A charming cad in Rangoon bargains with his nemesis using his devoted lady-friend as a pawn; she loses, ending up in the prostitution racket before seeking out her revenge. Outrageous pre-Code melodrama from director Michael Curtiz really turns up the heat. Sultry Kay Francis mixes quite well with the tropical scenario, though leading man Lyle Talbot is mostly forgettable (who wouldn't be with Francis chewing up the scenery?). It only runs 70 minutes yet packs a good wallop, with colorful supporting players and an amusing twist finish. However, whoever was responsible for excising Shirley Temple's scenes was hopefully horsewhipped. **1/2 from ****
Review of Mandalay
