Under Two Flags (1936) User Reviews (14)

Daughter of the Legion

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 26 April 2012]

Under Two Flags was the last of a series of films that Ronald Colman did for the newly formed 20th Century pictures which only lasted about two or three years before it merged with Fox to form that colossus of a studio that Darryl Zanuck ran. This film was in fact done under the banner of the new colossus.

Having starred in the silent version of Beau Geste, Colman certainly had the Foreign Legion credentials cinema wise. But Under Two Flags drags in spots the way Beau Geste never does. In fact the first half of the film deals with a romantic triangle between Legionaire sergeant Colman and the two women who love him, camp follower Claudette Colbert and British aristocrat Rosalind Russell. And there's Colman's commanding officer Victor McLaglen who is jealous over the fact that Colman has Colbert panting over him while she won't give McLaglen the time of day.

Another component of the Colman/McLaglen rivalry is that McLaglen is a professional soldier up from the ranks and Colman while a good sergeant is clearly upper crust. But back in those days one joined the Foreign Legion to get away from problems in civilian life wherever you came from. In fact where Under Two Flags is most similar to Beau Geste is why Colman joined the Legion. It's a plot device lifted from Beau Geste and one typical of those romantic days before World War I.

With Colbert and Russell in the film this will not be a male bonding adventure film. Russell as she did in her early films played aristocratic women of class. This was way before her gift for comedy was discovered and utilized. As for Colbert this film belongs more to her than anyone else. This was the most atypical part for her I've ever seen her do, but she does it superbly. Claudette was clearly poaching on Marlene Dietrich's territory as the camp following daughter of the legion that Marlene did so well in Morocco.

I don't think fans of romance and fans of adventure were completely satisfied with Under Two Flags. The genres didn't quite blend together successfully for a great film. Still Under Two Flags has its moments for everyone.

Fourth film adaptation of the romance/adventure novel by Ouida

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 20 December 2022]

Ronald Colman stars as Sgt. Victor, a member of the French Foreign Legion. He's assigned to a new post in southern Algeria under the command of Major Doyle (Victor McLaglen). Victor soon catches the eye of local saloon girl "Cigarette" (Claudette Colbert), who is in turn the object of Doyle's affection. As for Victor, he's found romance with visiting English society woman Lady Venetia (Rosalind Russell). Doyle keeps attempting to get Victor out of the way by issuing him dangerous assignments, but Victor keeps surviving them. That could change with an uprising that may spell the end for them all. Also featuring Tor Johnson.

This was a major production, with large sets and plenty of extras. The battle scenes near the end of the film are very impressive in scope and execution, and there are several nice shots of caravans moving across the high desert sands. Unfortunately the romance part of the story is bland and predictable. Colman, McLaglen, and Russell all bring their usual personas to the story, but Colbert seems out of place as a lowly singing girl. Simone Simon was originally cast in the part, and even filmed the entire movie, but producer Darryl Zanuck didn't like the end result so he hired Colbert and reshot her entire part! Maybe she was awful, but I would think Simon would have been much better suited to the role.

Desert adventures with the foreign legion and Ronald Colman in a great novel reduced to Hollywood

[clanciai · 7/10 · 29 April 2017]

Unfortunately, Ouida's great classical novel of dishonor, exile, love, war and sacrifice in Algeria with the French foreign legion has not been awarded with that great film script it deserves. A deep tragedy of human greatness has been transformed into a rather superficial Hollywood romance entertainment, where even Ronald Colman makes a rather poor figure, far from the sadly noble hero of the original. Nevertheless, it's a Frank Lloyd film, who also made "Cavalcade" and "Mutiny on the Bounty", and there are great moments, especially of the desert scenery. Claudette Colbert as Cigarette is the real star of the film, though, but then she is also the most memorable character in the novel. Rosalind Russell is good enough and adds some heart-warming romance, while the worst failure of the film is the alteration of the grim reality of the French foreign legion with a sinister discipline worse than that of the 'Bounty' into some loose barrack ballads with plenty of brandy. The grim nature of the colonel in the novel is deleted, and Victor McLaglen is only Victor McLaglen, whom you can't take seriously. It's a good enough entertainment but not more than that, while the novel is so much more.

Hooray for French colonialism....

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 24 July 2016]

During the 1930s and 40s, there were a bunch of movies that glorified the French Foreign Legion and featured them as the good guys. Considering the films were made here in the States, it does seem odd that these colonials were talked about at all as well as glorified...but there was apparently some sort of romantic notion of bravery and chivalry associated with this army. Films such as "Beau Hunks", "Beau Geste", "Under Two Flags" and "Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion" are just a few of the many such films of the era about this outfit.

