ANOTHER DAWN

US, 1937, 74 minutes, Black and white.
Errol Flynn, Kay Francis, Ian Hunter.
Directed by William Diertele.

Another Dawn is a brief romantic melodrama of Errol Flynn's early career. He is teamed with the vigorous Kaye Francis and the urbane Ian Hunter.

The film has a short running time and is set in a seeming Never Never eastern country where the British Empire is still protecting its interests and 'protecting the natives'. From the perspective of later decades the film and its style seems quite out of date.

However, the film is interesting in its use of Errol Flynn as an up right British officer with an Irish background. Flynn shows how expert he was at exerting his charm. He falls in love with the Commander's wife and it is a question of honour. She wishes to leave, he wishes to leave or be transferred, or do something heroic. The Commander, who loves his wife, is also an honourable man, works by the book and goes ultimately to his death to do the militarily right thing and free the hero and heroine for each other. The film has rather overblown dialogue at times. It is strong on a sense of duty and honour, British Empire style. There are statements about doing what one wants, doing the right thing and that there will be another dawn.

Direction is by William Dieterle who made a number of outstanding films at Warner Bros. at the time, especially the biographies of Pasteur, Zola, Juarez and Dr. Erlich.

(There was a Hollywood joke that in Warner Bros. films on a marquee there was a fictitious film called Another Dawn. There is further irony that in the 1954 A Star Is Born Norman Maine's failed film which supports Esther's Triumph is on the marquee, Another Dawn.) A Warner Bros. 1930s curiosity item.