Wharf Angel

"Wharf Angel" is a movie about Stokers, seamen who stoke the boilers on ships and the brutish lives the live. In between voyages they hang around in dive bars and drink too much, carouse, fight and often pass out on the floor. This one is called "Mother Bright's", on the Barbary Coast near San Francisco. When in port, "Turk" (Victor McLaglen) holds court and is also the star of the picture. One night Como (Preston Foster), on the run from the police, ducks in and finds a hiding place in a room upstairs; the tenant is Toy (Dorothy Dell), a prostitute with the proverbial heart of gold. Almost simultaneously, Como and Turk fall in love with her, and therein hangs the tale.

Too bad the tale is not as interesting as the players or the sets. The film is held together by the force of the actors, especially Dorothy Dell, who gives a superlative performance. It is all the more remarkable when you consider she was only 19 at the time. McLaglen is his usual overpowering self and Foster, minus trademark mustache, looks almost boyish. The director is set designer William Cameron Menzies, who doesn't have much of a chance due to the tepid story, but creates an atmospheric dive setting for the cast that is very realistic - it looks and feels extremely authentic. That said, there's not much else to recommend this picture. It's been done before and since, and better.