Marlene Dietrich

SEVEN SINNERS

Universal, 1940.  Directed by Tay Garnett.  Camera:  Rudolph Maté.  With Marlene Dietrich, John Wayne, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Anna Lee, Mischa Auer, Billy Gilbert, Oscar Homolka, Reginald Denny, Vince Barnett, Antonion Moreno, Russell Hicks.

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Bijou, a South Seas siren whose allure inspires men to violence, is deported from island to island for inciting brawls among the excited males.  For the latest incident on her riotous trail, Bijou is ordered to leave on the next tramp steamer, along with her protectors, Little Ned, a Navy deserter, and Sasha, a magician with a penchant for kleptomania.

On board the steamer, Bijou meets the ship's physician, Dr. Martin, who is an outcast like herself, and the two become kindred spirits.  When Bijou learns that a new governor has been appointed at the ship's next port, however, she and her entourage disembark; as she leaves the boat, she meets Navy officer Lieutenant Dan Brent.  Bijou asks Tony, the proprietor of the Seven Sinners saloon, for her old singing job and, under the menacing threats of the knife throwing Antro, Tony rehires her.

As Bijou and Dan fall in love, she becomes fearful of Antro's insane jealousy.  Their romance scandalizes the Navy and, when Dan decides to marry Bijou, Ned and the Governor force her to realize that the marriage would ruin his career, and she decides to leave him.

On the eve of Bijou's departure, Antro's jealousy erupts, causing one final brawl for which Dan is confined to his ship.  The next morning, Bijou boards the tramp steamer where she is joyously greeted by her old, friend Dr. Martin.

American Film Institute Catalog