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Although it's seldom discussed, one of the staple genres that classic Hollywood tackled best was the jungle-set melodrama. It gave studio technicians an opportunity to experiment with oppressive artificial sets, eerie sounds effects and expressionist lighting. Those Venetian-blind shadow patterns so characteristic of film noir were preceded by just as many painterly images lit through louvered windows and bamboo curtains. And the exotic backgrounds allowed jaded screenwriters to attain a delirious level of moral turpitude, betrayal, sadistic violence and erotic obsessiveness, not to mention downright racism. White Woman may not quite rank with the finest wallows in the white man's grave (Red Dust, Tropic Zone, the absolutely jaw-dropping Kongo), but it certainly concocts a heady stew of cruelty, masochism and lasciviousness. This is thanks to a dense script by some old reliables, and by another ingenious portrayal by Laughton (much more subdued than in the similarly-set masterpieces, the Beachcomber and Island of Lost Souls, but wilier and more self-deluding.) Lombard was still stuck in her earnest, victimized stage before she hit her stride as a comedienne, but her brittle blonde presence and flustered pretensions are a fine fit here. Charles Bickford kicks the plot into overdrive as a Gable-like he-man who won't brook Laughton's guff. They're a perfect match for each other playing a doomed hand of poker while their gruesome fate awaits them at the hands of the natives they've crossed. Thankfully, the filmmakers avoid the moralising and let the viewer stoically sink into the morass along with them.

It's another steamy, lurid romp through the backlot jungle, this time in Malaysia, where poor Carole Lombard suffers from a one-two punch: Her husband committed suicide under suspect circumstances, and the local Brits despise her for working the only job she's allowed, singing sultry Gordon-Revel ballads in a mixed-race bar. (She's dubbed, I'm sure of it.) There she meets Charles Laughton, expertly playing years above his 34, a rubber plantation magnate who struts and revels in abusing his inferiors. Nevertheless she marries him, it's her only out, and journeys upriver to his sorry domain, which is where the Red Dust ripping off really begins. His overseer is Kent Taylor, and we know there's going to be a triangle, which expands into a quadrangle when new overseer Charles Bickford arrives, oozing testosterone and stirring up trouble. Wildly dated and decadent as it is, it's great pre-Code fun, with uprising, spears, native drums, decapitations, and Laughton looking like he's having a blast. Stuart Walker, a director of little note, ably keeps the pace brisk, and the atmosphere sweltering.

Carole Lombard is singing Cole Porter-style songs in a native bar. She's an outcast because she went off with a man and her husband killed himself. In comes "King of the River" Charles Laughton. He marries her and takes her upriver, where all the White men have something in their background that would get them jailed -- at best.

The movie looks like a badly aged mash-up of other, better remembered stories from the era: RAIN, of course, and RED RIVER with Charles Bickford as the he-man, and SANDERS OF THE RIVER. Although Lombard is the protagonist for the most of the movie, and Bickford looks like he's going to take it over when he enters for the third act, it's Laughton, playing one of his grotesques who dominates the film, from his entrance until the very end, when he is the only White standing, shouting defiance. Just like in other movies of the era, he's so good at playing a fascinating villain who despises everyone else... until he throws it all away in an act of mad bravado, to impress Lombard.

It's probably worth mentioning that this jungle islands "farrago", as Simon Callow calls it in his biography of Laughton, is set in Malaya, not Africa. In those days it was still part of the British Empire, which accounts for Laughton's cockney accent. In addition, at the dinner party on Laughton's river-boat (about 20 minutes into the film), his new wife (Carole Lombard) says she'd like to learn Malay.

This was the last of the handful of films which Laughton made for Paramount during 1932-33 under a short-term contract (the others being Devil and the Deep, Sign of the Cross, If I Had a Million, and Island of Lost Souls). Callow thinks Laughton's acting is both original and preposterous: "giggling and teasing and play-acting, screwing up his eyes, scratching his head, pulling at his moustache and using a whole battery of tics."

It's certainly preposterous that the Carole Lombard character would ever have considered marrying such an unpleasant person as Laughton makes him, so this fatally weakens the story. On the other hand, she has little choice, having been ostracised by the British community who would like to see the back of her. The mysterious suicide of her husband has forced her to earn a living singing in shady bars, so Laughton's proposal of marriage, coupled with his claim that he owns a great deal of land up river, offers a way out of her predicament. It's only when she arrives at his house-boat that she realises what she's got herself into, and seeks solace with some other, rather more pleasant, male members of the cast.

