Moments of Movie Wisdom: Bitter Justice in ‘Rose-Marie’ (1936)

Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in a publicity still for the film “Rose-Marie” (1936). (MovieStillsDB)

Commentary

The mid-1930s were an interesting time for Hollywood. In July 1934, everything had changed. With the formation of the Production Code Administration (PCA), a new branch of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), every film had to receive a Seal of Approval to be distributed at American theaters. Films could only qualify for these seals if the PCA deemed them compliant with the Motion Picture Production Code. It must have been quite a shock to filmmakers to have to work with the PCA throughout production to ensure that their movies were Code-compliant, since they had ignored the Code for four years. However, they had to take the PCA seriously, and movies released in the rest of 1934, 1935, and 1936 show a complex transition period as the film industry figured out how to make successful Code films.

Today’s moment of movie wisdom is from “Rose-Marie” (1936). This scene takes place 97 minutes into this 113-minute movie. A Mountie (Nelson Eddy) has been tracking down an escaped convict turned murderer (James Stewart) in the Canadian mountains. He meets up with the killer’s sister (Jeanette MacDonald), and they use each other to find his hideout, although she doesn’t realize that the Mountie has guessed her identity. Although they fall in love on the way, the lawman must do his duty, despite the woman’s pleading.

The Film

Marie de Flor (MacDonald) is a famous Canadian opera singer whose younger brother, John Flower (Stewart), is in prison for armed robbery. After a performance one night, a mysterious Indian, Boniface (George Regas), comes to Marie’s hotel room and tells her that her brother has escaped prison and killed a Mountie. He’s hiding out in the mountains, but he needs money to get away. Marie decides to put on her plainest clothes and follow Boniface to her brother. Meanwhile, the mounted police send their best man, Sergeant Bruce (Eddy), to capture Flower after one of his comrades was killed on the job.

When they arrive in the last outpost town before heading into the wilderness, Boniface steals her money. Marie doesn’t want to report the theft to the local Mounties, so she tries to earn some money at the saloon by singing. Sergeant Bruce is an opera fan, so he recognizes her voice immediately. He insists on befriending her and bringing her to the station to file a report. She fibs that she is going to a rendezvous with an Italian tenor, and he helps her find Boniface at an Indian festival. Bruce offers to act as her guide since he is also headed up to the mountains, not realizing they are looking for the same man. When the sergeant realizes that Marie de Flor, whom he has dubbed Rose-Marie, is the sister of John Flower, he pursues her into the wilderness. He catches up with her as Boniface runs away, so they travel together. As they spend time together, they begin falling in love, which makes Bruce’s job all the harder.

A lobby card for the film “Rose-Marie” (1936). (MovieStillsDB)

The Scene

Of all the actors in this film, James Stewart is the one whose name is the most recognizable today. This was the second of eight movies which singing stars Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy made together. The “singing sweethearts” were some of the biggest stars in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but few people have ever heard of them now. Meanwhile, Jimmy Stewart remains one of the most remembered actors from Hollywood’s Golden Era, largely because of three movies he made with director Frank Capra, “You Can’t Take It with You” (1938), “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946).

John Flower is a very important character in that his dilemma with the law initiates all the action in the story. His escape from prison leads the two main characters, Rose-Marie and Sergeant Bruce, to meet and eventually fall in love. Nevertheless, he only appears onscreen for one short scene, which happens 95 minutes into the film. However, we see his picture several times earlier in the film on a wanted poster.

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When Marie finally reaches the cabin where John is hiding out, they greet each other lovingly. He is eager to receive the money and discusses his plans to travel to distant countries. Marie just hopes that he will stay out of future trouble and will keep contact with her. Just then, Sergeant Bruce comes in, having followed Marie. She tells him that she is the convict’s sister, and he reveals that he knew all along, to her dismay. She immediately assumes that his expressions of love for her were part of the trick to get to her brother. He confesses that he does truly love her but, despite her pleadings, must do his duty of arresting John.

Its Significance

One of the biggest differences between the wild Pre-Code movies of the early 1930s and the wholesome movies made after the PCA was started is the depiction of the law and its enforcement. Crime films were all the rage before the PCA. Gangsters, robbers, and outlaws had a field day with lots of glamorization and usually no repentance. They may have paid for their crimes with their lives at the end of their stories, but these characters were all too often sympathetic, while lawmen looked like the bad guys.

Under the Code, all this changed. There still were plenty of crime films, but many of them focused on lawmen instead of criminals. Illegal deeds were shown more clearly to be wrong. “Rose-Marie” is a great example of an early Code film where the law versus criminal dynamic is handled to perfection. Jimmy Stewart, the lovably boyish actor, is amazingly dark as the youthful killer John Flower. You would think that he of all people would make one sympathize against the law, especially since he is the leading lady’s brother. However, the scripting and acting make it very clear that Sergeant Bruce is doing the right thing to arrest him. He may be young, but he is clearly a ruthless, selfish person who will go on to harm others if allowed to go free.

A Serious Musical

“Rose-Marie” is not a perfect Code film. There are some surprisingly revealing native costumes in a dance sequence, a couple of suggestive lines, and a risqué saloon dance. These are very standard in films made during the PCA’s first couple of years of existence. Hollywood was recovering from years of risqueity being the norm, not just during the official Pre-Code days of the early 1930s. Silent films were far racier than the Code would have allowed.

However, the handling of moral issues in this movie, such as the importance of justice and duty above emotions and sentimentality, is an excellent example of Code morality in a dramatically brilliant movie.