Night of the Iguana, The (1964)

Night of the Iguana, The (1964)

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“This is a test of strength between two men and a crate of wetheads.”

Synopsis:
An alcoholic ex-minister (Richard Burton) working as a tour guide in Mexico brings his customers to a hotel run by his widowed friend Maxine (Ava Gardner). While flirting with a beautiful blonde teenager (Sue Lyon) in the tour group, he’s caught and chastised by her furious guardian (Grayson Hall); meanwhile, an artist (Deborah Kerr) travelling with her elderly father (Cyril Delevanti) arrives at the hotel and new sexual tensions soon emerge.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ava Gardner Films
  • Character Studies
  • Deborah Kerr Films
  • John Huston Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Play Adaptation
  • Priests and Ministers
  • Richard Burton Films
  • Tennessee Williams Adaptations

Review:
As noted by AllMovieGuide.com, writer/director/actor John Huston is known for telling “stories about independent and adventurous men struggling for their individuality” — and Night of the Iguana (adapted from Tennessee Williams’ 1961 Broadway play, based on his 1948 short story) fits this description aptly (though Burton’s ex-reverend is perhaps less adventurous than desperate and spiritually un-moored). The powerful opening scene sets the stage for Burton’s incipient downfall, as he attempts to deliver a short, impassioned sermon to a flock that’s entirely unwilling to hear him expose his vulnerability. (He boldly poses questions such as, “How weak is man… How often do we stray from the straight and narrow?”) Despite enjoining them not to “turn [their] backs on the God of love and compassion”, they do so anyway, and he is ousted from his position, thus embarking upon the surreally soul-searching adventure that comprises the remainder of the film — all taking place in the then-isolated Mexican beach town of Puerto Vallarta (now a popular modern resort; click here to read more about the film’s on-location shooting).

Night of the Iguana is essentially a character study, following the existential crisis of a man whose family legacy of both spiritual leadership and irresistible “appetites” continues to haunt him. While fending off lust for a nubile young blonde (Lyons) — whose reciprocal interest verges on either harassment or devilish “intervention” — he finds himself dogged by Hall, who functions as a potent reminder of the sanctimonious judgment he’s tried unsuccessfully to run away from. He relies on the steady friendship of earthy Maxine (Gardner) to ground him, literally alighting on her property as a source of refuge, then embarks on a continued quest-for-solace once ethereal yet pragmatic Hannah Jelkes (Kerr) arrives with her elderly father. Gardner and Kerr represent more than merely a traditional “love triangle” in this film: they offer alternative approaches to life, allowing Burton to envision a way out of the quagmire of lustful escapism he’s been plagued by his entire existence.

While the storyline itself merits nearly endless discussion and debate (that Williams sure could spin a meaty yarn!), Night of the Iguana works remarkably well as a cinematic venture as well. As usual, Huston’s directorial hand is not only steady but incisive, framing characters and situations with a precision aimed at not-so-subtly influencing our perspective. Gabriel Figueroa’s black-and-white cinematography is crisp and gorgeous, and the location sets are inspired. Meanwhile, performances across the board are top-notch — from Burton’s tour-de-force lead to the various female roles (not just Hall, but Kerr and Gardner as well). This classic “morality tale” is one all film fanatics should see at least once, and will likely enjoy returning to.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Richard Burton as Lawrence Shannon
  • Ava Gardner as Maxine Faulk
  • Deborah Kerr as Hannah Jelkes
  • Grayson Hall as Judith Fellowes
  • Masterful direction by Huston


  • Gabriel Figueroa’s b&w cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a fine film and one of the best adaptations of Williams’ work.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Important Director
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

Berlin Express (1948)

Berlin Express (1948)

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“No one was here without a purpose.”

