Product Details

• Actors: Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Gene Raymond, Mary Astor, Donald Crisp
• Directors: Victor Fleming
• Writers: Donald Ogden Stewart, John Lee Mahin, Wilson Collison
• Producers: Hunt Stromberg, Irving Thalberg
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: June 30, 1994
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301978390
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,173 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Red Dust is the second of six movies Clark Gable and Jean Harlow made together. As usual, he plays a rugged man's man whose devilishly sexy good looks and deep-rooted gallantry make him irresistible to women; she, a tough, no-nonsense broad with a smart mouth, champagne hair, a body that won't quit, and a heart of mush. Their presence elevates this otherwise melodramatic soaper to the rank of classic. Directed by Victor Fleming (who, at Gable's insistence, took over the direction of Gone With the Wind from George Cukor), it definitely bears Fleming's macho mark.

Dennis Carson (Gable) runs a Southeast Asian rubber plantation. Vantine, a "woman of easy virtue" (Harlow), drifts into camp looking for a place to evade the law. One look at Dennis and she falls, hard. Her incessant chatter drives him nuts--and out of sheer impudence she insists on calling him "Fred"--but she finally wears him down. "You talk too much, but you're a cute little trick at that," he grins, pulling her onto his lap as the camera cuts away...

Then Dennis falls for Babs Willis (Mary Astor), the genteel wife of visiting surveyor Gary Willis (Gene Raymond). (The couple arrives at the dangerous, ramshackle camp with tennis rackets.) Babs can't help but succumb to Dennis's raw masculine power. Come the monsoons, he carries her in out of the rain. Their ensuing first kiss is one hot movie moment--and her a married woman! Of course this can't last: Gable and Harlow have to end up together. Dennis takes pity on Gary and abandons his plan to run away with Babs. "I've been noble," he tells Vantine, taking her in his arms. "Well, it's about time!" she replies. --Laura Mirsky

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PRE-CODE DELIGHT, August 9, 2001

By 

"scotsladdie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Dust [VHS] (VHS Tape)

RED DUST has become a classic primarily because of the romantic teaming of Gable and Harlow in roles perfectly suited to his virile charm and her unique brand of earthy humour. The sexy team generated a lot of chemistry between them and the public was enthralled! Dennis Carson (Clark) manages a rubber plantation in Indochina. Vantine (Jean) is a shrewd, wisecracking blonde tart with a heart of gold who shows up unexpectedly and her sardonic wit is rampant throughout the film. Gable as the stalwart plantation overseer further solidified his reputation as a romantic leading man - but it's Harlow's portrayal of Vantine which really lingers in the memory. Shrewd, brassy, honest and sensuous, she is the quintessential tart with a golden heart; this is one of her prime roles. Mary Astor does okay in her role as the lady-like Barbara whereas Gene Raymond's interpretation of her husband verges on being trite as he hero worships Gable (until the conclusion). The Chinese houseboy would not be seen in todays films but Donald Crisp and Tully Marshall are fine as the guys who share their quarters with Dennis. Victor Fleming, who had persuaded a reluctant Gable to accept the role of Dennis skillfully directed the film with a primary emphasis on characterisation and atmosphere - the result is a movie which broke box office records in 1932 and remains unforgettable today.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gable and Harlow electrify the screen, November 4, 2002

By 

Simon Davis (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Dust [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Red Dust" is a classic early 1930's drama filled with plenty of steamy sexual tension and barbed dialogue that would never have got by the censors later in that decade. The film at first glance really doesn't look like a typical MGM product what with its depiction of a seemy side of life not commonly associated with Metro products. Indeed it has an almost modern feel to some of the exchanges between the leading players and the situations it depicts...I strongly recommend "Red Dust" to you as a terrific tale of lust and passion,... pre code style. It is first and foremost an unforgettable Gable/Harlow teaming where you get to see the types of characters for which both are best known vividly acted out. Both made great films with other perfomers in the future but to see first hand what made the Gable/Harlow combination such magic on screen you need go no further than the classic "Red Dust".

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harlow steals the show!, August 25, 2003

By 

CC (Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red Dust [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As a diehard fan of Clark Gable I rented this movie for him and came out of it completely under the spell of Jean Harlow. Who cares what their personal lives were like, does it really matter? No, when they're on the screen together everything else just disappears. While some actresses seem to shrink in the presence of legends like Gable, Harlow actually steals scenes from him. Her tough talking Vantine is the one you're rooting for from the beginning. And when she's not on the screen the story gets a bit sappy and diluted. But as always she returns to save the day (and the picture) with her wise-cracking unapologetic manner. Hooray for Harlow and Gable! Whatever genius got them together on the screen did film fans everywhere a favor!