Morocco (1930)

Before there was Mogadon, there was Mogador - a town in Morocco in which the wealthy "La Bessiere" (Adolphe Menjou) might have wished for more of the former! His problems all stem from his infatuation with the recently arrived cabaret dancer "Amy" (Marlene Dietrich) who is wowing the crowds in her elegant tuxedo, top hat and stilettos. Also amongst her audience is the roguish legionnaire "Brown" (Gary Cooper) who takes a shine to her and even pays 20F for one of her apples! What now ensues is a lightly comedic love-triangle enterprise peppered with two full length numbers from Dietrich and a little naughtiness from Cooper that sends him deep into the treacherous desert. To be fair, Cooper is not the most impactful here - his performance is just a little too undercooked, but she is on great form as she mischievously plays both men and I did feel a little sorry for Menjou's lovestruck character used to buying everything he wanted. The production is gently tempered with a little sexual fluidity. That's not especially new for European audiences, but I reckon those across the pond might not have been quite so used to a woman so demonstrably fully equipped to function and thrive in a man's world! The scene at the end really did make wonder if "Amy" had really thought things through, though...