Synopsis:
In post-WWII Germany, a group of international train passengers — including an American agronomist (Robert Ryan), a British schoolteacher (Robert Coote), a French businessman (Charles Korvin), a Russian soldier (Roman Toporow), and a French secretary (Merle Oberon) — band together to locate a kidnapped doctor (Paul Lukas) who has been working for peace and political unification.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ensemble Cast
  • Jacques Tourneur Films
  • Merle Oberon Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Paul Lukas Films
  • Robert Ryan Films
  • Trains and Subways

Review:
Jacques Tourneur directed this taut ensemble thriller set on-board a moving train and throughout the ruins of post-WWII Germany. What seems at first like a “simple” murder mystery (a la Murder on the Orient Express) quickly reveals itself to be a tale of mistaken identities and deceptively shifting national loyalties; by the climactic pseudo-finale taking place inside an abandoned brewery in Berlin, we’re solidly hooked and pleasantly on edge. Berlin Express is notable as the first American feature film actually shot in post-war Europe — and to that end, it has an unfortunate didactic tone at times, especially during the first half-hour; the anonymous narration (by Paul Stewart) could and should have easily been cut, though I suppose it was assumed that audiences at the time were used to a Voice of God explaining to them the terrible truths of war-torn Europe. Thankfully, one can choose to ignore this and focus instead on both the exciting, twist-filled narrative and the lovely cinematography (by Lucien Ballard, Oberon’s husband at the time).

Note: Listen for the best response in the film (I won’t give away context or spoilers): “I think you’ve got that now.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Paul Lukas as Dr. Bernhardt
  • Reinhold Schunzel as Walther
  • Lucien Ballard’s cinematography


  • Respectfully authentic integration of multiple languages (without subtitles)

Must See?
Yes, as a fine (if subtly flawed) outing by a master director.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Important Director

Links:

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1960)

Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1960)

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“On Mars, you’ve gotta face the reality of being alone forever!”

Synopsis:
An astronaut (Paul Mantee) stranded on Mars with a monkey named Mona struggles to survive while aching for humanoid contact — which he finally achieves when he encounters a runaway alien slave (Victor Lundin) he dubs “Friday”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Astronauts
  • Science Fiction
  • Survival

Review:
Byron Haskin was a Hollywood Renaissance man who worked his way through a series of positions (including newsreel cameraman, DP, and special effects supervisor) before directing a handful of notable titles, including this cult sci-fi flick (inspired by Daniel Defoe’s literary classic — perhaps best known by film viewers through Luis Bunuel’s 1952 adaptation). DVD Savant refers to RCOM as “a unique and serious adventure” sandwiched chronologically “between silly efforts like Queen of Outer Space and the high budget wonders of the later 2001: A Space Odyssey” — indeed, its poster (see still above) boasts, “This film is scientifically authentic! It is only one step ahead of present reality!” Naturally, such claims can’t even begin to hold up today, so one must watch a flick like this with historical perspective firmly in mind. Indeed, rather than viewing RCOM for its “scientific authenticity”, one appreciates it as a reasonably taut tale of personal survival, featuring a charismatic performance by hunky unknown Paul Mantee (those zippered pants!) and bolstered by the refreshingly unsentimental presence of a pet monkey.

Once “Friday” (Lunden) arrives on the scene, however, things quickly go downhill — both because we see sides of Mantee’s personality we’d rather not be privy to (he refers to Lunden as both “retarded” and an “idiot” in the same breath), and because the overall credibility of the storyline is suddenly strained. It’s somehow easier to imagine a lone astronaut stranded on Mars with a monkey than to envision intergalactic miners with eerily Egyptian-looking slaves attacking the planet. Speaking of the planet, the special effects and sets are quite impressive (at least most of the time); a notable exception is the relentless cheesy intrusion of the invading space ships, apparently spliced in on repeat. Ultimately, this mixed bag adventure tale will probably be of interest to film fanatics simply given its intriguing title, but it isn’t must-see for all viewers.

Note: Other Haskin-directed titles in Peary’s GFTFF include Treasure Island (1950), War of the Worlds (1953), Conquest of Space (1955), and From the Earth to the Moon (1958).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Paul Mantee as Kit Draper
  • Excellent special effects and sets


Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for its cult status.

Links:

Back Street (1932)

Back Street (1932)

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“There isn’t one woman in a million who’s found happiness in the back street of any man’s life.”

