The first collaboration of Joseph Sternberg and Marline Dietrich in the US is a masterpiece with Jules Furthman writing the script and Lee Garmes outstanding B&W photography. To develop his characters, Sternberg subverts typical Hollywood conventions. The film begins with Amy Jolly wearing a male outfit for a performance; the air of masculinity enhances her feminine appeal. Tom Brown (Gary Cooper), is presented mesmerized with her performance.

The significance of the subject or theme has been a prominent topic in film criticism. Some critics argue that it constitutes the core of...