"I got a sugar daddy, a sailor, a marine, and a preacher man, if I want to take the time to work on him."

Amateurish acting and weak production value mar this 1946 film from director Spencer Williams. It's a spin on the W. Somerset Maugham story 'Rain' that old film fans may recognize from Sadie Thompson (1928) and Rain (1932), though here the story is altered and it unfortunately plays out like a misogynistic morality tale. Dirty Gertie, you see, is a stripper from Harlem who has a habit of stringing men along, and she's fled to a tropical island with her troupe because she fears getting murdered by her ex-boyfriend. There she meets a slew of male admirers, but runs afoul of a moralizing missionary.

While the film was awfully creaky, there was nothing amateurish about July Jones and Howard Galloway dancing, and their opening act to Dirty Gertie (Francine Everett) was worth the price of admission. Everett is beautiful and certainly appealing, but there wasn't much sizzle to her character, setting aside the scene where she kisses two men that she's dubbed "Big Boy" and "Tight Pants" after a night out. I liked the moment where she hears "Blues in the Night" being played and is haunted by memories, but there wasn't enough of this kind of emotional depth. Also, I have to say, it was an odd choice for Spencer Williams to play the voodoo woman, at least without shaving his mustache, even if it was interesting to see him.

Somehow it didn't sound believable when Gertie La Rue told her pal - "Don't worry honey, I'm through with all men". More like 'I'm through with them for tonight, time to get some rest'.

Apparently Gertie (Francine Everett) was on the run from Harlem and an abusive relationship, landing on the island of Rinidad (not a typo) where she's welcomed for a musical revue at Diamond Joe's Paradise Hotel. In tow are members of her entourage and a couple of boys in uniform who shower Gertie with affection and the materialistic things she loves - rings, diamonds and jewelry.

One can't help feel there's an ominous shadow following Gertie around on the island, as a piano player from her past is forbidden to play one of her old tunes, and her lifestyle comes under attack by the self righteous Jonathan Christian, a holy roller if I ever saw one who practically convulses when he sees Gertie delve into her act. Christian vows to get her off the island, and isn't above striking her after interfering with her rather innocent strip tease. At least innocent enough for this flick, she only got her elbow length gloves off before the good Christian caused a scene.

Directed by Spenser Williams, I'm still scratching my head over his own role in the film as Old Hager, a fortune teller dressed as a woman, but with a decidedly masculine voice. There was a hint of voodoo in his characterization, but the picture never really went in that direction. When the abusive 'Al' from Harlem arrived, he put an end to Gertie's flirtations in a rather permanent way, a somewhat shocking ending I must say, considering the breezy feel of the picture up till that final moment.