Safe in Hell (1931)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 73 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: William A. Wellman
Stars: Dorothy Mackaill, Donald Cook and Ralf Harolde
IMDb score:
6,9 (2.303)
Releasedate: 12 December 1931
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Safe in Hell plot
"Love had mocked her...Life had marked her...Too honorless to be loved...But too beautiful to be safe in a land of forgotten men!"
After murdering her client Piet Van Saal in New Orleans, the prostitute Gilda Carlson flees to the Caribbean island of Tortuga with the help of her good friend Carl Bergen. However, Gilda soon finds out that Piet Van Saal is still alive and that he wants to kill her. One Bruno, who has a crush on her, gives her a gun to defend herself, but will that help?
Actors and actresses
Gilda Carlson
Carl Bergen
Piet van Saal
Eagan
Crunch
General Gómez
Leonie
Lawyer Jones
Bruno
Newcastle
Reviews & comments
BBarbie
-
- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
Of a dozen films I know William Wellman mainly as a director of decent dramas. This film about a down-and-out young woman who tries to grab a second chance with both hands but ultimately falls victim to her pursuit of integrity, is no exception. Like more of Wellman's early films, it feels rather old-fashioned, but nevertheless fascinating enough, especially due to the acting of Dorothy Mackaill.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Collins
-
- 7346 messages
- 4344 votes
A 1931 film that focuses on a representative of the oldest profession in the world. And in doing so, without detours or veiled terms, makes it clear how the protagonist earns her money. Perhaps not remarkable in those movie days, but I was amazed at the openness. It later occurred to me that this openness is probably not remarkable since the Hays Code (a set of rules that an American film had to comply with regarding moral conduct) was only enacted in 1934. Only then did other rules of decency come into effect.
In later films, the openness is much less. The naming of the profession of prostitute is much less explicit. In later films, the prostitute is often the bitten dog. She represents an amoral lifestyle and deserves to be punished. In Safe in Hell, however, the call girl is a really round character who does not necessarily carry the negative stigma of the prostitute, and the amoral life that goes with it.
Meanwhile, wisps of fog cover New Orleans harbor. A call girl is assigned to visit a customer. After about four minutes into the film, the customer is dead. The call girl flees. Then the film rushes to an idyllic island where the call girl stays in a hotel that is also inhabited by a bunch of horny gentlemen. And then it runs and then rotates around each other. The gentlemen with shadowy characters. The call girl fighting to keep her conscience clear. All very attractive. However, it's not all that exciting. Apart from a somewhat oppressive atmosphere, the film has not much to offer. The dialogues are not very inspiring and you quickly get tired of the characters. Fortunately, the film has a pleasantly short running time that confirms this.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Corporate & Media
Realtimes Network
Innovatieweg 20C
7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31(315)-764002
