Why so much hype?

Very disappointed :(

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

not as good as all the hype

Flamingo Road (1949)A true Warner Bros ensemble effort with some familiar names from the time, including the star, Joan Crawford and the director, Michael Curtiz. There are even familiar sets (in style) and moments (including the splayed dead body of one actor who appeared splayed and dead in "Mildred Pierce," starring Crawford and directed by Curtiz, just a few years before.And all of this is good. Whatever the movie lacks in originality it makes up for in style and drama. It's high drama for sure, ranging from a traveling circus to a corrupt sheriff, including murder and gambling and cross loves, and sweeping through lots of great night and interior photography. It's a noir, more or less (the alienated lead character is a woman in this case, and not a soldier adjusting to civilian life), and it redeems sufficiently by the end. Look for lots of great bit actors and wonderful photography throughout.So why isn't this a great classic? Partly it's the story, which turns to well-used devices and characters all along. Partly it's actually the use of Sydney Greenstreet as the heavy—he's quirky and wonderful but not quite convincing as a terrible power- playing thug. Crawford is really at her usual best here (some scenes she really emotes, which isn't always her preference), and she holds up some scenes that are otherwise more routine. Curtiz, to be sure, is brilliant at creating rich scenes with a lot going on (picture the interior shots in "Casablanca" for example). He does that again here, and you can just watch this movie for its feeling. It isn't as dark or brooding a film noir as the best of them, and the villains here don't exude evil or dread the way the genre needs. But there is a steady tension and curiosity as events turn and turn.In the end, this is a "Mildred Pierce" wannabe, and it seems the studio and the director both knew that. So the story line lacks some clear momentum and the characters in general lack basic development. Watch for some pure Warner Bros pleasure—there is a lot here to just sit back and enjoy.

Joan Crawford plays a carnival dancer stranded in a small Southern town who begins a relationship with deputy sheriff Zachary Scott. But Sydney Greenstreet, playing a corrupt sheriff with political aspirations for Scott, doesn't care for this new relationship. So he drives Joan out of town on a trumped-up prostitution charge. She determines to get Greenstreet back and her first step in doing that is marrying political boss David Brian.Nice soaper with snappy dialogue and typically good Michael Curtiz direction. Max Steiner's music score is overwrought. Joan's great despite being a few years too old for the part. But that was fairly commonplace during this period where all the great female movie stars still acting were approaching middle age and still being cast in younger parts. It's a minor quibble of mine so don't let it dissuade you from trying this out. She is very good in this. Sydney Greenstreet is memorable as the evil Titus, despite what looks like obvious health issues. As twisted as it sounds, his poor health actually seems to add something to the performance. The often wooden Zachary Scott has one of his better roles as the weak-willed deputy sheriff being controlled by Greenstreet. Gladys George offers fine support. David Brian is OK but doesn't have much of a screen presence. He also has tepid chemistry with Crawford, who persuaded him to go from the stage to the screen with this film. He's not bad but perhaps a more dynamic actor in the part would have been better.

This is one of Joan Crawford's better movies because it is so entertaining. This movie has it all: drama, snappy dialogue, memorial characters. good guys and bad guys, excellent film noir cinematography, fluid continuity, and a wonderful ending. Most commanding is Sydney Greenstreet. He carries this movie; his performance is strong and surprisingly dynamic. Before Boss Hogg there was Boss Semple and in this movie the Boss is in charge until he gets his come-uppance. Joan Crawford gives a wonderful performance as the carnival worker who gets caught up in political corruption. Her scenes with Mr. Greenstreet are the highlights of the movie. The movie treats a number of compelling themes in a straightforward manner and without becoming melodramatic.

FLAMINGO ROAD begins with a carnival being run out of town. Tired of life on the road, Joan Crawford stays behind and tries to settle down in this town with the help of the town's deputy sheriff. However, the political boss (Sidney Greenstreet) can't stand Crawford since she's "from the other side of the tracks" and he has plans for the deputy to enter politics. Instead of just telling Crawford and trying to gain her friendship or understanding, he sets her up and sends her to a short stint in the work farm. When she gets out, Crawford is determined not to run but pay Greenstreet back sooner or later. However, Greenstreet is a very wicked and calculating man and spends much of the movie biding his time until the end of the film--where there is a dynamite confrontation between them.This film is a bit of an odd style, as in many ways it's like a trashy Soap Opera combined with Film Noir. The dialog is among the best I have heard and is very Noir-like--so many snappy comebacks and the dialog just crackles. And, fortunately, all the Soap elements are far less predictable than you'd think---as again and again, the characters did NOT do what you'd expect.The bottom line is that this is a quality production with exceptional acting, script and mood throughout. Provided you like older films, it's hard to imagine a person not liking this movie.