Synopsis:
A young woman (Irene Dunne) resists courtship by an earnest entrepreneur (George Meeker), instead falling in love with a charming man (John Boles) who’s about to be married. Eventually, she becomes Boles’ mistress, but finds her entire life compromised by her “back street” position.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • Historical Drama
  • Irene Dunne Films
  • Star-Crossed Lovers
  • Zasu Pitts Films

Review:
Based on a best-selling novel by Fannie Hurst (best known for penning Imitation of Life), this beautifully photographed (by Karl Freund) women’s weepie is almost unbearably painful to watch, knowing that our plucky protagonist will be doomed by her undying love for a “taken” man. At first, we admire youthful Dunne’s unabashed certainty that she can have a good time with men while setting up inviolable [sexual] boundaries; the opening scene is particularly masterful in establishing this basic tenet of her carefree existence, especially in contrast with the ironic fate that befalls her over-protected half-sister (June Clyde). When Dunne falls hard for Boles, however, we recognize the dangerous territory she’s entered — and, despite the agony of watching her miss (through no fault of her own) her potential opportunity to meet Boles’ mother and be seen as “legit”, we’re thrilled to see her emerging later in the film as an independent, seemingly happy single career woman in New York.

From the moment she accidentally reconnects with Boles, however, things go swiftly downhill. Proving Blaise Pascal’s dictum that “the heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of”, she allows herself to become a permanent “back street fixture” in Boles’ life. We’re tortured a few times by potential hope of happiness and relief for Dunne, but ultimately, Back Street remains a morality tale through-and-through: despite its pre-Code status, audiences are meant to understand that choosing life as a mistress is a compromised bargain with the Devil. Most infuriating of all is how scot-free Boles’ existence remains: he’s not portrayed as an entirely terrible fellow (he did try, after all, to see if he could manage to make Dunne his legitimate wife) — but hearing him complain childishly about how Dunne CAN’T leave him, how he NEEDS her desperately, makes one sigh with bitterness at the inequity of it all. With all that said, Dunne — beautiful, smart, and tragic — is so marvelous in the lead role that she makes this historical soaper worth sitting through once, no matter how uncomfortable the subject matter.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Irene Dunne as Ray Schmidt
  • Luminous cinematography by Karl Freund

  • Fine historical sets

  • Refreshingly frank pre-Code dialogue:

    “Most of them think they can have me without marrying me.”

Must See?
Yes, for Dunne’s performance.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

Min and Bill (1930)

Min and Bill (1930)

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[Note: The following review is of a non-Peary title; click here to read more.]

“Now you listen to me, you gutter rat! You or nobody else is gonna ruin that kid’s chances! No sir!”

Synopsis:
The owner (Marie Dressler) of a waterfront hotel encourages her adopted “daughter” (Dorothy Jordan) to leave and create a better life for herself — but will Jordan’s alcoholic birth-mother (Marjorie Rambeau) interfere with her newfound happiness?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Marie Dressler Films
  • Strong Females
  • Suffering Mothers
  • Wallace Beery Films

Review:
Peary doesn’t include this early talkie — a gritty Stella Dallas-like weeper, based on a script by Frances Marion — in his GFTFF, but he lists it in his Alternate Oscars, where he nominates Dressler as one of the Best Actresses of the Year. He writes that it’s understandable the Academy Award that year went to Dressler “for her tough but softhearted waterfront saloonkeeper” — though he accurately argues that “her part [is] one-dimensional”, given that she plays “a sourpuss for an entire film”. Indeed, Dressler’s role here is both thankless and inconsistent: at first, she seems to be capitalizing on Jordan’s convenient labor to help her run her hotel (rather than sending her to school), then suddenly uses questionably harsh tactics in forcing her away from home — yet she’s meant to be viewed as a secretly loving and selfless mother-figure, someone so fiercely protective of Jordan’s ultimate happiness that she’s driven to extreme measures.

