She

Leo Vincey (Randolph Scott) and Horace Holly (Nigel Bruce) search the Arctic for a hidden land where a mystical blue flame is kept. Along the way they pick up lovely and innocent Tanya (Helen Mack), who falls in love with handsome Leo. Eventually they arrive at the place they were seeking and discover it ruled by a merciless and immortal woman (Helen Gahagan) known as "She who must be obeyed." She believes Leo to be her long-lost love returned to her at last and She is none too pleased with cutie Tanya's affections towards her man.

Fun lost world escapist fare made at a time when there were still unexplored regions of the world and imaginations ran wild at the thought of discovering lost civilizations or hidden treasures. We still get movies like this every once in awhile today, particularly about lost treasure. But back then it was a common staple of fiction, print and film. There was a sense of wonder and excitement about exploring the unknown. Not to get on my soapbox but this type of storytelling does seem to be lost to us in the cynical age we live in today.

Future Congresswoman Helen Gahagan (she coined Nixon's nickname "Tricky Dick") gives a melodramatically memorable performance as She. Randolph Scott, years away from his western stardom, is very good as the heroic leading man. I especially liked that he was tempted at the prospect of immortality. It makes him seem a little more human than this type of character often was allowed to be back then. Helen Mack is pretty but can't say the name Leo to save her life. She keeps pronouncing it as Lay-o throughout the movie. Still, she's better here than she was in Son of Kong. Nigel Bruce is solid as ever. Samuel S. Hinds has a brief but good part at the beginning as Leo Vincey's dying uncle.

Striking sets, costumes, and special effects. Adapted from H. Rider Haggard's novel, "She" was produced by King Kong's Merian C. Cooper, written by Ruth Rose, and scored by Max Steiner. So, in a way, it's like a cousin to that great film. "She" has been released in colorized form. While I am NOT a fan of colorizing black & white films at all, I will say that the colorization for this particular film is probably the best I've ever seen. It resembles the kind of color that would have been available at the time and not the more lavish Technicolor from years later, so the muted colors that usually come with the colorization process seems to work in its favor. But still, I prefer the original black & white film and would recommend it more.

Merian C. Cooper, co-creator of KING KONG (1935), turned his eyes to another long-lost civilization for this epic fantasy whose driving force, however, is not amazing special effects but rather the theme of reincarnation and love spanning several centuries (hence its affinity with THE MUMMY [1932]: screenwriter John L. Balderston had been assigned to adapt the H. Rider Haggard novel around this same time, before the property was sold to RKO). Still, despite every effort on the part of writers Ruth Rose and Dudley Nichols and an interesting cast - Randolph Scott, Helen Gahagan (wife of Melvyn Douglas and whose sole film this was!), Helen Mack, Nigel Bruce (thankfully playing his part straight) and Gustav von Seyffertitz - to wring every ounce of romance and adventure out of its plot, the film's single most impressive contribution is the awe-inspiring production design (courtesy of RKO's in-house genius of art direction during this time, Van Nest Polglase). Max Steiner's score is also notable, evoking both the mystery of an unknown land as well as the dangers and passions lurking within.

A word needs to be said about the DVD: I'm not sure how the film ended up at Kino since RKO titles are currently the property of Warner Bros., but picture quality is quite acceptable under the circumstances. However, the audio is a different matter entirely: it was so low that even when pushed to the limit, one can hardly discern what's being said (particularly during the climax)! I've had some discs whose audio was no more than discreet but never anything like this; it was a very frustrating experience, to be sure, and I wonder whether others who might have SHE on DVD feel the same way...

This once seemingly lost, or at least taken out of circulation, film is now back in a magnificent Kino colorized version with restored footage and sound, all of which will surely bring new fans to this unusual film.

The story has been filmed at least six times, with the Kino DVD showing excepts from the (poor) 1911 and (better) 1925 silent versions. The 1966 version may have had the best looking 'She', a regal Ursula Andress, but this one has great art deco sets (now even more amazing in color); bizarre Busby Berkeley like dance sequences (nominated for a 1935 Oscar, no less!); a stirring Max Steiner score; the cute as a button Helen Mack--also seen in the weak 'Son of Kong' (1933); and Nigel Bruce in a major role playing it straight.

Helen Gahagan plays 'She' in a passionate, mannered way with almost Shakespearian dialogue. Unfortunately she is poorly off set by a dull Randolph Scott as Leo, making her 500 year old love for him seem a little unconvincing.

Much better would have been RKO star Joel McCrea who had a more handsome profile, physique, energy and acting skill. McCrea does an outstanding job in 'The Silver Horde' (1930), 'Bird of Paradise' (1932), and 'The Most Dangerous Game' (1932). Why he wasn't in this one is a mystery, and a detriment to the film.

The only other really weak spot is that though they were in the Frozen North, you never see cold breath coming from the characters' mouths. Contrast this with the impressive 'Lost Horizon' (1937) or 'The Thing' (1982), where when it's cold, you can see their breath!

Other notes: The evil queen's purple costume in 'Snow White' (1938) is an exact copy of one of She's royal 'gowns' complete with spiked tiara! We also see the the Skull Island Kong Gate from 'King Kong' (1933).

High points: The final sequences beginning with 'The Hall of The Kings' elevate the quality of the film tremendously. The colorization really is the best here. Helen Gahagan gets several strong scenes about the burden of immortality. The love triangle focus of the film actually works because of Ruth Rose's dialog and the acting skills of both Helens.

Watching it in black and white (also included on the Kino DVD) gives the story a more nightmarish quality and is also recommended. For both, I give them a 7.

I have very happy memories of this movie, which I finally saw in a revival house in New York City in the early Nineties, after many years of its unavailability due to the Hammer remake. This much more idiosyncratic version from the Thirties owes a lot of its atmosphere and stylish elan to the extraordinary Bauhaus-inspired sets, the Max Steiner score, and Helen Gahagan's majestically mannered performance as She Who MUST Be Obeyed. It's a film very much of its time yet there is also a timeless, haunting quality to certain sequences. It has very little to do with Rider Haggard's novel (which is a great favorite of mine) but once I realized this was going to be a different story altogether I didn't care.

The theatre that showed this was packed for a mid afternoon screening, and the audience reacted with tremendous enthusiasm to this classic film. If you have a taste for such great 1930s epics as King Kong, Gunga Din, and King Solomon's Mines, you will enjoy it as well. The 1965 version with Ursula Andress, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is fun as well but has even less to do with the themes of Haggard's original novel. It does however have a more up to date feel for those who care about glossy production values.

This is an uneven movie, with an uneven script and uneven acting (Randolph Scott is particularly unconvincing too much of the time), but its strengths are remarkable.

She's music and sets are astonishingly good. Steiner's score is aptly suited to the twists and turns of the action, and at times it even sounds as though there's a theremin playing, although it's probably just a violin at the high end of its range. (Note/wuestion: why doesn't the spellchecker for a film website not recognize the word "theremin"? Surely that instrument has been used to notable effect in many movies.)

The "natural" sets (ice cliffs, snowy plains, and spooky caverns) are dramatic and artful, and the architectural sets, influenced by cubism, expressionism, and art deco, are among the finest pieces of design in the history of film. The abstract costumes of the inhabitants of She's kingdom (desighed by Aline Bernstein) are also breathtaking in their stylishness and imaginativeness. The lighting and cinematography is also noteworthy, and the special effects are very good for their time.

This may sound like I'm dwelling on peripheral issues, but when the score, art direction, and camera-work are this inventive, they turn an OK film into a wonderful one. Few movies have ever been such delights to the eye and ear.