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Barbary Coast
Directed by	Howard Hawks
Produced by	Samuel Goldwyn
Written by	Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur
Starring	Miriam Hopkins Edward G. Robinson
Music by	Alfred Newman
Cinematography	Ray June
Editing by	Edward Curtiss
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date(s)	October 13, 1935 (1935-10-13)
Running time	90 minutes
Country
Language	English
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Barbary Coast (released in 1935) is a period film directed by Howard Hawks. Shot in black-and-white and set in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era, the film combines elements of crime, Western, melodrama and adventure genres, features a wide range of actors, from good-guy Joel McCrea to bad-boy Edward G. Robinson, and stars Miriam Hopkins in the leading role as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge.

On a foggy night in 1850, Mary Rutledge, accompanied by retired Colonel Marcus Aurelius Cobb (Frank Craven), arrives in San Francisco Bay from New York aboard the Flying Cloud. A gold digger of the other kind, she has come to wed the wealthy owner of a local saloon. The men at the wharf are more than happy to greet the 'white woman,'^[1] but reluctant to inform her that her fiancé is dead, murdered most likely by a certain Louis Chamalis, the powerful owner of another Barbary Coast establishment, the Bella Donna restaurant and gambling house. Mary is at first quite upset, but quickly pulls herself together and asks the way to the Bella Donna, with a look of ambition on her face.

Mary meets Chamali and quickly accepts to be his companion, not only for economic reasons (as an attraction, she helps draw in customers), but for personal pleasure as well. Chamali gives her the name 'Swan' and she becomes more or less his female escort. She accompanies him on promenades in town (the 'sinful' unwed couple is insulted in one scene by the mayor's wife) and he showers her with extravagant gifts. Their relationship sours rather quickly, however, and Swan is angered by some of Chamali's destructive power-mongering.

Col. Cobb, in the meantime, has opened a printing press, with the intention of starting a respectful newspaper for the people of San Francisco. He and his colleagues successfully print the first paper, which includes an article criticizing a recent unpunished murder, Chamali and his entourage. When Chamali finds out, he tries to destroy Cobb's newly acquired machine and threatens burning down the building, but is halted by Swan, who comes to Cobb's defence. Chamali, nonetheless, demands that Cobb never print anything attacking him. The colonel unwillingly complies.

Time passes and Swan, disillusioned with her life in San Francisco, saddens. Her distant behavior irks Chamali, who feels frustrated and stonewalled. One dreary morning, she sets out on horseback. Later in the day, it begins to rain heavily and she seeks refuge in a small seemingly abandoned cabin, where she meets a tall lonesome poet and gold miner named Jim Carmichael. Swan is quite taken with him, but lies about her current situation after hearing his criticisms of the harlots and thieves of the city. He offers her his book of poems as a memento and she returns to the Bella Donna.

Later, Carmichael decides to return to his home state New York and must pass through San Francisco. The ship will not leave for a few days unfortunately. He encounters Old Atrocity, who remarking his bags of gold, is happy to show him to a nice hotel and resaurant. Carmichael winds up at the Bella Donna and is surprised to find Mary working there. He is served a drugged up liquor and plays roulette at her table. He cannot retain his composure, vehemently insults 'Swan' and eventually bets and loses most of his money. The rest is pickpocketed.

Carmichael wakes up the following morning in the Bella Donna's kitchen. His eloquent speech impresses Chamalis, who hires him as a waiter.

Released a little over a year after the Production Code became effectively enforced in Hollywood, Barbary Coast is, due to its subject matter, still quite risqué and may to the modern viewer seem in violation of the code in several ways. The film suggests drug use and prostitution. Most of the characters appear inebriated throughout the picture and the heroine, however strong and critical of her merciless power-hungry companion, is herself of questionable morality, luring gold miners to her roulette table. As Joel McCrea's character puts it, one cannot tell whether there are 'snakes or forget-me-nots in her hair.'

• Miriam Hopkins as Mary 'Swan' Rutledge
• Edward G. Robinson as Luis Chamalis
• Joel McCrea as Jim Carmichael
• Frank Craven as Colonel Cobb
• Walter Brennan as Old Atrocity
• Brian Donlevy as Knuckles Jacoby

1. ^ At the end of 1849, the population of the city numbered approximately 20,000, of which only about 300 were women. Most were harlots and some historians believe that a mere 15 or so were white. For more information, see http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hbtbcidx.htm

• Barbary Coast at the Internet Movie Database

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