Lady from Louisiana
6 /10 1 Votes
Director Bernard Vorhaus Music director Cy Feuer Duration Country United States | 5.8/10 IMDb Genre Drama Cinematography Jack A. Marta Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Writer Vera Caspary , Francis Edward Faragoh Release date April 22, 1941 (1941-04-22) Cast John Wayne (John Reynolds), Ona Munson (Julie Mirbeau), Ray Middleton (Blackburn 'Blackie' Williams), Henry Stephenson (General Anatole Mirbeau), Helen Westley (Blanche Brunot), Jack Pennick (Cuffy Brown)Similar movies John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Westward Ho | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A New England lawyer (John Wayne) falls for a racketeers daughter (Ona Munson) in 19th-century New Orleans.
Contents
Lady from Louisiana is a 1941 American disaster film starring John Wayne. It was produced and directed by Bernard Vorhaus for Republic Pictures.
Northern lawyer John Reynolds travels to New Orleans to try and clean up the local crime syndicate based around a lottery. Although he meets Julie Mirbeau and they are attracted to each other, the fact that her father heads the lottery means they end up on opposite sides. When her father is killed, Julie becomes more and more involved in the shady activities and in blocking Reynolds' attempts at prosecution.
Plot
Yankee lawyer John Reynolds (Wayne) and Southern Belle Julie Mirbeau (Ona Munson) meet and fall in love on a riverboat going to New Orleans in the Gay Nineties. Upon arrival they are met by Julies father (Henry Stephenson) who runs the popular Louisiana State Lottery Company and Reynolds Aunt Blanche (Helen Westley) who is a key figure in the anti-Lottery forces hoping Wayne as States Attorney will end the Lottery.
Correctly gauging the situation as "playing Romeo and Juliet", Wayne is invited to the Mirbeau mansion where Julie and her father explain that not only are the people of New Orleans fun loving and like gambling such as the Lottery, but the Lottery funds many charitable institutions such as hospitals and levees for the river.
Unknown to General Mirbeau is his assistant Blackies (Ray Middleton) protection rackets and murders of lottery winners through his army of thugs led by Cuffy Brown (Jack Pennick). The Lottery forces also have information sources in the States Attorneys office that reveals every move Wayne has planned to raid illegal activities as well as corrupting judges and other officials through their brothels.
The battle between the two forces escalates leading into a climax of lightning striking and destroying a courthouse where a trial is going on and a break in the levees during torrential rains that flood the city.
Production
Republic Pictures spared no expense in making the film, with large numbers of costumed extras and recreations of Mardi Gras. The studios high standard of action scenes and special effects miniatures come to the fore in the fight scenes and flood climax.
The film mixes the romance and action with a comedic touch, with Wayne performing a light, Walking Tall type scenario.
A 1941 Time magazine review noted the similarities between Waynes Thomas E. Dewey type character and Huey Long.
Similar Movies
John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Westward Ho. John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Wyoming Outlaw. John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Lady for a Night. John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Three Faces West. John Wayne appears in Lady from Louisiana and Winds of the Wasteland.
Cast
References
Lady from Louisiana WikipediaLady from Louisiana IMDb Lady from Louisiana themoviedb.org