Red Dust - Warner Archive Collection

Some movies are just damn good. They're not flashy, they're not artistic, they don't break boundaries, they don't change the world. Red Dust is one of those films. First-class entertainment from start to finish, this rough-and-tumble, sensual drama has everything, but most of all it has Clark Gable and Jean Harlow free of Production Code constraints. This truly dynamic duo flirts, spars, cracks wise, and even wrestles in this captivating classic that hasn't lost its appeal or edge in 90-plus years.

Directed with vim, vigor, and bravado by Victor Fleming, seven years before he would helm two of the greatest movies of all time back to back (The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind), Red Dust transports us to a rubber plantation deep in the wilds of Vietnam, where its owner, the brusque, beleaguered, and macho Dennis Carson (Gable), battles the elements and other challenges as he struggles to keep his enterprise afloat. Enter Vantine (Harlow), an alluring woman of ill repute who wanders into Dennis' world and - after breaking down his defenses - stokes his libido.

Hardly a one-woman man, Dennis enjoys his fling with Vantine, but his antenna really rises when his new, very green, and hopelessly naïve assistant Gary Willis (Gene Raymond) arrives with his patrician and very pretty wife Barbara (Mary Astor) in tow. At first, Dennis resents the pampered Barbara, who wasn't supposed to tag along, and views her as a nuisance and disruption to the serious work of men. The two lock horns, but after Gary recovers from a serious bout of malaria and Dennis dispatches him to a remote field operation for several weeks, the two lock lips and begin a passionate, illicit affair. Their liaison hurts Vantine, who takes Dennis' brush-off on the chin, but their lingering embers set up a combustible triangle that's destined to explode.

The screenplay by John Lee Mahin, who also wrote the classic gangster flick Scarface the same year, is one of Red Dust's many prime assets. The dialogue crackles with clever quips and heated exchanges, and the well-drawn characters believably interact. Dennis is a blustery, take-no-prisoners kind of man with a roving eye who doesn't suffer fools gladly or tolerate weakness. Barbara's fancy airs and prim demeanor attract him - she's a bit of purity and grace in a filthy, sweaty environment - and he gets a kick out of inflaming her dormant sexuality. Yet it's apparent from the get-go that Vantine is really his kind of woman, and their playful bickering and free-wheeling loving fuels the film. The expert production design also enhances Red Dust, making us feel as if we're really in the depths of the jungle. Yes, the rickety boat traversing the narrow river that cuts through the plantation looks like it might one day end up at the Disneyland Jungle Cruise attraction, but that's part of the film's fun.

Gable and Harlow made six films together during a six-year period that ended with Harlow's tragic death in 1937 at the tender age of 26 (her last picture, Saratoga, co-starred Gable), but Red Dust stands as their finest collaboration. Their incomparable chemistry is on full display; neither will take any gaffe from the other, and watching them one-up each other is a delight. (The scene in which Harlow takes a bath in a rain barrel and trades verbal barbs with a nonplussed Gable is a bona fide classic and one of the defining images of pre-Code Hollywood.) Gable was still a relative newcomer in 1932 and only recently graduated to starring roles, yet he commands the screen like a seasoned pro, exhibiting all of the virile magnetism and cocky good humor that would spur his female fans to swoon and sustain his career for three decades.

Gable is great, but it's Harlow who truly shines - and I'm not just talking about her electric platinum blonde hair. Much like Marilyn Monroe, Harlow often gets a bad rap from those who see her only as a provocative sex symbol, but her talent is so evident in Red Dust, and both the sassy and tender nuances she brings to her colorful role only become more apparent with each viewing. Vantine is a tough broad who's been knocked around for most of her life, yet she's also achingly sweet, often brandishing that proverbial heart of gold so many movie hookers possessed during Hollywood's Golden Age. Harlow shows us both sides of the character without overplaying either of them. And few actresses of the period could deliver a verbal zinger with more spirit and attitude. Gable may dominate Red Dust, but Harlow gives the film its heart, soul, and humor.