This film is set in North Africa and you must ignore that the natives are sometimes referred to as Arabs...they are most likely Libyans, Algerians, Tunesians or, perhaps, Moroccans--all North African countries occupied by the French at that time. The commanding officer, the Major (Victor McLaglen), has a bit of an infatuation with a girl oddly named 'Cigarette' (Claudette Colbert) and after a while, so does Sergeant Victor (Ronald Colman). But when a British lady (Rosalind Russell) shows up in the middle of this desert town, Victor is smitten and now has TWO ladies who think he's their boyfriend. Amidst these smoldering passions is an uprising (what else?!) among the natives and it's up to the Legion to kick butt and restore the peace.

While the cast is quite nice in this one, the film itself is only ordinary. I think much of the problem is that "Beau Geste" came out about the same time and was simply a much more exciting and interesting movie. It's watchable and mildly interesting but not much more.

FYI--It is interesting to see Claudette Colbert playing a French lady and using a French accent, as she was born and lived in France until she was a young girl. I assume her family must have spoken French at home and approximating the French accent must have been pretty natural for her.

Foreign Legion yarn

[loloandpete · 6/10 · 5 January 2021]

A French foreign legion adventure with the starring cast of Ronald Coleman, Claudette Colbert, Victor MacLaglen & Rosalind Russell caught up in a love quadrangle. Nigel Bruce is 6th billed as Captain Menzies and adds some nice moments of bufoonery.

Waste of a Good Cast

[tomltd · 6/10 · 6 October 2020]

You would have expected a better movie reading down the cast members. It took effort to make the first half boring--as if it didn't know what it wanted to be as a movie--a romance or a light action film. The second half was a bit better, but not enough to make up for the first half. My rating is more in recognition of the cast than the quality of the movie.

A drama of self-sacrifice

[Equinox23 · 10/10 · 17 September 2006]

I'd like to disagree with the previous reviews because the first hour isn't so dull after all.First of all it is of course needed to establish the love relations and interests of the four major characters Seargent Victor,Cigarette,Major Doyle and Lady Venetia.Furthermore it offers some really excellent acted scenes,e.g. the comic tavern scene with its knife-throwing and lady chasing or the scene when Lady Venetia is visiting the legion's dorm and Victor fears she might know and recognize him-great how he manages to convey this only by mimic.Even the lesser scenes when Lady Venetia and Victor are watching a snake-charmer or when they meet at the oasis serve to give a deeper insight into the characters,especially Victor and his self-reflective charming ways.Finally there is twice sex in the desert implied.So this first hour is a romantic and comic relief for what is to follow. The last half an hour is a tour de force where all the story lines, that have been knitted in the first hour, come together to erupt in the confrontation with the Arabs in the desert and Major Doyle's plan to get rid of his rival Victor by sending him on fatal errands.There are some terrifically staged battle scenes,but in the end it's not the action that is predominant but Victor's and Cigarette's courage to sacrifice themselves.Cigarette is willing to forsake her love for Victor to propose an for her unhappy relationship with Doyle in order to save Victor from Doyle's vengeance.And Victor on his behalf is exceeding this even, by his plan to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.Knowing the Arab leader Sidi Ben Youssiff from Oxford he plans to delay the Arab attack by giving them some deceptive information-just have a look at Colman's faint smile when Youssiff falls for it- and by this risking his own life and facing a horrible death.This is also where Colman's underacting is at its best because it's all acted with a total lack of pathos-even when Cigarette is eventually dying in his arms after having saved his life the emotions seem genuine-it's the only time I have seen Colman cry on screen so far. So this leaves us with the happy(?) ending.I believe one may argue if it's happy after all because at Cigarette's burial Doyle seems defeated and Victor though restored to his former honour and life and of course Lady Venetia gives a rather estranged impression.He gazes down at the coffin and Venetia's grasp of his hand does not seem to distract him from his brooding. What can I add? Apparently from the fan letters it seemed that especially women liked this movie and I guess I'm certainly one of them although at first its subject almost kept me from watching it.

Uninspiring

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 27 September 2010]

Sgt Viktor (Ronald Coleman) is in the foreign legion to forget about his life. He is far too intelligent to be there and far too intelligent for his superior JC Doyle (Victor McLaglen) who is having an affair with the rather stupidly named Cigarette (Claudette Colbert). Cigarette takes a shine to Sgt. Viktor before Lady Venetia (Rosalind Russell) appears on the scene to further complicate matters. There are romantic complications between these main 4 characters with the result that JC Doyle "has it in" for Sgt Viktor and pretty much signs a death warrant for him by sending him on missions where he is unlikely to survive. At the film's end, both JC Doyle and Cigarette show up to try and save him..........and someone gets shot and dies.....