Laughton's Horace Prin has never been considered in the same breath as his Henry VIII, Captain Bligh, or Quasimodo. Even so, it is still probably worth seeing, if only as an example of his early Hollywood work.

...from Paramount Pictures and director Stuart Walker. Carole Lombard stars as Judith Denning, a nightclub singer with a sordid past stuck in a Third World country where the white governors don't want her around. She reluctantly agrees to marry Horace Prin (Charles Laughton), a rich but repellent owner of a Malaysian rubber plantation. Known as the "King of the River" , Prin runs things with an iron fist and a maniacal twinkle in his eye. It doesn't take long for Judith to regret her decision, what with the horrid weather and seething natives. She's also being chased by a pair of her husband's employees: handsome Army deserter David (Kent Taylor) and swaggering new overseer Ballister (Charles Bickford).

This plays like a mash-up of A Lady to Love and Island of Lost Souls. The filmmakers re-used the sets from the latter film, and Laughton gets to ham it up in a delightful way, with an exaggerated accent, peculiar manners, and silly haircut and mustache. Lombard looks terrific, but she doesn't have much to do other than excite the guys in the cast while looking sad. Bickford doesn't show up until later in the movie, but he's worth it with his macho, no BS characterization clashing wonderfully with Laughton's sadistic weirdo. Like most exotic locale movies of the era, this one is more than a little racist, and the bungled depiction of the natives adds to the movie's bizarre "charm".

Given the title and the basic premise one unfortunately expects it, but there is nonetheless definite racism that pervades 'White woman,' with further colonialist overtones on top. True, for the most part these constitute an element of the setting, and background for the plot, more than an active part of the story - and at that, to an extent it's written into the nature of the antagonist. Still, like the exposition's treatment of Judith that is borne equally from sexism and a classist sense of propriety - a catalyst for the plot - and an instance of animal cruelty, it's a harsh touch that one must recognize before getting to the heart of the feature. Moreover, in the last act, the racial and cultural prejudice woven into the writing becomes still more prominent, enhancing the distasteful flavors of the whole. Though in a different way, I'm reminded of the 1934 Faye Wray horror vehicle 'Black Moon' - a title that had strong potential, and carried much value, but was substantially weighed down by the abject bigotries on display in the very fabric of the plot. There's a lot to like here, to be sure, but the counterbalance is deeply regrettable.

That's the bad news, and to some degree it distracts from the facets to be praised. The good news is that the core is otherwise very strong. The screenplay is wonderfully engaging in relating the story of desperate individuals struggling in one way or another against the manipulative figure that lords over all around him. The broad strokes of the narrative are compelling and satisfying, as is the scene writing that comes across as ably dynamic and charged. Characters show depth and complexity, and the dialogue is alternatingly rich and biting. Moreover, looking to those details that round out the picture, I appreciate the attention to costume design, hair and makeup, and set design and decoration. I think Stuart Walker demonstrates a capable hand as director in arranging shots and scenes, and there's some fine use of lighting here, as well.

Very importantly, the cast rather impresses. Even as they're given fairly high billing, Kent Taylor and Charles Bickford find themselves in supporting roles as David and Ballister only slightly larger than that of Percy Kilbride as Jakey - yet all illustrate a certain poise and strength of personality in their comportment that works wonders to help build the whole. Carole Lombard, comedic genius that she was, takes a turn in a purely dramatic part in 'White woman' as Judith. It seems clear that she was best suited to comedy - but also that she was not to be counted out in straight roles, as she exhibits a refined subtlety to her acting, and measured forcefulness befitting the put-upon lead character.

As much as I love Lombard, however, it's Charles Laughton who most catches my eye in this picture, admittedly at least in part just because Horace H. Prin is so distinct from the other figures in the story. Prin is boastful and grandstanding as he wields power and holds secrets over those in his circle, but is at heart both cowardly with a wide ranging nervous energy. Laughton is an absolute joy to watch as he navigates the intricacies of Prin's huge personality with gratifying range, physicality, and otherwise traits exceeding those even of Lombard and the other costars. Solidly made as 'White woman' is in its craft, so much of the feature's strength lies in the broad strokes of the writing and in the acting, and Laughton is the linchpin of it all.

