June 30 Anthony Mann

Happy Birthday Susan Hayward, Lena Horne and Anthony Mann.

TCM has a marathon of films to celebrate Anthony Mann’s life today. I watched The Bamboo Blonde. A film he directed that came out in 1946.

The story is told in flashback by Ralph Edwards. He is a President of a company called The Bamboo Blonde. Every marketable item that you can think of has the title The Bamboo Blonde. Face powder, chocolate bars and hosiery to name a few. A man comes to interview Ralph Edwards to find out the true story.

During WWII Russell Wade plays a lieutenant in the air force. He and his men are leaving at midnight for the South Pacific. At the airport his men arrange for him to meet them at a bar for a party. He goes to the bar, which is out of bounds for military personnel. A man lighting his cigarette stands in front of the sign. Frances Langford is a singer in the club who ushers him into the dressing room telling him he needs to leave. He stays as she sings and overhears some MP talking to Ralph Edwards, who is the club owner. He goes out the back door. When Frances leaves in between shows they go out to dinner. After dinner she takes him to the airport. Thinking him a poor farmer from PA, she loads him up with goodies for the trip. He gets a picture of her to take with him. They kiss and he drops all his packages. She leaves to do her midnight show. He is actually engaged, but his fiancée did not come to say good bye.

Russell and his group go to the Pacific. They are not getting many enemies. They decide to paint a picture of Frances in a bikini on the plane and call it “The Bamboo Blonde”. Russell is not happy about this. First because he is engaged to another woman, which he can’t admit to and secondly he doesn’t even know her name and is worried that she and/or her boyfriend will be upset. They see more action and take down some enemy planes. Russell gets promoted to Captain. On the first mission after the picture is painted a man states “I never saw a blonde yet who couldn’t wreck a city”. There is a story in the newspaper about the plane which Ralph sees. He decides to capitalize on the connection, but Frances is worried.

The plane is going to be flown to New York as part of a war bond tour. His fiancée finds out about the blond and is jealous. She did not write to him, “how did I know he was going to be a hero?” She goes to the airport and has a conversion deliberately so Frances will hear. She is uncomfortable about the situation. Russell asks her to go along till after the party the next day which she does. The fiancée accuses Frances of going for his millions, which she did not know about. The fiancée states that if Frances does not stop seeing him, she will give the newspaper the story of their engagement. Frances concerned for Russell decides that she won’t see him after his tour leaves. After singing that night the air force men think that Frances should go on the bond selling tour. Ralph states “it will start a war on a new front”. Frances joins the tour. There is a high society party and Frances knows she does not fit in with his life-style. Russell’s parents were not invited to the party by the fiancée. Frances decides to go back to New York. The airport is fogged in and she can’t get out. Russell tracks her down and states he will fly her home. He actually flies to his back yard, telling her they are in Canada. He gets out and goes to his parent’s house, leaving Frances in the plane. She sees lights and follows. When Russell goes back to get Frances, Frances goes into the house. When Russell gets back he hears her singing. He pulls her into another room so they can be in private.