom Stevenson	...	Maurice - Maitre d' at Ritz (uncredited)
Robert Strange	...	Peterson (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Senator on Power Commission (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edmund H. North		additional dialogue
Robert Wilder		play "Flamingo Road"
Robert Wilder		screenplay
Sally Wilder		play "Flamingo Road"

Produced by
George Amy	....	associate producer
Michael Curtiz	....	executive producer
Jerry Wald	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Ted D. McCord		(director of photography) (as Ted McCord)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
Leo K. Kuter

Set Decoration by
Howard Winterbottom

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Edwin Allen	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Betty Delmont	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Curtiz	....	second unit director
Robert Vreeland	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Robert B. Lee	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Fred Morgan	....	still photographer (uncredited)
George Stout	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sheila O'Brien	....	gowns executer: Miss Crawford
Travilla	....	gowns designer: Miss Crawford

Editorial Department
David Curtiz	....	montage

Music Department
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator
Ray Heindorf	....	musical director

Other crew
Norman Stuart	....	dialogue director
Howard Hohler	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Michael Curtiz Productions (for)
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (VHS)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Michael Curtiz Productions

Trivia:

Originally intended as a vehicle for Ann Sheridan, who turned down role played by 'Joan Crawford'.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Sheriff Titus Semple tells Fielding Carlisle to "get over to that girl's house and ask her to marry 'her'", instead of “marry you”.

Quotes:

Sheriff Titus Semple: Now me, I never forget anything.
Lane Bellamy: You know sheriff; we had an elephant in our carnival with a memory like that. He went after a keeper that he'd held a grudge against for almost 15 years. Had to be shot. You just wouldn't believe how much trouble it is to dispose of a dead elephant.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star (2002) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Ain't We Got Fun

"You just wouldn't believe how difficult it is to get rid of a dead elephant!"

I am clueless as to how this movie has failed to become one of the great cult classics. Yes, of course, the plot is pitiful...combination of State of the Union meets Stella Dallas meets Sadie Thompson...but my God, the dialogue!

Joan Crawford - truly an amazing actress. If there's a heaven and she's in it and I make it there, I'll be acolyte in her heavenly choir. In this one, she looks like she's about to be torn to pieces by the centrifugal forces of her conflicting character. She's part Great Lady of the American theaTRE, movie version, with an accent that must be part Mount Holyoke mixed with Bryn Mawr mixed with Locust Valley Lockjaw...so how this dame is working as a carny girl at the tender age of 45 is quite the sight to behold. And then there's Gladys George...the type of older character actress that I suppose only the Depression-era movie studio system could produce...she's seen everything and done everything twice, and still has time to get her hair peroxided and permed. And finally - Sydney Greenstreet - of course - he is awesome in everything I've seen him in...but the look on his face when Joan utters the deathless line I've just tried to quote above...well, anyway...forget plot, just sit back and enjoy mid-20th century glossy-film-noir with Joan lit from angles that would put De la Tour to shame. a fan.