There are a few films that simply defy description. In the early days of sound, every movie seemed to be an experiment of some type. Some have held up quite well, but most are only of interest to historians and buffs. A few are simply unbelievable. Golden Dawn, for example, leaves audiences totally speechless (that Oscar Hammerstein II contributed to this disaster is fascinating).For many years, the three MGM films that Cecil B. DeMille were rarely seen nor discussed. When they were finally unearthed, "Dynamite" turned out to be rather good, particularly since it had great performances by Charles Bickford and Kay Johnson. "The Squaw Man" has its champions, but not many; it was clearly a hand-me-down from a different era. It was DeMille's second MGM film that is remembered more than the other two. As other reviews state, it is one of the strangest movies made by any director. The fact that it was made by DeMille makes it truly a cult item.First of all, what made DeMille think that a movie about infidelity among the rich would bring in audiences in the first wave of the depression? Clearly this was supposed to be a drawing-room comedy that had a lot of music and singing. The script is woefully unfunny and dated even for 1930, with everyone trying too hard (Roland Young and Reginald Denny are just plain embarrassing). Johnson was a good actress, but I can't imagine any actress of the time pulling off this role. Modern day audiences scream with laughter when the first song is sung by Johnson's maid, as it comes from out of nowhere, and then Johnson 'talks' the rest of the song. Lillian Roth does the best she can, and actually adds some energy to a rather staid first-half. This first sequence is long and ultimately boring, being neither funny nor ultimately interesting.The second half is the party sequence on the zeppelin, something only DeMille could come up with. It's a pity that this was not released in color, as the costumes and overall set design are impressive even in black and white. This sequence is spectacular, surreal and beyond indulgent, and once again, depression audiences could not have taken comfort in the sheer waste of money that certainly shows on the screen. I would love to have seen Louis B. Mayer's face after seeing this movie.This is certainly worth a look once.

.....and as Lillian points to the Abe Lyman Band for a sweet and hot rendition of "Low Down", along comes Kay Johnson in a very slinky gown and pseudo Russian accent and because she is Madam Satan and because "Madam Satan" is the title of the movie everyone falls worshipping at her feet!!! Of course if it was real life Lillian would have bought the house down!!!With tighter editing Kay Johnson, as the wife left out in the cold by her philandering husband, would have evoked more sympathy but the first half of the film really dragged as Angela drooped along, feeding the canary, sitting at the organ, taking advice from her with it maid as to the best way of keeping a husband happy. And with peppy Lillian Roth as Trixie - can you blame Bob (Reginald Denny) for straying!! She is introduced as Bob's snappy mistress and after a little pre-code banter - "I can't think with all that noise - Can you without it?", "Is poppa too weak to travel? - No but his wife's too strong to let him"!!! - they go into a hot and jazzy song and dance - "Low Down", where Trixie, in a cute rehearsal outfit, struts her stuff with a top hat and cane!! After this comes bedroom antics when Angela just pops in to visit with Jimmy's (Roland Young) new wife (he has said that Trixie is his wife) and there is a lot of hiding under the beds, doors opening and closing and at the end Trixie climbs out of the window!!The last half of the movie is devoted to a jazz age party held in a floating zeppelin. There is a "Girl Auction" where Trixie is the centre of attention. Since when did Lillian Roth not look like a million dollars??? - here she looks like a dream in a mass of feathers as she floats down the stairs (she is dressed as Miss Golden Pheasant). Aha! - here comes Madam Satan and Trixie's popularity comes to an end!!! Before the zeppelin bursts into flames (well it is a Cecil B. DeMille movie), there is an amazingly modern "Ballet Mechanique" choreographed by Theodore Kosloff who just appears out of thin air as the Spirit of Electricity. The sets, by Cedric Gibbons and Mitchell Leisen, were just astonishing, even when the zeppelin is a fireball, everyone is just grabbing parachutes and jumping into the sky. Trixie is in luck, she lands in a steam room in a men's Turkish bath, just as someone comments that this is one place where a woman will never find you.Don't be too hard on Kay Johnson, she had her moments in "American Madness" and "Of Human Bondage" where she could be a devoted wife or a sacrificing mistress and she didn't have to compete with Lillian Roth.As Photoplay said in it's review "Don't Try to Believe It"!!!

While this movie leaves a lot to be desired in the plot department, the costumes more than make up for it for any viewers interested in costume design, or 1930's fashion in general. Basically, the plot goes like this: a playboy husband (Bob) thinks his virtuous, classy wife (Angela- get it?) is "frigid," so he leaves her for saucy girlfriend Trixie. Determined to get her husband back, Angela attends an elaborate costume party held on a blimp, disguised as the incredible Madam Satan, a totally sexy mystery woman. Bob falls in love with her all over again even though he doesn't realize her true identity, just as the blimp is damaged and going to crash. Marital problems solved, and they jump to safety in parachutes. The special effects of people jumping to safety are totally cool, in a similar way to the 1933 King Kong's. It's totally worth sitting through the turgid plot for the classic Cecil B. DeMille scene at the costume party, and the amazing costumes were done by a young Adrian, the best Hollywood designer of all time, who also costumed The Wizard of Oz, The Women, Dinner at 8, and many other famous movies for silver screen goddesses like Crawford, Harlow, Garbo, and Norma Shearer.

