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Flame And The Flesh

1954, Movie, NR, 104 mins

Flame And The Flesh: Review

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The makers of this film tried their best to emulate the Italian neo-realistic pictures that were coming out at this time, but the production code and the color lensing worked against their intentions and the result was a disappointment both critically and at the box office. The Auguste Bailly novel on which this is loosely based came to the screen once before as the French film NAPLES AU BAISER DE DEU (1937), which didn't fare any better than this remake. That one starred Viviane Romance, Mireille Balin, and Tino Rossi, none of whom became household names, even in France. Turner is hurled out of her apartment in Naples and is picked up by Colleano, a kind musician. He feeds her and gives her a place to stay, but she rewards him by taking up with his roommate, Thompson, a handsome singer. Turner comes on very strong and Thompson finally succumbs to her amorous onslaught. Colleano still thinks he can make an honest woman of Turner, but she'll have none of that and steals Thompson away from his fiancee, Angeli, just before they are due to be married. Turner and Thompson move in together, but the bloom wears off the rose quickly as he loses singing job after singing job when the customers pay too much attention to his woman. Eventually, Turner realizes that she is the wrong woman for Thompson and sends him back to Angeli in Naples. The picture ends as the very steamy Turner walks the streets, looking for her next adventure. The biggest problem here was that Brooks, in one of his first assignments, didn't ride herd on the Helen Deutsch script and it seemed to go everywhere at once and get nowhere. Turner was a brunette and that was a mistake. It's like bobbing Streisand's nose or putting a blonde wig on Yul Brynner. This was Turner's first film made in Europe and was shot partially on location in Naples, with interiors completed at MGM's Elstree Studios in London. Colleano was only 34 when he died in 1958 after a 14-year career in British films. His real name was Bonar Sullivan, but he looked very Italian and took his name from the circus act he toured with from the age of five, the Colleanos. He was a good actor and always believable, even in this thankless role. leave a comment
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