This film walks a very, very fine line between what is appropriate for the story on hand, and what is shameful (and all too typical of early cinema especially, but also Hollywood in general). The way that native people are depicted and spoken of in the screenplay is sufficiently dubious to detract from the overall worth. At the same time, though, the unnamed tribes in the surrounding jungle are presented not as villains, but as victims likewise subject to Prin's dealings, and who in the end contribute to the provision of a very satisfying ending. This aspect by no means absolves the feature of the prejudice it dallies with, but is an improvement relative to other titles. Case in point - I had mentioned 'Black Moon' only as a point of comparison in noting the racism prevalent in 'White woman,' and it's worthwhile to draw upon that comparison once more. In 'Black Moon' the current of racism is emphatically just as strong as any of the flick's advantages; in 'White woman' the place of similar bias in the story shifts the balance toward a slightly more even-handed approach. It's far from perfect, and frankly a content warning should be appended in this instance, but I understand the tack 'White woman' was ideally taking - only, the writers lacked the tact to complete the image as it should have been.

I would not for one moment begrudge anyone who watches this movie and adopts a harsher, more critical stance than I have. For all that it does well, there's no getting around handling of cultural and racial prejudice that is shaky at best. I'm inclined to think, though, that there's just enough nuance in the role that the indigenous people play in the plot to place a higher cap on one's assessment than we may for another movie with similar issues. With one big caveat in mind, in its entirety I think 'White woman' rises above the worst of its unseemliness to be an enjoyable, noteworthy drama - just perhaps not as essential a viewing experience as it could have been.

In between that glittering array of memorable roles Charles Laughton created like Henry VIII, Doctor Moreau. Moulton Barrett, Emperor Nero, Inspector Javert, and Captain Bligh is nestled in his credits White Woman. It will never make the top ten of any list of Charles Laughton's greatest films.

Nor will Carole Lombard or Charles Bickford's fans be really pleased with this film. It's a jungle melodrama about a western woman whose husband committed suicide. The whispers about the reason and the scandal attached therein has left Lombard doing the only thing she can for a living, singing in a native café. The respectable white folks don't want to go near here.

Except Charles Laughton who doesn't really worry about respectability. He's Horace Prin, formerly of London and self-styled 'King of the River' on his south sea island. It's the only place where this cockney from the slums can feel like a king.

And the chance for a beautiful trophy wife like Lombard isn't going to slip through Laughton's fingers. When she gets to his jungle retreat, Lombard finds distractions in Kent Taylor and Charles Bickford. She also learns what a monster she's married to.

I'm sure Charles Laughton who was getting one great role after another at this point in his career knew very well this one did not rank up with the ones I mentioned before. Still he was under contract to Paramount and when you're in a turkey, gobble incessantly.

Which Laughton does in an overacted performance to beat the band. But in his place he could do little else, but have some fun and collect a paycheck. The story is dumb, the other players look embarrassed, but Mr. Laughton is having one great old time.

He's the only reason to watch this jungle turkey.

They don't make them like this anymore. A lurid jungle picture with a fallen woman (the gorgeous LOMBARD)forced to sing in an interracial cafe after her husband commits suicide. No one in the African jungle British community wants anything to do with her. The British are there tearing up the jungle for the rubber plants and building huge rubber plantations. Rumor is her husband killed himself over her cheating ways. She's miserable and salvation comes along in the guise of Charles Laughton playing Horace Prin, the "King Of The River" - he's the richest rubber plantation owner in the jungle and he likes what he sees in Lombard. They marry, she's now rich but she's nothing more than one thing he owns and she begins to realize that he is obsessively jealous and insane and cruel. Laughton is amazing. A brilliant actor (from Witness For The Prosecution, Advise & Consent, Mutiny On The Bounty) who is capable of hamming it up for the sake of ham (Island Of Lost Souls, un-released Caligula)this is the hammiest performance I've ever seen but it is also so entertaining. He has a field day destroying any worker who dares to look at his new bride. What a hoot!!!