Beery — “Bill” of the film’s title — doesn’t play much of a central role in the storyline, and was clearly included simply to capitalize on his and Dressler’s status at the time as top box-office attractions (!); their extremely rough-and-tumble fight with one another (when Dressler catches Beery fooling around with Rambeau) surely appealed to audience members (see the still of the original movie poster above for further evidence of this marketing slant). Rambeau’s role, meanwhile, is terribly written: she simply shows up one day in full harridan-mode, illogically demanding respect from her long-abandoned daughter. Yet despite the script’s flaws and cliches, it’s filled with plenty of enjoyably salty dialogue:

“Cut out the applesauce — just what did you say?”
“When I was young, I used to make ’em sizzle.”
“I’ve drunk everything from bug juice to rot gut.”

While it hasn’t held up well as entertainment for modern audiences, Min and Bill is worth a look for those interested in Dressler’s erstwhile popularity.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Marie Dressler as Min (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in his Alternate Oscars)
  • Fine use of waterfront locales

Must See?
No, though completists will likely be curious to see it simply because of Dressler’s Oscar-win.

Links:

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

Valley of the Dolls (1967)

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“I’m not nutty; I’m just hooked on dolls!”

Synopsis:
A young woman (Barbara Parkins) seeking adventure in New York City falls for a marriage-phobic man (Paul Burke) while navigating her new career as a famous model; meanwhile, her sexy friend Jennifer (Sharon Tate) marries a singer (Tony Scotti) with a strangely possessive sister (Lee Grant), and a talented ingenue named Neely O’Hara (Patty Duke) becomes increasingly hooked on drugs and alcohol as her star rises.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Actors and Actresses
  • Alcoholism and Drug Addiction
  • Aspiring Stars
  • Downward Spiral
  • Lee Grant Films
  • Lee Remick Films
  • Mark Robson Films
  • Susan Hayward Films

Review:
Mark Robson’s infamously trashy adaptation of Jacqueline Susann’s bestselling novel features howl-worthy performances, dialogue, and scenarios — a guaranteed field day for those who enjoy such cinematic “treats”. The story, about a trio of young women experiencing the harsh realities of love, fame, and drugs in the Big City, is loosely based upon the real-life travails of Judy Garland (who was originally cast in Susan Hayward’s supporting role as aging diva Helen Lawson). As young Garland’s fictional doppelganger, Patty Duke’s “Neely O’Hara” emerges as the true focus of the film — and it’s her egregiously over-the-top performance that’s often cited as the pièce de résistance of this venture. She’s given (and runs with) countless unintentionally hilarious lines:

“Boobies, boobies, boobies. Nothing but boobies! Who needs ’em? I made it fine without ’em.”
“Ted Casablanca is NOT a fag… and I’m the dame who can prove it!”

But other scenes and interactions are worthy of chuckles as well — including Tate watching her “art film”, Lee Grant muttering about heating up a lasagna after arguing with her brother (Scotti), and Hayward channeling Judy Garland as she sings “I’ll Plant My Own Tree” while a colorful, Calder-esque mobile spins around her, periodically shading her face. Ultimately, your enjoyment of this one will be predicated entirely upon how much you appreciate such campy fare — but all film fanatics should check it out once, for its infamy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Occasional creative cinematography
  • Many unintentionally hilarious scenes and sequences

Must See?
Yes, as a campy cult favorite. (How could this NOT be labeled a CC — or Camp Classic — in the back of Peary’s book?!)

Categories

  • Cult Movie

Links:

In-Laws, The (1979)

In-Laws, The (1979)

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“The son is the acorn — you gotta look at the tree.”

Synopsis:
An unassuming New York dentist (Alan Arkin) finds his life uprooted when the father (Peter Falk) of the boy (Michael Lembeck) his daughter (Penny Peyser) is about to marry enlists his help in an undercover operation.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alan Arkin Films
  • Comedy
  • Ed Begley Jr. Films
  • Living Nightmare
  • Peter Falk Films

Review:
This hilariously gonzo comedy-adventure — directed by Arthur Hiller and based on a screenplay by Andrew Bergman (best known for scripting Blazing Saddles) — features Peter Falk and Alan Arkin as an unlikely, hysterically mismatched yet ultimately synergistic undercover duo. Both Falk and Arkin play on their strengths as (respectively) a suave operator and an indignantly befuddled everyman, brought together through their children’s upcoming nuptials, then taken on the wildest of adventures, eventually ending up on nebulously intimate terms with a crazed South American dictator (Richard Libertini). In some ways, the less said about this wildly serpentine cult favorite, the better — watch and enjoy!

