Flamingo Road

Released Apr 28, 1949

1h 34m

Drama

List

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

71%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Dancer Lane Bellamy (Joan Crawford) tours with a carnival, but is deserted in Boldon City when they flee to avoid their debts. Deputy Fielding Carlisle (Zachary Scott) arrives and, secretly smitten with her, helps Lane find employment as a waitress. However, scheming Sheriff Titus Semple's (Sydney Greenstreet) ambitious plans for Fielding to become a rep in the state legislature do not include his dating an itinerant woman, so he runs her out of town. Lane seeks revenge, but at what cost?

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Interesting casting and tough talk keep this one humming.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 26, 2023

Full Review

Elsa Branden

Photoplay

An amazing actress -- Joan Crawford. She lends lustre to every part she plays, she really makes the character live.

Rated: 2/3

Aug 20, 2021

Full Review

Moira Walsh

America Magazine

Since the heroine's character seemed no better than that of anyone else in the picture it is a little difficult to understand why an audience should care what happened.

Jul 15, 2021

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Germanic technique flourishes in Americana

Sep 6, 2009

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 14, 2005

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A cynical political melodrama.

Rated: B

Nov 6, 2004

Full Review

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Sarah C

It's just that I don't like Joan Crawford and her counterpart se I can't watch the movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

Steve D

Quite entertaining thanks to the great cast.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/24

Full Review

Andy F

A super melodrama, even though it's hard to see Joan Crawford as a siren!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/06/23

Full Review

stu b

Political shenanigans and corruption in a small Southern town. Joan Crawford--on the cusp of what was arguably her last great decade in film--stars as a dancer at a traveling carnival who falls for the local deputy sheriff, played by Zachary Scott. When his boss, Sydney Greenstreet (malevolent as always), learns of their relationship he chases Crawford out of town; he plans to groom his deputy for a seat in the U.S. Senate and doesn't want some dewy-eyed floozy getting in the way. Crawford and Scott are fine--as is David Brian, a rival mover-and-shaker also in love with Joan--but the whole thing is a bit too soapy, a tad too melodramatic. For Crawford fans only.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/17/21

Full Review

joe m

A tour de force of gritty, noir-ish drama somewhere in backwater America where there are two sides of the track - the right side on "Flamingo Road" and the wrong side where the carnival sets up! Spectacular performances from two of Hollywood's all time greats - Joan Crawford and - wait for it! - Sydney Greenstreet. Watching Greenstreet's performance, one can't help thinking of Burl Ives as Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and Orson Welles as Hank Quinlan in "Touch of Evil". Well, in "Flamingo Road" we've got Crawford as a tawdry carny and Greenstreet as a corrupt, corpulent sheriff. And from when they first see each other - the burn begins! Their venomous hatred will have brutal and deadly consequences. Yet, in the end, love will triumph! Just great!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

william d

Not a bad little melodrama, although Sidney Greenstreet is almost incomprehensible.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Michael Curtiz

Director

Joan Crawford

Lane Bellamy

Zachary Scott

Fielding Carlisle

Sydney Greenstreet

Sheriff Titus Semple

David Brian

Dan Reynolds

Gladys George

Lute Mae Sanders

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Synopsis

Dancer Lane Bellamy (Joan Crawford) tours with a carnival, but is deserted in Boldon City when they flee to avoid their debts. Deputy Fielding Carlisle (Zachary Scott) arrives and, secretly smitten with her, helps Lane find employment as a waitress. However, scheming Sheriff Titus Semple's (Sydney Greenstreet) ambitious plans for Fielding to become a rep in the state legislature do not include his dating an itinerant woman, so he runs her out of town. Lane seeks revenge, but at what cost?

Director: Michael Curtiz
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 28, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 34m

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