Review of Under Two Flags

Yet another French Foreign Legion Film, with the obligatory war with a rebel desert chieftain. For sheer entertainment value, I recommend "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion", instead. Ron Coleman, who plays the leading man, and one of the heroes, lacks any charisma, to me. I can't see him attracting two very different very attractive young women, as his character does. They each complement a different aspect of his personality, hence believe that the other is unsuitable for him. The tom boyish Claudette Colbert, as Cigarette(terrible mutation of Claudette) complements his playful and daredevil self. On the other hand, the interloper Lady Cunningham(Rosalind Russell), who suddenly shows up at this hell hole , from England, appeals to his aristocratic background, including a degree from Oxford. Soon, Victor has more or less dumped Cigarette for Rosalind. This causes Cigarette to sob every now and then, but she still has some hope of regaining Victor's love. In fact, she seems to love Victor more than Rosalind does. But, she's destined to be the loser, as she dies in battle with the Arabs. Posthumously, she is officially recognized for her essential role in the defeat of the Arabs, as well as for her other qualities. See the film to discover how she accomplishes this. It's mostly sheer luck combined with her crazy mission to somehow save Victor from death on the battlefield. In fact, she is the main attraction of this rather cheesy film, for her beauty, courage, occasional humor and continued devotion to Victor under discouraging circumstances. It's an ideal role for her. .....Onslow Stevens, who plays the rebel chieftain, clearly comes across as being of Teutonic heritage, rather than Arab or Bedouin. And, it's just too coincidental that the chieftain went to Oxford when Victor did, and speaks good English! Victor almost loses his life in attempting to sidetrack the Arabs into fearing an unlikely attack by an imaginary British army. How he got into the chieftain's tent to discuss things during a lull in the fighting is left to the viewer's imagination. See it on YouTube.