Note: This film was remade in 2003 by Albert Brooks, though it’s widely acknowledged as the lesser of the two versions.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Peter Falk as Vince Ricardo
  • Alan Arkin as Sheldon Kornpett
  • Richard Libertini as General Garcia
  • A frequently hilarious screenplay: “I’ll tell you, the benefits are fantastic. The trick is not to get killed; that’s really the key to the benefits program.”

Must See?
Yes, as a cult comedy favorite.

Categories

  • Cult Movie

Links:

Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, The (1974)

Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, The (1974)

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“A man without land is nobody.”

Synopsis:
An ambitious young man (Richard Dreyfuss) in post-WWII Montreal alienates his girlfriend (Micheline Lanctot) in his relentless pursuit to own a plot of land.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Denholm Elliott Films
  • Get Rich Quick
  • Randy Quaid Films
  • Richard Dreyfuss Films

Review:
Canadian director Ted Kotcheff‘s adaptation of Mordechai Richler‘s novel remains an engrossing coming-of-age tale featuring a decidedly unlikable yet oddly sympathetic title character. Dreyfuss couldn’t have been better cast (who else comes to mind when thinking “obnoxiously brash male protagonist”?), and he brings appropriately relentless energy to his role as a young man so hell-bent on achieving property ownership that he ultimately sacrifices elements of his humanity. Richler’s screenplay makes it painfully clear how much suffering can result from differential treatment of siblings — which is why we understand what drives Duddy: when your older brother is the unambiguous “golden child”, receiving a disproportionate share of praise and financial support, what else can a young man do but find a way to make his own mark, in any way possible?

In addition to Dreyfuss’s memorable lead performance (that cackling laugh!), the film makes excellent use of authentic locales (it possesses a strong sense of time and place) and has an interesting score (by Stanley Myers). Various supporting characters and sub-plots are also strongly delineated — from Denholm Elliott’s portrayal as an alcoholic director hired by Duddy to film bar mitzvahs (the documentary-within-the-movie is truly inspired), to Randy Quaid as Duddy’s mentally slow buddy, to deep-voiced Micheline Lanctot as Duddy’s long-suffering (to a point) girlfriend. Despite its challenging subject matter and some decidedly dark narrative turns, this one is definitely worth a one-time look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Richard Dreyfuss as Duddy
  • Excellent use of authentic Montreal locales

Must See?
Yes, as an unusual and finely crafted character study. Listed as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

More the Merrier, The (1943)

More the Merrier, The (1943)

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“These days, Miss Milligan, everybody’s business is everyone’s business.”

Synopsis:
A retired millionaire (Charles Coburn) visiting Washington D.C. during a severe wartime housing shortage convinces a young woman (Jean Arthur) to share her apartment with him — then offers to rent half of his section to a G.I. (Joel McCrea) in hopes of setting up the young couple and distracting Arthur away from her impossibly dull fiance (Richard Gaines).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Charles Coburn Films
  • George Stevens Films
  • Jean Arthur Films
  • Joel McCrea Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Romantic Comedy

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary notes that this “sparkling George Stevens comedy” possesses “deft performances by the leads and brilliant dialogue by Robert Russell, Frank Ross, Richard Flourney, and [uncredited] Garson Kanin”. He points out that while “the ending fizzles a bit”, “along the way there are many great scenes” — including the classic sketch in which “Coburn and Arthur try to adhere to her impossibly rigid morning schedule”, but find that they “constantly bump into each other as their schedule goes awry”. Coburn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his fun performance — though equally deserving is McCrea, “a truly underrated comic actor”, as evidenced specifically in “the scene in which [he and Coburn] lie on the roof reading the Sunday comics out loud”. Meanwhile, Arthur and McCrea do indeed “make an appealing romantic team”: the “scene in which they lie on single beds that are separated only by a thin wall” is particularly sensual and provocative, evoking “the classic ‘Walls of Jericho’ bit in It Happened One Night.”