After the suicide of her husband, down on her luck "Denning" (Carole Lombard) finds herself reduced to singing in a remote club where she espies a chance to escape the drudgery by marrying the "King of the River" - "Prin" (Charles Laughton). He's an outwardly charming fellow, but when she gets to his converted boat many days into the Malay jungle, she discovers he's a bit of a sadistic brute who rules his lucrative rubber planation ruthlessly. Her arrival sets the cat amongst the pigeons and sows a bit of dissent amongst his team causing temperatures to rise and tempers to flare - and that's before the arrival of the plain-speaking "Ballister" (Charles Bickford) who decides that this reign of terror must be stopped. How, though? "Prim" is well prepared and the natives are either terrified or armed only with spears against his guns. I'm an huge fan of Laughton but his role here seems a little too faux-cockney, vaudevillian and reminiscent of his performance from "The Private Lives of Henry VIII" also made in 1933 - especially when he is chewing to camera! Lombard is also out of sorts, a bit - her character has a stiltedness that even the romantic tryst scenario can't really enliven. It had potential, the story is good and the cast were all there - but Stuart Walker can't quite get this adventure firing on all cylinders.

A nightclub singer marries the rich owner of a rubber plantation. When she returns with him to his estate in Malaysia, she finds out that he is cruel, vicious and insanely jealous. She and the plantation's overseer develop a mutual attraction, but are terrified at what will happen if her husband finds out.

A slow moving film that is clearly done in the studio. Carole Lombard is way miscast in her role, unfortunately.

The movie is only interesting to watch Charles Laughton who is fascinating as the weird lord of the jungle!.

You're going to have to get past the title of this movie. Carole Lombard plays the title character. She's a singer in a Malaysian nightclub, and since at that time it was pretty scandalous for a white woman to hang around "natives", the other white people look down on her. Also, her first husband committed suicide, so Carole has quite a bit of stigma attached to her. Before she's "run out of town on a rail"-in the words of Lionel Barrymore in It's a Wonderful Life-wealthy plantation owner Charles Laughton proposes marriage.

If you're familiar with Jean Harlow's films, you'll enjoy White Woman ten-fold. After only reading the above paragraph, I'm sure you're picturing Jean's character from Reckless. Then, when Carole marries Charles and relocates to his rubber factory, you'll be reminded of Jean's film from 1932: Red Dust. White Woman is so obviously Paramount's answer to Jean Harlow and Red Dust, it's mind-boggling. I've seen Carole Lombard in her classic screwball comedies, and she's completely different in this romantic drama. She looks like Jean Harlow, she speaks like Jean Harlow, she holds her shoulders like Jean Harlow-it's as if director Stuart Walker told her, "We've got to take the attention away from MGM. Be Jean Harlow's clone." In her imitation of Jean, Carole's performance is excellent. She comes across as a beautiful, serious dramatic actress, which is not how her career is usually remembered.

Charles Laughton plays the cuckolded husband, and his Cockney persona is very entertaining to watch. In a way, he plays a very obsessive character, obsessed with cruel pranks. As Charles Bickford got third billing, I thought Carole would fall in love with him, but he's crude and coarse, and she prefers the gentle romance of Kent Taylor. Charles Bickford's blatantly sexual dialogue is very funny and shocking for the time period, so if you get a kick out of pre-Code nasty films, you'll want to watch this one. Also, there's quite a bit of violence in the story, which, had it been made one or two years later, wouldn't have been allowed. The violence is chilling and graphic, yet another reason to appreciate this uncensored old flick.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, since there's an upsetting scene involving an animal, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

WHITE WOMAN (Paramount, 1933), directed by Stuart Walker, is a largely forgotten melodrama marking the unlikely pairing of Carole Lombard and Charles Laughton. Following the pattern of related isolated island themes as Dorothy MacKaill's SAFE IN HELL (First National, 1931); Virginia Bruce on KONGO (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) or even Charles Laughton's earlier horror screen adaption of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (Paramount, 1933), WHITE WOMAN stands out on its own merits taken from the play "The Hangman's Whip" by Norman Reilly Raine and Frank Butler, and made more interesting for its star players than its story.

