THE BAMBOO BLONDE

US, 1946, 67 minutes, Black and white.
Frances Langford, Russell Wade, Ralph Edwards, Iris Adrian.
Directed by Anthony Mann.

The main reason for seeing The Bamboo Blonde is that it was directed by Anthony Mann who, in the 1950s, directed a series of westerns which have had great acclaim, several starring James Stewart who also appeared in his Bend of the River, Strategic Air Command and The Glen Miller at Story. In the 1960s he directed bigger budget, more spectacular films like Cimmaron, the The Fall of the Roman Empire. He had been directing small budget films from 1939 time until his big breakthrough with Winchester 73.

This brief film is very typical of its time, appearing at the end of World War II while showing some of the exploits of America during the war in the Pacific. It is also one of those wartime romances. It begins with an interviewer, considerably less qualified than the interviewer in Citizen Kane, who irritatingly interrogates the CEO of a cosmetics company called the Bamboo Blonde. The CEO tells the story which appears in flashbacks (and sometimes, unfortunatley, returns to the interviewer).

The focus is on a bomber, Patrick Ransom (Russell Wade) who is not so well liked by his men – and they trick him into going to a nightclub which is out of bounds for the military. But this gives them the opportunity to meet the lounge singer there, Louise (Frances Langford). He is rather shy, she a little cautious. She accompanies him to the airport and his men assume that she is his girlfriend. Going into action, they paint her on the side of the plane and name her and the plane The Bamboo Blonde. Their hit success rate changes and they become national celebrities and are called back for Bond Tours. Louise is invited to join them and romance blossoms.

There has to be some complication and it is in the form of Jane Greer as the fiancee of Patrick Ransom. She is malicious to the nth degree and has a number of scenes trying to disrupt everything. She almost succeeds as regards Louise – but Patrick, ever faithful, comes to the rescue.

Frances Langford is bright and has a number of songs. She accompanied Bob Hope on many of his USO tours with the troops.

Allowing for the styles of the time, this is a pleasantly bouncy comedy romance with acknowledgement of wartime action.