Astor is also excellent as the upstanding woman who loves getting knocked off her pedestal and indulging her sublimated primal desires. Barbara and Dennis may predate Stella and Stanley in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire by 15 years, but their relationship is strikingly similar, and Gable generates almost as many sparks with Astor as he does with Harlow. Raymond perfectly plays his bland, hero-worshipping character, and Donald Crisp contributes a fine supporting turn as one of Dennis' brawny, mouthy employees.

Red Dust is the type of film you can watch over and over again and it never gets old or tired. The direction, script, and performances are all top-notch, the characters feel authentic, and the efficient storytelling makes the time fly by. It's no wonder MGM decided to remake the movie 20 years later with Gable once again in the lead role. Mogambo (which will be released on Blu-ray by Warner Archive later this month) transfers the action to Africa and casts Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly in the Harlow and Astor parts, but try as it might, it just can't recapture the original's magic. Red Dust is a special picture, and this Blu-ray release beautifully honors it.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Red Dust arrives on Blu-ray packaged in a standard case. Video codec is 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu without music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.

A brand new HD master struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements yields a fantastic 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer that's a huge step up from the 2012 DVD. All the print damage that plagued the DVD has been meticulously erased. The clean, vibrant source bursts with detail and depth, producing an image that's noticeably brighter and clearer than the DVD. Shadow delineation is far better and close-ups exhibit greater sharpness, highlighting the omnipresent sweat on everyone's brows and the stubble and grime on the men's faces. 

Grain is quite evident - remember, Red Dust was made in 1932 - but the trade-off is a lovely film-like feel that adds an edgy grit to this exotic pre-Code film. Cinematographer Harold Rosson, who would earn four Oscar nominations and win an honorary award in 1937 for his Technicolor work on The Garden of Allah, would soon become Harlow's third husband, and he lovingly photographs her. Harlow's close-ups are often stunning and epitomize early Hollywood glamor, but Gable and Astor also benefit from his keen eye, which helps craft the rugged atmosphere, making us feel like we're in the depths of Asia rather than on the MGM backlot.

There's one brief stretch at around the 54-minute mark when the print quality noticeably decreases - obviously because a different source had to be employed - but it only lasts about 15 seconds. That's the only real hiccup in this otherwise terrific rendering. Once again, Warner Archive proves it can produce an exceptional transfer of a Golden Age film even when the original elements have been lost. If you're a fan of Red Dust - and there aren't many classics mavens who aren't - an upgrade is mandatory.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track supplies clear, well-modulated sound. Dialogue is a little difficult to comprehend during the opening sequence when it must compete with a lot of ambient activity in the jungle and plantation work areas, but things settle down pretty quickly and all the repartee between Gable and Harlow is easy to understand. Sonic accents like howling wind, crashing thunder, driving rain, snarling tigers, and gunshots are crisp, subtle atmospherics like chirping crickets are distinct, and the main title music sounds rich and full. No distortion is present and any age-related hiss, pops, and crackle have been meticulously erased. The remastering is so good, it's often hard to image this track is almost a century old.

The 2012 DVD only contained the Spanish trailer, so it's a treat to find a couple of early two-color Technicolor shorts on this Blu-ray release.

• Vintage Short: Over the Counter (SD, 18 minutes) - This two-reel, two-color Technicolor short is directed by Jack Cummings, who would go on to produce some of MGM's splashiest musicals, including Kiss Me, Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This bit of musical frivolity takes place at a department store, where the owner's son mounts extravagant production numbers in various departments to attract business, much to the exasperation of his magnate father and the store's staff.
• Vintage Short: Wild People (SD, 17 minutes) - Another two-reel short shot in two-color Technicolor, this very odd curio chronicles the adventure of two radio executives as they corral the "natives" in Dutch New Guinea for a special broadcast. Bizarre musical numbers and lots of gags highlight this short that has to be seen to be believed.
• Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes) - This Spanish-titled preview contains some snippets that don't appear in the final film.

Red Dust is one of the best pre-Code films ever made. Packed with action, sex, comedy, and bawdy romance, this rough-and-tumble tale still titillates 94 years after its premiere. Gable and Harlow generate plenty of sparks, and Warner Archive's sparkling transfer struck from a 4K scan of the best preservation elements shows them off in the best possible light. Remastered audio and a couple of vintage extras enhance the appeal of this long-awaited and beautifully executed release. Highly Recommended. 

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