The plot introduces Judith Denning (Carole Lombard), a cafe singer in a native cafe who receives a letter from C. M. Chisholm (Claude King), a law officer, that she is to be deported. Because of a scandal involving the suicide of her planter working husband, it is Chisholm's wife (Ethel Griffies) who really demands she leave. Fired from her job and no place else to go, Judith encounters Horace H. Prin (Charles Laughton), an Britisher merchant who holds a monopoly on trade on the islands of Malaya. He takes an interest in her beauty regardless of her snubbing him. Having been deported before from other islands, Judith accepts Prin's security of marriage and leaves with him on a ten-day journey to his island of exile. Arriving on his plantation, Judith meets his workers who happen to be criminals working in slave labor: Hambley (James Bell), a forger; Fenton (Charles Middleton), a murderer; Connors (Marc Lawrence), a drug dealer, and Jakey (Percy Kilbride), a close to being bank robber with his pet monkey, Duke, as his companion. Being the first white woman he's seen in ten years, David Von Elst (Kent Taylor), a regiment deserter who has spent ten years under Prin, becomes interested in her. Though Prin is insanely jealous, he knows leaving his island would be totally impossible without meeting death by spear throwing natives and crocodile attacks. Judith's life becomes virtually impossible living with the arrival of Ballister (Charles Bickford), an American having served time on the chain gang hired as Prin's new assistant.

Following Laughton's Academy Award winning performance in THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (1933), Laughton plays another king, sort of, that as "king of the river," addressing his wife (Lombard) as "his ladyship." Aside from Laughton's physical appearance of a cockney Britisher with droopy mustache, WHITE WOMAN showcases a rarely seen Lombard doing some vocalization of "A Gentleman and a Scholar" and "Yes, My Dear" by Harry Revel and Mack Gordon. She also benefits the title role dressed mostly in white clothes. Laughton and Lombard would reteam again in THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED (RKO Radio, 1940), but like WHITE WOMAN, are both seldom seen and largely forgotten. Charles Bickford, billed third in the cast, coming 38 minutes into this 68-minute production, adds that certain spark of attention upon his late arrival.

Although WHITE WOMAN is no great masterpiece, Paramount redid it again as ISLAND OF LOST MEN (1939) starring Anna May Wong, J. Carrol Naish and Broderick Crawford. Interestingly both films had been out of television circulation since the early 1970s, and to date have never seen distributed either on video cassette or cable television. Because of either the Laughton or Lombard or both did WHITE WOMAN finally get is DVD due in 2015, which for now happens to be the only way to view this very rare find. (**1/2)

Sensibilities have changed in 90 years that it's difficult to get into the swim with "White Woman", a well-shot and acted Paramount feature rooted in Colonialism but saved by the usual tour de force performance by Charles Laughton. It's hard to imagine another actor in his role.

Opening reel seems to be a familiar tale of prejudice and ostracism: star Carole Lombard looking fabulous and even singing (direct sound) a couple of torch songs as a cafe singer down on her luck in some Far East British colony (likely set in Straits Settlements). Her husband committed suicide, and folks look down on her working in a cafe frequented by locals.

But soon she's married Laughton, self-proclaimed King of the RIver, who from humble beginnings has bought up most of the island. With a unique walrus moustache, he's a very odd fellow, full of sarcasm and even some self-deprecatory humor as he lords it over all and sundry. A couple fo studs understandably lust after Lombard, with the sjurprise of Charles Bickford, young and overconfident, even taking a shower and having an unlikely beefcake role.

When Laughton literally spits in the faces of a couple of higher-rank natives, things look glum for the white folks, as a rebellion begins. Chuck has a couple of impressive machine guns with plenty of ammo for just such an occasion, but he's thwarted byt the white guys he keeps under his thumb working for him, leading to a truly memorable climax, in which violence is tastefully delivered off-screen.

Set in British colonial Malaysia. Judith Denning (Carole Lombard) is a widow who sings for natives in a bar to make ends meet. Her husband killed himself maybe because of her infidelities.

Horace Prin (Charles Laughton) is an uncouth rubber plantation owner, the self styled 'King of the River' who is smitten by Denning's beauty. He offers to marry her, for Denning it is a way out of her fallen status.

Prin's jungle plantation has non native workers who all have something to hide. Prin shows himself to be cruel and callous. Denning falls for the plantation overseer which makes her new husband jealous. Another worker also takes a shine to her.