There is absolutely no guesses as to who is going to die at the end of this film. It's bloody obvious. The story drags out and there is nothing original in this tale of a woman's love for a man in the foreign legion. Ronald Coleman is very smooth and likable and Victor McLaglen plays his role well.......it's the women's roles which don't quite work - Colbert with a ghastly fake French accent and Russell just looks a bit odd.

The film is OK but the story never really grabs the viewer and gets going. My girlfriend liked it but I didn't feel anything once it had finished.......or during it.

The women are involved here, not on the sidelines.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 27 December 2020]

With terrific cinematography and the opportunity to see two screen divas (Claudette Colbert and Rosalind Russell) together, this foreign legion adventure is a lot of fun. Ronald Colman stars as a British man who enlists to remain free while trying to prove his innocence in a crime his brother committed. He encounters the alluring cafe entertainer Cigarette (Colbert) and after an auspicious beginning (tossing knives at each other), they become lovers.

But when they're separated, he falls in love with the uppercrust British heiress Rosalind Russell (convincing with her accent, sounding a bit like Merle Oberon) and finds out that Russell's uncle is aware of who he is. This only serves to make him more determined than ever to prove his innocence. When he goes off to battle, Colbert and Russell encounter each other and the noble Russell must convince Colbert to do all she can to save Colman from a certain death.

This complex action picture has many memorable moments, but it's the one scene between the two leading ladies that stands out. Colbert, so deeply in love with Colman to the point to where she'd rather see him killed than loose him, must make a sacrifice to ensure he finds justice, and this leads to the major final battle of guns and hearts.

With a sensational ensemble including Victor McLaglen, Nigel Bruce, C. Henry Gordon and John Carradine, this has a lot to offer in the way of story, star power, scope and sensual romance. Colman is terrific, but this is one time where he's actually upstaged in a man's picture by the two women. Usually, the female co-stars in films like this are relegated to waving goodbye and wringing their hands with worry as they learn about the action their man is involved in. That gives this story a unique twist and makes it one of the great sleepers of the 1930's, a big hit in its day but somewhat forgotten now.

Under two women. Has lots of reality problems.

[weezeralfalfa · 4/10 · 18 February 2018]

Yet another French Foreign Legion Film, with the obligatory war with a rebel desert chieftain. For sheer entertainment value, I recommend "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion", instead. Ron Coleman, who plays the leading man, and one of the heroes, lacks any charisma, to me. I can't see him attracting two very different very attractive young women, as his character does. They each complement a different aspect of his personality, hence believe that the other is unsuitable for him. The tom boyish Claudette Colbert, as Cigarette(terrible mutation of Claudette) complements his playful and daredevil self. On the other hand, the interloper Lady Cunningham(Rosalind Russell), who suddenly shows up at this hell hole , from England, appeals to his aristocratic background, including a degree from Oxford. Soon, Victor has more or less dumped Cigarette for Rosalind. This causes Cigarette to sob every now and then, but she still has some hope of regaining Victor's love. In fact, she seems to love Victor more than Rosalind does. But, she's destined to be the loser, as she dies in battle with the Arabs. Posthumously, she is officially recognized for her essential role in the defeat of the Arabs, as well as for her other qualities. See the film to discover how she accomplishes this. It's mostly sheer luck combined with her crazy mission to somehow save Victor from death on the battlefield. In fact, she is the main attraction of this rather cheesy film, for her beauty, courage, occasional humor and continued devotion to Victor under discouraging circumstances. It's an ideal role for her. .....Onslow Stevens, who plays the rebel chieftain, clearly comes across as being of Teutonic heritage, rather than Arab or Bedouin. And, it's just too coincidental that the chieftain went to Oxford when Victor did, and speaks good English! Victor almost loses his life in attempting to sidetrack the Arabs into fearing an unlikely attack by an imaginary British army. How he got into the chieftain's tent to discuss things during a lull in the fighting is left to the viewer's imagination. See it on YouTube.

Delightful Hogwash

[boblipton · 8/10 · 14 March 2002]

Ah, the bygone glories of the French Foreign Legion story. Almost everyone knows BEAU GESTE, from the 1939 version starring Gary Cooper. This was a lesser brother. Great actors, great direction, great cinematography and a script full of -- nowadays -- laughable bits. Claudette Colbert plays Cigarette, the Daughter of the Legion. Ronald Colman, plays the legionnaire who is trying to forget, and a young Rosalind Russell -- what a looker! -- play Lady Venezia Cunningham with a posh accent. What can you expect from a movie in which Ronald Colman is torn between Cigarette, daughter of the Legion and Lady Venezia Cunningham with the Production Code in full force? Well, this one. An amusing way to spend a couple of hours, if you are prepared not to take things too seriously. Or you could look at the Laurel & Hardy BEAU HUNKS.

