Flamingo Road

         Joan Crawford plays Lane Bellamy, a gal from the wrong side of the tracks.  A carnival dancer/cooch wiggler who finds herself stuck in a small, southern, politically corrupt town, she soon develops a relationship with the sheriff of the small town,  and decides she likes the small-town life.  There's only one problem, though.  The slimy head sheriff, deliciously played by Sydney Greenstreet, wants her out of town.  This is the kind of role Crawford was born to play, and besides the fact that Joan is a bit too old for her part, "Flamingo Road" is still ridiculously entertaining.
     Wonderfully film-noir with crackling dialoge, "Flamingo Road" was made during Joan's peak years.  Hot off "Mildred Pierce" and "The Damned Don't Cry", this is a worthy follow-up effort.  With Joan taking on political corruption in a small, Southern town- it's impossible not to enjoy this.  Besides Crawford in her peak years, the always welcome Sydney Greenstreet plays a memorably corpulent and evil villain.  Amazing that at 45, Crawford could still pull off a role like this, and probably do it in her sleep if asked.  Always riveting, she commands attention, dominating every scene she's in.  But that's just business as usual for Joan.   "Flamingo Road" would even inspire the short-lived but infamous 80's series, starring Stella Stevens and Morgan Fairchild.  Even if you're not a fan of Joan Crawford, it's hard not to get sucked into a film like "Flamingo Road".