THE GOLDEN MISTRESS

Comments of Bob Corbett
March 2000

THE GOLDEN MISTRESS stars John Agar and Rosemarie Bowe from Hollywood. In addition it has these featured players from Haiti:

• Andre Narcisse
• Jacque Molant
• Andree Contant
• Pierre Blain
• Shilby Talamas
• Andre Germain
• Napoleon Bonard
• and the simply darling Ti-Roro.

It has simply astonishing footage from Haiti. In addition it features two spectacular long sequences by the National Folklore Theatre of Haiti.

Additionally in the credits is:

• Haitian Coordinator Edouard Cassagnol
• Costumes by Lucienne Cassagnol.
• Choreography is by Andre Nargisse.

The film is directly by Hollywood's Joel Judge and after that there is a special thanks, while the Haitian national anthem is playing which reads:

"Photographed in its entirety in the Caribbean through the generous cooperation of the Government of Haiti."

Okay, lets quickly forget the story. Beautiful Rosemarie Bowe, sort of a Marilyn Monroe type who hangs out of her clothes all the time, and macho John Agar are after some treasure of some disappeared tribe. It all involves Voodoo, of course.

But along the way:

• there is astonishing footage of Port-au-Prince.
• inside the Holy Trinity the murals are in the front of the church, but when the camera swings to the back the whole section of the organ loft had not yet been painted.
• the macho hero gets locked up in the National Penitentiary over on the street that leads to the cemetery, can't remember its name, and the place is filmed sort of like a "honor system" prison without locked cells!!! A bit of government propaganda along the way.
• the National Folklore theater of Haiti does two very long dance sequences.
  1. The first is quite authentic looking. It is a Voodoo dance for Dumballah. Beautifully danced, choreographed and with very authentic sounding music.
  2. The second piece is much less Haitian. It is this lost tribe doing some life and death trial dance, but it is quite splashy and colorful.
• The action shift to Sans Souci and here, I would presume filmed in 1952 or 53, San Souci is MUCH more spectacular than today, but quite authentic.
• Next they move up the hill to the Citadel, and quite authentic. I recognized parts of the trail in that they take, and they walk all around the Citadel looking for (and of course finding, which is a bit more surprising) the secrets to the lost treasure they are after.

All of this takes about an hour of the 82 minute film. After this they set off for some other Island, which may well be another part of Haiti, but I don't know. However, this part of the film is nature time and there cute monkeys and a zillion coloful birds including toucans and others.

The film ends with the treasure lost, but the real treasure found since macho boy gets girl falling out of clothes.

Some really exciting full color, well-filmed footage of Haiti!

Please, I have no idea in the world where to get copies of this film. Try on-line film stores.

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