Lombard might look beautiful but her acting is flat and anodyne. Laughton hams it up royally, he even shoots a cheeky chimpanzee in one scene.

As for the natives, Hollywood seemed to have rounded up all sorts to play them as cliches. There is a murderous bunch who turn up at the end looking for the scriptwriter.

The story is dumb, thankfully the film is short.

It just gets better and better and better as it goes on. It's as close to perfection as I've ever seen: emotional engaging, thoroughly entertaining, exciting and shocking but with a huge massive streak of black humour peppered throughout.

It's one of those films about attitudes, old sexist attitudes which make you go grrrr. You're drawn into the story straight away. Within the first five minutes, the scene is set: the stuffy governor and his wife, who are more than happy to befriend a lascivious old lech, genuinely find it totally abhorrent and disgusting that sultry and sophisticated Carole Lombard is allowed to live on the same island now that her husband killed himself leaving her unmarried - a beautiful unmarried woman, how disgraceful!

So you think you're going to get a good pulling-at-your-heartstrings Carole Lombard film.......think again because in comes Charles Laughton like a hurricane in what I think is his most hilarious role ever. He's fantastic: he's Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd blended into one. There's some outrageous gay cockney humour which I imagine would have had English audiences wetting themselves whereas confused 1930s Americans wouldn't have a clue what he was doing.

Escaping that horrible prejudiced judgmental society, Miss Lombard "marries" Charles Laughton's old lech and off she goes to his "Colonel Kurtz-like domaine. As in SAFE IN HELL or RAIN, isolated from the real world in a virtual fantasy kingdom, logic and reason and acceptable behaviour are tossed out of the window. Here the rules of normal life don't exist, here normal life don't exist.

The King of this kingdom is Horace Prim played with fabulosa campness by Charles Laughton. Along with his gang of reprobates he has a beautiful blend of people with him: Carole Lombard becoming increasingly sensual as the minutes progress, Kent Taylor getting it on with his boss's wife and Charles Bickford (whom I've never heard of) as an absurdly cocky American. Although what's happening around them is death, murder and mental cruelty, this bunch of misfits behave just like a bunch of mates constantly taking the p' out of each other. That such behaviour can result in one of them killing the other doesn't seem at all important in this dream world. The final scene reminds me of CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER.

The direction by Stuart Walker is as good as any of his more famous contemporaries. This is one of those films you might never have heard of but when you find it you'll be so chuffed you did.

Charles Laughton stars with Carole Lombard, Kent Taylor, Charles Bickford, and Percy Kilbride in "White Woman" from 1933.

In British-owned Malaya, Lombard plays Judith Denning who works playing piano and singing in a sleazy nightclub. After her husband committed suicide (rumored to be because she cheated on him) she became an outcast; in fact, the owner of the club wants to fire her and deport her.

A river trader and rubber plantation owner, Horace Prin, enters the club. He takes an immediate shine to Lombard, and offers her a way out of her predicament. Marry him, and she'll move onto the plantation. Now, under normal circumstances, Judith might have laughed in his face, but this is a way out, and she grabs onto it.

Once she gets to his plantation, she learns he is a cruel, jealous man who gives bad rice to the natives. All the people who work for him had to leave their country because of some crime or another. When one of them leaves, Prin promises him he will never make it down the river. That's because the natives have orders from Prin to kill him. J

Judith soon takes up with Prin's manager, Taylor, and later meets the tough Ballister who comes to work for Prin and takes no guff from him.

Charles Laughton is one of the greatest actors ever on screen, but I guess either he had contempt for Paramount, the script, the director, or maybe all three. Using a Cockney accent, he hams it up outrageously, winking, making faces, pursing his lips. The character wasn't repulsive enough!

Very dated. The jungle set, the natives, the drums - it's all there, and it's a good atmosphere where you can feel the heat. I can't say if it's worth seeing or not. I suppose it's such a rare bad performance from Laughton, Lombard had such a short career, and Bickford is so young, it's worth a look.

When I saw the title "White Woman," negative thoughts came to my head. I pictured a racially white woman among a sea of non-white people and she is the most beautiful, kindest, smartest person while all of the darker people pale in comparison to her.

