The Flame

1947
A
1h 37m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

John Carroll, Robert Paige, and Vera Ralston in The Flame (1947)

A woman falls for the victim of an intended blackmail plot.A woman falls for the victim of an intended blackmail plot.A woman falls for the victim of an intended blackmail plot.

Director
- John H. Auer
Writers
- Lawrence Kimble
- Robert T. Shannon
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

438

YOUR RATING

Director
- John H. Auer
Writers
- Lawrence Kimble
- Robert T. Shannon
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

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Top cast41

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John Carroll

George MacAllister

Vera Ralston

Carlotta Duval

Robert Paige

Barry MacAllister

Broderick Crawford

Ernie Hicks

Henry Travers

Dr. Mitchell

Blanche Yurka

Aunt Margaret

Constance Dowling

Helen Anderson

Hattie McDaniel

Celia

Victor Sen Yung

Chang

Harry Cheshire

The Minister
(as Harry V. Cheshire)

John Miljan

Detective

Garry Owen

Detective

Eddie Dunn

Police Officer

John Albright

Youth
(uncredited)

Vince Barnett

Stage Door Attendant
(uncredited)

Edward Biby

Well-Wisher at Dock
(uncredited)

James Carlisle

Wedding Guest
(uncredited)

Jeff Corey

Stranger
(uncredited)

Director
- John H. Auer
Writers
- Lawrence Kimble
- Robert T. Shannon
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The basic plot, which has been used many times in the movies, as well as filmed under its own name, is that of the novel "The Wings of the Dove" by Henry James.

Goofs
When John Carroll's character gets shot in the back in the beginning of the movie there is no bullet hole in his coat until he gets back to his hotel room and then the hole appears in his coat.

Quotes
Chang: Someday, everybody lose everybody. That is why Chang never fall in love with girl again. If she mean all the world to you, and you lose her, then you have lost the whole world. If she mean more than life to you, and you lose her, then you have lost all of life. But if she mean more than your soul to you, and you lose her, then you have lost your own soul.
George MacAllister: Confucius say that?
Chang: Maybe Confucius.
[smiling]
Chang: Maybe Walter Winchell. Chang remember only the words.

Connections
Referenced in Forensic Files: Paintball (2003)

Soundtracks
Love Me or Leave Me
(uncredited)
Music by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn

Can style triumph over substance?

The Flame is an interesting test of the theory that in cinematic art, style matters more than story. If it does, The Flame should be a near masterpiece. Graced with a generous budget despite its Poverty Row origins, the movie offers complex camera moves (starting with its impressive opening shot), elegant lighting, slick art design, and first-rate cinematography. So it's a winner, right?

Meh, not so much. All that eye candy can't make up for a slow-paced, listless, overly familiar story, which generates no dramatic tension and little emotion of any kind, other than a quasi-religious sentimentality that seems weirdly out of place in a film of this genre.

The performances are okay, with Crawford the standout and the much-maligned Vera Ralston doing a capable job. But given the decent cast, high production value, and stylistic razzle-dazzle, The Flame should be a lot better than it is.