the authority on Louisiana Film History

 

 

1940s

 

1940

Kidnapper’s Foil - Dir: Barker; Cast: local neighborhood children.  One version filmed in Baton Rouge and one version filmed in Shreveport.

Modern New Orleans - Narrator: FitzPatrick. Traveltalk documentary filmed at various locations such as Port of New Orleans, Canal Street and Tulane University.

New Moon (a/k/a) Lover Come Back - Dir: Leonard; Cast: Eddy, MacDonald.  Musical adventure with some scenes set in a colonial New Orleans plantation.

Old New Orleans - Narrator: FitzPatrick. Traveltalk documentary filmed at various locations such as St. Louis Cathedral, Pirate’s Alley, Old French Market and Broussard’s Restaurant.

Stranger Than Fiction #10 - Universal - Dir: Ford; documentary partially filmed in Louisiana.

1941

 

American History: Our Louisiana Purchase - Dir: Durlan. Documentary short with some scenes filmed in New Orleans.

Birth of the Blues - 1941

Dir: Schertzinger; Cast: Crosby, Martin.  Musical set in 1890’s New Orleans. 

 

Blues in the Night aka New Orleans Blues - 1941

Dir: Litvak; Cast: Lane, Field. Musical crime drama partially set in New Orleans.

 

 

Flame of New Orleans - Dir: Clair; Cast:  Dietrich, Cabot.   Romantic comedy set in pre-Civil War New Orleans and partially filmed in New Orleans. Premiered at Orpheum Theater in New Orleans April 24, 1941.  print available on this title.

Gentleman from Dixie - Dir: Herman; Cast: LaRue, Marsh.  Drama set on a Louisiana horse ranch.

Lady from Louisiana - Dir:  Vorhaus; Cast: Wayne, Munson.  Drama set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Life in Old Louisiana (1830-1850) - short documentary filmed in New Orleans.

Little Foxes - Dir: Wyler; Cast: Davis, Marshall. Classic drama with background scenes filmed at the Belle Helene Plantation. print available on this title.

Louisiana Purchase - Dir:  Cummings; Cast:  Hope, Zorina.  Comedy filmed in “mythical” Louisiana.

Sunny - Dir: Wilcox; Cast:  Neagle, Bolger.  Romantic musical set in New Orleans; Mardi Gras background scenes filmed in New Orleans.

Swamp Woman - Dir:  Clifton; Cast:  Corio, LaRue.  Drama filmed in and around New Orleans.

1942

 

Cajuns At the Table - Columbia - Dir: Dela Varre. Documentary filmed in Louisiana.

Campus Capers - Dir:  Cowan; Cast: Teagarden & Orchestra.  Musical short featuring college and gridiron songs from bowl games including the 1941 Sugar Bowl at Tulane Stadium New Orleans.

Lady For a Night - Dir: Jason; Cast: Wayne, Blondell. Crime drama partially set in New Orleans.

Night in New Orleans - Dir. Clemens; Cast:  Foster, Morison.  Drama mystery set in New Orleans.

Syncopation - Dir: Dieterle; Cast: Menjou, Bancroft; Early scenes set in New Orleans.

1943

 

Dixie - Dir: Sutherland; Cast: Crosby, Lamour.  Biographical musical with some scenes set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Flesh and Fantasy - Dir: Duvivier; Cast: Robinson, Gaspar.  Fantasy drama with some scenes set in New Orleans.

Jitterbugs - Dir: St. Clair; Cast: Laurel, Hardy.  Comedy with some scenes set in New Orleans.

Mardi Gras - Dir: Bennett; Cast: Rhodes, Johnston.  Two reel musical short filmed in New Orleans.

Popular Science - Cast:  Whitman.  Documentary partially filmed at the Higgins Plant in New Orleans.

Revenge of the Zombies - Dir: Sekely; Cast: Carradine, Storm. Horror/sci-fi set in the swamps of south Louisiana. 

Son of Dracula - Dir: Siodmak; Cast: Chaney, Paige. Horror set at a Louisiana plantation.

