GOLDEN EARRINGS

US, 1947, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Ray Milland, Marlene Dietrich, Murvyn Vye, Bruce Lester, Dennis Hoey, Reinhold Schuntzel, Ivan Triesault.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen.

Golden Earrings is an exotic '40s war melodrama. It was directed by Mitchell Leisen (Midnight, Hold Back the Dawn, Frenchman's Creek). It was a star vehicle for Ray Milland just after his winning the Oscar in Lost Weekend. Marlene Dietrich is a gypsy (doing her own costumes and make-up).

The film is a war story, told by the hero to journalist Quentin Reynolds. It takes place in 1939, concerns poison gas formulae and the outbreak of war, with a British officer escaping through Germany in the company of gypsies, disguised as a gypsy. Ray Milland seems rather supercilious as a British officer - and mouths the superior attitudes of the British towards gypsies, superstition and religion. Perhaps he did not want to be in the film and is sending it up, somewhat. On the other hand, Marlene Dietrich puts herself fully into the film. The music by Victor Young is striking and the title song-recurs throughout the film.

1. Enjoyable melodrama? Camp style? War story?

2. Black and white photography, Europe of the '30s, the world of the gypsies? Victor Young's score and theme song?

3. The title, the emblem, Ralph and his pierced ears, the song and Zoltan's telling the story of love?

3. The war narrative, 1946, Quentin Reynolds, the puzzle, the plane and the flashbacks?

4. The mission, Denniston and Byrd captured, the escape, the pursuit, the ditching of the car, the Nazis and their search?

5. Ralph as stiff upper-lipped? Ray Milland and his aristocratic style, captured, engineering the escape, disguised as SS officers, the meeting with Lydia and his suspicions, her knowing his thoughts, the decision to be a gypsy, the make-up, his despising of the customs, hearing her tell fortunes, doing it himself to the soldiers, stealing the chickens, the build-up to the fight with Zoltan and Lydia being his woman? The love for Lydia? Meeting Byrd, his lifeline and premonition of death, the shooting of the Germans, going as a gypsy to Krosigk and asking for the formula, the outbreak of war, the return and the swimming in the river, coming back to Lydia? Any future?

6. Marlene Dietrich as Lydia, the gypsy, wandering the countryside, her shrewdness, customs and beliefs, transforming Ralph, teaching him, helping him on his mission, the fight in the camp, her rowing him across the river, the happy ending?

7. Zoltan, his position in the camp, the fight, the song, the other gypsies, the attachment towards Ralph, helping for getting the formula?

8. The Nazis, soldiers getting their fortunes told, the head of police, the outbreak of war?

10. Krosigk and the formula, his caution, war declared and his giving the formula?

11. Exotic '40s melodrama?