1947 film by Charles Lamont
Slave Girl is a 1947 American Technicolor adventure comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Yvonne De Carlo and George Brent.
Plot.
When American playboy Matt Claiborne (George Brent) embarks on a mission to Tripoli, he finds forbidden love and political intrigue when he falls for a dancing girl involved with rival lords. Matt is supposed to trade gold with the Pasha for American sailors being held hostage. However, the Pasha's fiancée, Francesca (Yvonne De Carlo), steals it, hoping to finance her lover El Hamid's (Carl Esmond) revolution. But when El Hamid betrays Francesca, she and Matt join forces and find true love.
Production.
The film was originally called "The Flame of Tripoli". It was announced in April 1946 with Yvonne De Carlo and George Brent attached, and was written and produced by the team of Michael Fessiner and Ernest Pagano, who had made "Frontier Gal" with De Carlo. The budget was $1.6 million.
Filming started on 18 July 1946. Dona Drake was to appear in the film but fell ill and was replaced by Lois Collier. Parts of the film were shot in Paria Canyon and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Utah.
The movie was envisioned as a melodrama but during the shoot the writer-producers decided to add more comedy to liven up the film. Previews were not encouraging. By this stage Universal had merged with International and the film came under the supervision of William Dozier. He added a card with a title card involving a camel that indicated the film was to be a comedy. This was previewed to good response, so Dozier arranged for additional scenes involving the camel commenting on the action to be added .
De Carlo was unhappy because several of her dances were removed. She also felt George Brent was too old for his part.
Reception.
The film was a hit at the box office, earning over $2 million in the US.
"The film offers laughs" said the "Los Angeles Times".
References.
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