Walter Wanger produced this western melodrama at Universal. Not only did he have his wife Joan Bennett under contract, he also had Susan Hayward and Julie London under contract. Either those women passed up the opportunity to play the lead in SALOME, or else Wanger didn't think they quite fit the role. Whatever the reason for their non-participation, he still needed to find the right star, so he launched a nationwide search.
The search occurred over a two-month period in the summer of 1944. Photographers across the U. S and Canada were invited to submit pictures of the most beautiful women they'd photographed (obviously, movie talent or experience acting on stage was not necessary). Over 20,000 images were submitted. Wanger and his staff reviewed the submissions and were able to narrow it to down to eight hopefuls by August.
Meanwhile Yvonne De Carlo had been working under a contract at Paramount. She racked up quite a few credits at the studio in bit parts, but when she was up for a major role, she lost out to Dorothy Lamour. Frustrated by her experience at Paramount, she was ready to bail on the studio and find opportunities elsewhere in Hollywood. Having heard about Wanger's search for the perfect female to play Salome, she decided this would be the part that would put her on the cinematic map.
With help from friends in her native Canada, a campaign was launched to get Wanger to consider De Carlo for the role. Wanger was ultimately persuaded, and he cast her in August '44. A few of the other hopefuls, including Barbara Bates, were cast as background dancers.
With De Carlo now in place, and under a new contract at Universal (where she'd go on to make quite a few hit films), Wanger was ready to finalize the script with the production code people. However, the production code office had two major objections, and the script was not finalized until mid-September. One objection involved a reference to the story of Salome in the Bible; and another objection involved one of the male characters not getting punished for his criminal deeds. After Wanger and his writers made changes, the script received approval, and they could start filming.
Cast as De Carlo's leading man was Universal contractee Rod Cameron. He was a fellow Canadian, and they shared chemistry, though at 6'5" Cameron towered over De Carlo. He had been making B westerns at the studio and was just the right sort of rugged and working class he-man that would counterbalance De Carlo's brand of exotic femininity. They'd go on to make FRONTIER GAL a short time later and reunite for RIVER LADY in 1948.
The story for SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED is somewhat intriguing. De Carlo plays a Viennese dancer and actress inspired by Lola Montes who arrives in America and falls for a bandit (David Bruce). The rogue reminds her of a former love, but his outlaw exploits are more important to him than she is.
Of course the relationship doesn't work out. Meanwhile, Cameron who plays a newspaper man, seems to be keeping on eye on what's happening...probably because he's developing feelings for De Carlo. He follows her on to the next engagement.
A highlight of the film is a memorable dance that De Carlo performs during a production of Salome in an Arizona town. Her attractive costume and exciting movements on stage make her quite popular with the locals.
She and her troupe move on to San Francisco where a colonel (Walter Slezak) becomes smitten with her. At the same time a Prussian nobleman (Albert Dekker) wants to take her back with him to Europe. Ultimately, she is able to avoid these entanglements with Cameron's help.
The film has just the right blend of over-the-top escapist entertainment. De Carlo is a rousing success on screen. She would become one of Universal's top moneymakers in the second half of the 1940s and early 1950s. Later, she went back to Paramount to make THE TEN COMMANDMENTS in 1956 for Cecil DeMille. That was validation; she had proven herself as a bonafide Hollywood star.
The search occurred over a two-month period in the summer of 1944. Photographers across the U. S and Canada were invited to submit pictures of the most beautiful women they'd photographed (obviously, movie talent or experience acting on stage was not necessary). Over 20,000 images were submitted. Wanger and his staff reviewed the submissions and were able to narrow it to down to eight hopefuls by August.
Meanwhile Yvonne De Carlo had been working under a contract at Paramount. She racked up quite a few credits at the studio in bit parts, but when she was up for a major role, she lost out to Dorothy Lamour. Frustrated by her experience at Paramount, she was ready to bail on the studio and find opportunities elsewhere in Hollywood. Having heard about Wanger's search for the perfect female to play Salome, she decided this would be the part that would put her on the cinematic map.
With help from friends in her native Canada, a campaign was launched to get Wanger to consider De Carlo for the role. Wanger was ultimately persuaded, and he cast her in August '44. A few of the other hopefuls, including Barbara Bates, were cast as background dancers.
With De Carlo now in place, and under a new contract at Universal (where she'd go on to make quite a few hit films), Wanger was ready to finalize the script with the production code people. However, the production code office had two major objections, and the script was not finalized until mid-September. One objection involved a reference to the story of Salome in the Bible; and another objection involved one of the male characters not getting punished for his criminal deeds. After Wanger and his writers made changes, the script received approval, and they could start filming.
Cast as De Carlo's leading man was Universal contractee Rod Cameron. He was a fellow Canadian, and they shared chemistry, though at 6'5" Cameron towered over De Carlo. He had been making B westerns at the studio and was just the right sort of rugged and working class he-man that would counterbalance De Carlo's brand of exotic femininity. They'd go on to make FRONTIER GAL a short time later and reunite for RIVER LADY in 1948.
The story for SALOME WHERE SHE DANCED is somewhat intriguing. De Carlo plays a Viennese dancer and actress inspired by Lola Montes who arrives in America and falls for a bandit (David Bruce). The rogue reminds her of a former love, but his outlaw exploits are more important to him than she is.
Of course the relationship doesn't work out. Meanwhile, Cameron who plays a newspaper man, seems to be keeping on eye on what's happening...probably because he's developing feelings for De Carlo. He follows her on to the next engagement.
A highlight of the film is a memorable dance that De Carlo performs during a production of Salome in an Arizona town. Her attractive costume and exciting movements on stage make her quite popular with the locals.
She and her troupe move on to San Francisco where a colonel (Walter Slezak) becomes smitten with her. At the same time a Prussian nobleman (Albert Dekker) wants to take her back with him to Europe. Ultimately, she is able to avoid these entanglements with Cameron's help.
The film has just the right blend of over-the-top escapist entertainment. De Carlo is a rousing success on screen. She would become one of Universal's top moneymakers in the second half of the 1940s and early 1950s. Later, she went back to Paramount to make THE TEN COMMANDMENTS in 1956 for Cecil DeMille. That was validation; she had proven herself as a bonafide Hollywood star.