I wasn't too far off the mark. The white woman in this case was Judith Denning (Carole Lombard), and she was the ONLY white woman. She was akin to Joan Crawford in "Rain," Dorothy Mackaill in "Safe in Hell," Marlene Dietrich in "Shanghai Express," or Kay Francis in "Mandalay." Judith was in an Asian country where rubber was manufactured under the brutal dictates of Europeans. Of course, we didn't see THAT side of the story. We just saw "natives" singing and dancing as though they enjoyed planting, harvesting, collecting, and processing rubber for the rest of the world.

Judith hooked up with an unsightly and crass fellow named Horace Prin (Charles Laughton), the self proclaimed king of the river. Judith married Horace out of necessity. She was being forced out of her current location and needed a place to go. They went up river to an area of jungle that "belonged to" Prin. We got an unabashed look at the mindset of Europeans who carved up and claimed land that didn't belong to them.

Prin operated in the anonymous jungle like a dictator. He cheated the indigenous people when he traded with them, he ordered people killed, and he sat around being served by the subjugated indigenous people. He was an ugly character; a type of character Charles Laughton was familiar with playing (see "Devil and the Deep" and "Island of Lost Souls").

Judith was naturally going to be the object of desire for the white men working for Prin. The eventual love interest, David von Elst (Kent Taylor), commented that Judith was the first white woman he'd seen in ten years. It was only a matter of time before things like forbidden desire, jealousy, and other nasty traits were going to rear their heads.

I was looking right past the obvious plot for things more hidden. I don't care to see the trials of white people on foreign soil. It's like a slap in the face.

"Hey, let's put some nice white people on foreign land and show how barbaric the natives are."

It's reprehensible. And even though Prin was by far the most barbaric person in the entire jungle, for sure there were some good white folks there just to maintain the status quo.

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Charles Laughton was an incredible actor...one of the best of his generation. That being said, it's amazing to watch "White Woman" because, for once, he's not on the top of his game...in fact, he's pretty terrible. Much of it is because his character and motivations were just difficult to understand...and perhaps he just had trouble understanding the man.

The summary on IMDB makes it sound like the movie is a romance or has strong romantic elements. Well, this is not the case...it's not about romance at all but about a sadistic jerk who eventually overplays his hand.

The story is set in some land whose location is confusing. You see guys with blowguns (which is very South American) and chimps (which is very African) and I cannot recall the movie saying where it's supposed to be located. All I can say is that it's in the jungle in some godforesaken land...a jungle surrounded by hostile natives who are under the control of a sadist. It seems that Horace (Laughton) uses the tribes to kill anyone who tries to escape the plantation he's built. But then he makes the mistake of mistreating these natives...a HUGE mistake in hindsight.

As for Carole Lombard, she plays Horace's new wife...and she's horrified at Horace and his brutal ways. And she's essentially told to accept him and the situation or else!

So is this film good? No...not really. But in a bizarre pre-code way it does keep your attention! Some poor performances, a strange script and an amazingly sluggish pacing keep this from being a good film...but it IS memorable!

I deducted 6 stars due to the Butt Ugly nature of the men Carol Lombard has to choose from, and this reminded me of plenty of 70's era Italian movies which were ripe with gorgeous women and loaded with male co-stars bereft of any tangible reason for these women to give them the time of day.

Add in the typical misogynist nature of old white men lead Hollyweird, with a healthy dose of Racism, and anyone who doesn't have their collective heads in the sand would clearly see why my rating is right where it belongs.

But this is to be expected from the likes of those who fail to learn the true history of colonialism, or in most cases sugar coat, whitewash/whitesplain it in a manner as not to oppose white supremacy.

So here we have yet another exploitation film and not a good one at that.

I love pre-code Hollywood and Carole Lombard is a stunningly wonderful actress. Charles Laughton is seriously overacting this part even for a "B" movie melodrama of this era although he did make this villain thoroughly unlikable. I really wanted to care, but just didn't find it anywhere in this film. It's important to note that there was something about the play upon which this film is based (and re-made over and over again), "The Hangman's Whip" 1933 which played for one month in New York at the St James Theatre, that seemed to entrance Paramount, maybe because they got it real cheap. To see a story like this done properly, Marlene Dietrich directed by Tay Garnett and with a young and handsome John Wayne in Seven Sinners (1940) is the height of this genre.