| Song of the Flame | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Alan Crosland |
| Written by | Gordon Rigby(screen version & dialogue) |
| Based on | Song of the Flame (1925operetta) byOscar Hammerstein II andOtto A. Harbach |
| Starring | Alexander Gray Bernice Claire |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes(Technicolor) |
| Edited by | Al Hall |
| Music by | (seearticle) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 70 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Song of the Flame is a 1930 Americanpre-Codemusical film photographed entirely inTechnicolor. Based on the1925 operetta of the same name, the film features a screenplay byGordon Rigby adapted from themusical book written byOscar Hammerstein II andOtto A. Harbach for the operetta. The movie also features many of the songs from the operetta which used lyrics by Hammerstein and Orbach and music byGeorge Gershwin andHerbert Stothart. The film was produced and distributed byFirst National Pictures. It was the first color film to feature awidescreen sequence, using a process calledVitascope, the trademark name forWarner Bros.' widescreen process. The film, based on the 1925Broadway musical of the same name, was nominated for anAcademy Award forSound Recording (George Groves).[2] It is part of the tradition ofoperetta films, popular at the time.
Aniuta (Bernice Claire), known asThe Flame, is a peasant girl who incites the people against the Czarist regime and the aristocracy through singing. Prince Volodya (Alexander Gray) is the leader of a group of Cossack troops who falls in love with the girl, even though she is part of a revolution that is opposed to his social class. Konstantin (Noah Beery) is a revolutionary who also falls in love with Aniuta, much to the anger of his lover, Natasha (Alice Gentle).
The revolutionaries succeed in overthrowing the regime, leaving the Prince and his aristocratic class in peril for their lives and fortunes. Konstantin becomes the new leader and his brutal treatment of the people make many regret having supported the revolution in the first place. After he attempts to seduce her, Aniuta flees to a village in her native Poland. The Prince, fleeing from the new regime, happens to arrive at the same village. When he meets the girl again, he decides to stay. They put their political differences aside and become romantically involved.
Hearing from his spies that the Prince is at a Polish village, Konstantin immediately goes there and arrests him, announcing that he intends to execute him. Aniuta desperately attempts to free the Prince by agreeing to have sex with Konstantin. The Prince is released from prison through this ruse, but when it is discovered that she had no intention of keeping her side of the bargain, she is thrown into jail. The Prince disguises himself and attempts to free the girl, but he is discovered and imprisoned again. Before they can be executed, Natasha, revealing the real reason behind Konstantin's execution order, tells the troops to release both the Prince and Aniuta. Konstantin is arrested by the troops soon after as a traitor to the revolution, and is executed, leaving the Prince and the girl free to pursue their romance.
Cast notes:
Source:[1]
The film is believed to belost. Only the soundtrack, which was recorded separately onVitaphone disks, survives. All nine songs are preserved in the sound disc performances. There were four choruses as well, three of traditionalRussianfolk tunes and one drawn fromTchaikovsky'sThe Nutcracker.
Song of the Flame is notable as the film that was accompanied in its initial release by Warner Bros.' first everLooney Tunes cartoon short,Sinkin' in the Bathtub.
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Further reading