An all-star cast delivers in this tale of the French Foreign Legion

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 4 October 2021]

"Under Two Flags" is a film about the French Foreign Legion, Arab tribes and local populations in 19th century colonial Algeria, and romance. This is a story of adventure, escape from society by some who join the legion, tribal and colonial warfare, and romance and redemption. The film is based on a very popular 1867 novel of the same title. It was by English author Maria Louise Ramé, who wrote under the pen name, Ouida. I have not read the novel, but from comments I've read by those who did, the book is much more engrossing and captivating, where the film downplays the personal stories in favor of some light-hearted comedy in places. Usually, the Hollywood moguls know what will be most appealing to audiences. Still, it would be interesting to see a more serious effort on film that follows the book. "Beau Geste" of 1939 comes to mind.

Five versions of the story were filmed before this - all silent films. Three of which were shorts (under 45 minutes in length). This is the premier rendition of the story on film. It was made at a time when films of adventure in foreign lands found high interest among the public. There are probably several reasons, in combination, for why Hollywood and foreign film sources have not made another movie based on this story since 1936.

For one thing, many things came together starting with the right time, public interest and intrigue, the perfect cast, and the settings. 20th Century Productions did a marvelous job filming scenes that looked like the Sahara Desert. This was all done in California and Arizona. And the fort sets among sand dunes are quite impressive and realistic. One thing that would be hard to repeat in modern times would be the early scene of a camel train. It winds over huge sand dunes and appears to stretch for a mile. I counted 50 visible camels as the line weaved across the screen with more coming into view as others faded. That would likely be done today with a few camels, shot two or three times and then multiplied and superimposed on a sand-dune screen using CGI.

History today seems to be of much less interest than it was in early to mid-20th century. Literary conversions to film now are mostly modern crime and mystery, comic book fantasy and fast action, or romance novels. Most of the great adventures of discovery on planet earth had been done by the late 20th century. And, space travel, sci-fi and other genres seem of more interest to modern audiences than historical stories.

But, this film will endure for movie fans of the future who do enjoy history, adventure, and novels put on film. And, for the fans of the superb cast in this film. Ronald Colman was 45 when he played Sgt. Victor here. He and Victor McLaglen were the "old-timers" of the leads. McLaglen was 50 and had made more than 70 films, beginning with silent films in 1920. He was fresh off of winning the best actor Oscar for his 1935 role as Gypo Nolan in "The Informer." Colman had been nominated for an Oscar in 1930, and would win his best actor award in "A Double Life" of 1947.

Claudette Colbert was 33 and had just come off winning her 1935 best actress Oscar for "It Happened One Night." Her star who would continue in the spotlight for two more decades. Rosalind Russell was 29 years old, and a new leading lady after just two years in films. Her star would continue to rise over two more decades, and although she never won an Oscar out of four nominations, she won five best actress Golden Globes.

Movie aficionados will recognize some of the supporting cast in this film that appeared in many films. Nigel Bruce, John Carradine, Onslow Stevens and others give good performances.

The one performance that stands out in this film is that of Colbert as Cigarette. Her accent seems genuine from these ears that but studied a little French in school and vacationed three times in France. And her spunkiness and youthful vigor and fire as a young hostess for thirsty and hungry soldiers in her desert inn lit up each scene in which she appeared. Besides the conflict with some war scenes that have to be expected in any movies about the French Foreign Legion, this story has a neat twist for an ending.

Here's my favorite exchange of lines in this film. McLaglen's Doyle has been after Colbert's Cigarette to marry him, and she has been putting it off for quite some time. Cigarette, "But you will soon be a colonel." Maj. Doyle, "You said major when I was a captain." Cigarette, "Did I? Oh, ho, ho, ho." Doyle, "Oh, you little devil."

Sun, Sand and Cigarette

[aramis-112-804880 · 25 January 2024]

A Foreign Legion outpost in the desert (where else?) is troubled by enemies without and dissention within as a soldier who used to be a blue-blood is torn between two women, an upper class lady and a schemer who works in the local bar.

Ouida's book is eviscerated, but it was too long. Wren's BEAU GESTE might be a rip-off but it's a great book. However, in the 1800s UNDER TWO FLAGS was very popular.

Ronald Colman is one of my favorite actors but he can't do much with his role. This movie needs twice it's running time.

Nigel Bruce is perfectly cast as a sully English man.

Claudette Colbert isn't bad as Cigarette, the bar-girl; but I never could get past thinking "That's Claudette Colbert" as she's known these days.

For a better Foreign Legion flick check out "Beau Geste" with Gary Cooper (Colman made a silent version but I haven't seen it; sorry).

I love Colman but he's been tons better. This is for Foreign Legion completists.