1944

 

Christmas Holiday - 1944

Dir: Siodmak; Cast: Durbin, Kelly. Film noir set in New Orleans.

 

 

Cry of the Werewolf - 1944

Dir: Levin; Cast: Foch, Crane. Horror set in New Orleans.  

    

Dark Waters - Dir: De Toth; Cast:  Oberon, Tone. Drama set in New Orleans and Belleville, Louisiana.

Dixie Jamboree - Dir: Cabanne; Cast: Langford, Quillan. Drama with small part at the end set in New Orleans.

Mummy's Curse, The - Dir: Goodwins; Cast: Chaney, Coe. Horror filmed and set in the bayous of Louisiana.  print available on this title. - trailer available on this title.

Mystery of the River Boat - Dir: Collins, Taylor; Cast: Lowery, Quillan.  Action adventure 15-part serial set in the bayous of Louisiana.

1945

 

It Happened in New Orleans - See Rainbow on River, 1936.

Johnny Angel - Dir: Marin; Cast: Raft, Trevor. Crime drama partially set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Salty O' Rourke - Dir: Walsh. Cast: Ladd. Drama set in New Orleans.

Saratoga Trunk - Dir: Wood; Cast: Cooper, Bergman. Romantic drama set in New Orleans.

Spider, The - Dir: Webb; Cast: Conte, Marlowe.  Film noir set in New Orleans. 

1946

 

Enchanted Voyage - See Wake Up and Dream, 1946.

Her Sister’s Secret - Dir: Ulmer; Cast: Coleman, Lindsay.  World War II romance partially set in New Orleans.

Swamp Fire - Dir: Pine; Cast: Weissmuller, Crabbe. Drama filmed in New Orleans and at Pilot Town.   print available on this title.

Time For Two (a/k/a) Two Smart People - Dir: Dassin; Cast: Ball, Hodiak. Comedy drama partially set in New Orleans.

Two Smart People (a/k/a) Time For Two - Dir: Dassin; Cast: Ball, Hodiak. Comedy drama partially set in New Orleans.

Wake Up and Dream (a/k/a) Enchanted Voyage - Dir: Bacon; Cast: Haver, Payne.  Drama with some scenes filmed in bayous around New Orleans and on Lake Pontchartrain.

1947

 

Big Party: the Story of Mardi Gras - 1947 -

Dir: Mayer; Documentary presents behind the scenes of preparation and follows them through the celebration. Created to by part of RKO's This is America series.

 

Foxes of Harrow, The - Dir: Stahl; Cast: Harrison, O’Hara. Drama partially set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Louisiana - Dir: Karlson; Cast: Gov. Davis, Adams. Biography of Gov. Jimmie Davis with exteriors filmed in Louisiana, including Louisiana College in Pineville, Dodd College for Women, Louisiana State University, the State Capitol and the French Quarter.  print available on this title.

New Orleans - Dir: Lubin; Cast: Armstrong, de Cordova. Historical musical set in New Orleans; portions of the film were shot in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Road to Rio- Dir: McLeod; Cast; Crosby, Hope, Lamour. Adventure comedy with some scenes set in Louisiana.

1948

 

Docks of New Orleans - Dir: Abrahams; Cast:  Dale, Winters. Comedy drama set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Louisiana Story  - Dir: Flaherty; Cast: Boudreaux, LeBlanc. Documentary drama filmed in Petit Anse Bayou. Rereleased in the 1952 as Cajun. print available on this title.

Lulu Belle - Dir: Fenton; Cast: Lamour, Montgomery. Drama with some scenes set in New Orleans. print available on this title.

Red River - Dir: Hawks. Cast: Wayne. Partially shot in Natchitoches.

1949

 

American Heritage of Hospitality - Dir: Blake; Cast: Martin. Documentary short filmed partially in New Orleans.

Pirogue Maker - short documentary of Ebdon Allemon, a Cajun craftsman, making a pirogue for the documentary Louisiana Story. Filmed at Bayou Pierre Part. - trailer available on this title.