Michael Curtiz directed Flamingo Road, a senselessly convoluted film noir, designed as star vehicle for Joan Crawford, with supporting roles by Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet and David Brian.
Robert Wilder’s script was based on a 1946 play written by Wilder and his wife, Sally, which was based on Robert Wilder’s 1942 novel.
Crawford plays an ex-carnival dancer who marries local businessman to seek revenge on corrupt political boss who had her railroaded into prison.
Robert Wilder, who died in 1974, was later credited as creator of the American TV series Flamingo Road (1980-1982), which borrowed from the novel and film.
Lane Bellamy is a carnival dancer stranded in the small town of Boldon City in the Southern United States. She becomes romantically involved with Fielding Carlisle, a deputy sheriff whose career is controlled by Sheriff Titus Semple, a corrupt political boss who runs the town. Semple dislikes Bellamy and mounts a campaign against her. She has difficulty finding work and is arrested on a trumped-up morality charge. Meanwhile, Carlisle is the political machine’s choice for state senator, and to portray the perfect political family, he marries his long-time girlfriend, Annabelle Weldon.
Bellamy finds work as a hostess at a roadhouse run by Lute Mae Sanders. There, she meets Dan Reynolds, a businessman who supports the corrupt Semple so long as it is profitable. She charms Reynolds into marrying her and the couple moves to the town’s best neighborhood, Flamingo Road.
Semple decides to run Carlisle for governor and unseat the incumbent. When Carlisle also begins to show limits in cooperating with Semple, the angry man abandons him. As Semple makes himself the candidate, he arranges to frame Reynolds.
A drunken Carlisle, who feels the situation is hopeless, visits the mansion on Flamingo Road and commits suicide in front of Bellamy. This gives Semple another weapon in his bid to ruin Bellamy and her husband, now indicted for graft.
Bellamy confronts Semple, demanding that he phone the attorney general and confess, and in physical struggle she shoots him dead.
At the end, Bellamy is in prison awaiting ruling and Reynolds decides to stick by her.
Some of the more salacious aspects of the novel were downplayed in the film because of the Hollywood Production Code.
In this jumbled melodrama, Crawford endures a series of endless crises, complicated romances, heartbreaks, double crosses.
The film earned $2.2 million in the U.S. and $633,000 in other markets.
Cast
Joan Crawford as Lane Bellamy
Zachary Scott as Fielding Carlisle
Sydney Greenstreet as Sheriff Titus Semple
Gladys George as Lute Mae Sanders
David Brian as Dan Reynolds
Virginia Huston as Annabelle Weldon
Fred Clark as Dr. Waterson
Gertrude Michael as Millie
Tito Vuolo as Pete Ladas
Alice White as Gracie
Sam McDaniel as Boatright
