Morocco (1930)

Director:

Josef von Sternberg

Writers:

Benno Vigny (play)
Jules Furthman (adaptation)

Release Date:

6 December 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Plot:

The Foreign Legion marches in to Mogador with booze and women in mind just as singer Amy Jolly arrives from Paris to work at Lo Tinto's cabaret...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Foreign Legion | Romantic Rivalry | Army | Topless

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Légionnaire Tom Brown
Marlene Dietrich	...	Mademoiselle Amy Jolly
Adolphe Menjou	...	Monsieur La Bessiere
Ullrich Haupt	...	Adjutant Caesar
Eve Southern	...	Madame Caesar
Francis McDonald	...	A Sergeant
Paul Porcasi	...	Lo Tinto, Nightclub Owner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emile Chautard	...	French General (uncredited)
Juliette Compton	...	Anna Dolores (uncredited)
Albert Conti	...	Colonel Quinnovieres (uncredited)
Thomas A. Curran	...	(uncredited)
Theresa Harris	...	Camp Follower (uncredited)
Harry Schultz	...	German Sergeant (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Alexander Barratire (uncredited)

Directed by
Josef von Sternberg

Writing credits
Benno Vigny		(play "Amy Jolly")
Jules Furthman		(adaptation)

Produced by
Hector Turnbull	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Karl Hajos		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Lee Garmes
Lucien Ballard		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Sam Winston		(uncredited)

Production Management
Elizabeth McGreary	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Henry Hathaway	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry D. Mills	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lucien Ballard	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Travis Banton	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Publix Corporation)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Marlene Dietrich Collection)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Amy Jolly (USA) (working title)
Marokko (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Coeurs brûlés (France) [fr]
Herzen in Flammen (Germany) (theatrical title) [de]
Marocco (Italy) [it]
Marocko (Sweden) [sv]
Marokko (Denmark) [da]
Marokko (Finland) (TV title) [fi]
Maroko (Poland) [pl]
Maroko (Greece) [el]
Marrocos (Portugal) [pt]
Marruecos (Spain) [es]
Morocco (Finland) [fi]
Yanik kalpler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:18 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Guadalupe Sand Dunes, Santa Barbara County, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Lux Radio Theatre version, retitled "The Legionnaire and the Lady", starring Marlene Dietrich and Clark Gable aired 1 June 1936.

Quotes:

Tom Brown: I'd sit down if I were you.
Amy Jolly: You are pretty brave... with women.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sesión continua (1984)

Soundtrack:

Give Me the Man

You'll fall for her...

Either if you're a man or a woman, you'll fall for Amy Jolly, that would be read 'amie jollie' = beautiful friend, in French speaking Morocco. Marlene Dietrich not exactly at her best, but very sexy, playing gracefully from a man-eater 'Carmen' (plenty of suggestions linking both characters) to a female sutler, following 'her man' into the desert. First, on high heels shoes, than taking her shoes off, and going on naked feet, along with a handful of native women, and donkeys, and she-goats. One tends to forget the great director (von Sternberg) behind this great woman-star, and that's unjust. The script may have been good, but it would not develop onto this smooth running 90 minutes of relative inaction (for 21st century standards), but for the cleverly devised sequences, photography, and dialogues.

I'm so glad I finally saw this movie yesterday on the big screen, at a special session. Those who can't afford this luxury, certainly can afford renting, nay, buying this video?