MADAM Satan (MGM, 1930), directed by Cecil B. DeMille, marked the famed director's second of three features under the MGM banner, and one of his most unusual, or in the most common terms, bizarre. In spite of it not becoming a box office success in its initial release, MADAM Satan needs to be seen a few times in order to get the full concept of the continuity. Once getting through some dull stretches taking place during its initial 50 minutes, the movie delivers during its final portion to this 115 minute production with its one of the most oddest costume parties and inane production numbers ever captured on film. The plot, which could very well be THE GUARDSMAN (1931, with Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne) or THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (1941, with Nelson Eddy and Rise Stevens, which in turn is based on "The Guardsman") in reverse, focuses on Angela (Kay Johnson), a boring but cultured New York City society woman married to the prominent but fun loving Bob Brooks (Reginald Denny). Her casual evening at home stirs some excitement after reading in a newspaper that she, along with Bob and his best friend, Jim Wade (Roland Young) were taken to night court for speeding. Wanting to learn more about what her husband has been doing, and who the woman masquerading as her husband's wife is, Angela's suspicions are soon realized when she finds a calling card in Bob's pocket signed by a Trixie. Feeling her marriage dissolved because of Bob's lack of interest in her, Angela decides to follow the advice of Martha, her maid (Elsa Peterson) to go out and recapture her own husband by fascinating him. During Jim Wade's elaborate costume party, which takes place in a gigantic airship, Angela enters the social scene disguised as the masked woman who calls herself "Madam Satan." Categorized as a musical, the production numbers set during the masquerade party are of more interest than the songs that accompany them. With the music and lyrics credited to Clifford Grey, Herbert Stothart, Elsie Janis and Jack Grey, the songs featured include: "Live and Love Today" (sung by Elsa Peterson); "Low Down" (sung by Lillian Roth); "We're Going Somewhere" (sung by party guests as they enter dirigible); "The Cat Walk" (performed by guests); "Ballet Electrique" (performed by Theodore Kosloff as Electricity, surrounded by costumed dancers in an electrical ballet stimulating everything from spark plugs to lightning bolts); "What Am I Bid?/Auction Number" (recited by Roland Young); "Madame" (sung by Kay Johnson); "All I Know is You Are in My Arms" (sung and danced by Reginald Denny and Kay Johnson); "Low Down" (reprise by Lillian Roth, later sung by Kay Johnson); and "Madame" (reprise by Kay Johnson).Not the usual Cecil B. DeMillion dollar spectacle for which he is most famous, but like his better known Biblical epics, this modern-day story has enough costumes to go around, especially the ones worn at the masquerade party. After repeated viewing, MADAM Satan comes across like a typical Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery drawing room comedy or something directed by George Cukor. At other times it leaves to the imagination of an Ernst Lubitsch sex comedy, but nearly fails on all counts. What saves this from becoming a total disaster is the oddball costume party. Without seeing his name on the credits, it would be hard to imagine MADAM Satan directed by DeMille, best known for religious epics, but it should be known that DeMille did specialized in this sort of comedy in the silent era with those starring Gloria Swanson, some years before director Ernst Lubitsch set the standard. MADAM Satan might have succeeded had the story been shortened and vocalizing dubbed for Kay Johnson. Because Johnson at times resembles or plays like a slightly mature Irene Dunne, a movie like MADAM SATIN would have called for the likeness of Dunne, both actress and singer, then under contract to RKO Radio. Lillian Roth's performance as the fun-loving other woman does spark some life into her character, which is no different from the roles she performed at her home lot of Paramount at the time. On the whole, the one who comes off best and memorably in MADAM Satan is Roland Young as Jim, who assumes some of the film's witty one liners (Tyler Brooke: "I've never repented a sin," Young: "I've never repeated one,") and funnier actions. First to try to pass off Trixie (Roth) as his wife to Angela, who knows her husband's friend is only making the pretense to cover up for her husband's infidelity. The pretense reaches an amusing climax when Jim has to undress and get in bed with "his wife," with Angela's constant intrusions. Following the airship disaster where all the party guests must parachute from the dirigible, all landing around Central Park ranging from inside a convertible with another couple smooching in the front seat to the reservoir. As for Young's character, he lands on a tree branch inside a lion's cage in the zoo. Below he watches the lions roaring up at him. He then observes a sign that reads when the next feeding time is for the lions will be. He then slowly looks at his watch. Regardless of slow pacing, the redeeming quality goes to Young, who even has the final closing rather than the leading players. MADAM Satan was distributed on video cassette in the 1990s, and can be seen occasionally during the late night hours on Turner Classic Movies. Movies dealing with wives putting their unsuspecting husbands to the test are usually fun to see, but while MADAM Satan might be categorized as one of the weakest of the lot, it does propose some redeeming qualities that make this one of the most unusual production by either or both DeMille and MGM. (**)