In his Alternate Oscars book, where he names Arthur Best Actress of the Year for her role as Constance Milligan, Peary elaborates on her impressive acting chops and delightful screen presence. He writes that she’s “thoroughly charming as a kind, unaggressive — she fights for herself, but doesn’t have the heart for it — underdog who is trapped in a dull life until two men magically appear”. He writes that “funny as she is” — she shows her skills as an exceptionally adroit slapstick comedienne — “what is most memorable about [her] characterization is how sexual it is.” Indeed, she shifts from a classically repressed “spinster” (engaged in name only) to a remarkably sensual creature, “quite physical [with McCrea] as they stroll and spin down the street” after a night out. She’s really a pleasure to behold, and we take delight in her complete transformation.

Finally, it’s impossible to discuss The More the Merrier without referencing its very specific historical context: during World War II, the housing shortage was so severe that many people felt it was their patriotic duty to take in boarders (an issue only very briefly mentioned here in Wikipedia’s article about life on the American homefront during WWII). Meanwhile, there were apparently eight women for every available man (!), and fuel shortages necessitated waiting for a “full load” before taxis could take off. Despite the obvious challenges of the situation, there’s nonetheless vicarious enjoyment to be had in glimpsing this unique era in American history, one most film fanatics have likely never experienced. To that end, while clearly presenting circumstances from a satirically over-the-top and humorously sanitized perspective, the film remains an interesting sociological time-capsule as well as a fun comedy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jean Arthur as Constance Milligan
  • Charles Coburn, who deservedly won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Benjamin Dingle
  • Joel McCrea as Joe Carter
  • Fine direction by Stevens
  • Plenty of authentically sizzling romance between McCrea and Arthur

  • Fun “vintage footage” of wartime housing shortages

Must See?
Yes, for the fine lead performances. Nominated by Peary as one of the Best Films of the Year in his Alternate Oscars.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

History is Made At Night (1937)

History is Made At Night (1937)

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“I didn’t know then — he hates everybody, mostly himself.”

Synopsis:
A sociopathically controlling millionaire (Colin Clive) refuses to allow his wife (Jean Arthur) a divorce, attempting to blackmail her by putting her in a compromising situation with her chauffeur (Ivan Lebedeff). Ironically, this set-up leads her to meet the love of her life — a chivalrous French headwaiter (Charles Boyer) who intervenes and whisks her away to his restaurant, where he wines and dines her with assistance from his loyal chef-buddy, Cesare (Leo Carrillo). However, Clive’s jealous clutches remain so strong that Arthur is unable to get away, and she and Boyer are temporarily separated — though Boyer will do whatever he can to find her again.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Charles Boyer Films
  • Colin Clive Films
  • Frank Borzage Films
  • Jealousy
  • Jean Arthur Films
  • Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
Frank Borzage directed this unabashedly romantic tale of star-crossed lovers determined to reunite. Arthur has never been lovelier (her performance is typically stellar), and Boyer taps into his most appealing romantic-lead strengths as her ardent pursuer. Less impressive — though arguably well-cast — is Colin Clive (in his final role before dying from tuberculosis at just 37 years old) as Arthur’s husband-from-hell. Clive’s “Bruce Vail” is a stereotypically vile baddie; while we certainly believe he’s vindictive enough to stop at nothing to prevent his wife from leaving him, a bit more nuance would have strengthened his characterization. Also distracting is the comic-relief role played by Leo Carrillo as Boyer’s conveniently loyal buddy — an Italian with a Chico Marx accent (working in a top French restaurant!?) who literally drops everything time and again to help out his friend; a running joke about his famous lobster dish and salad feels stale from the get-go. With that said, this remains classic Hollywood soaper material, served up with visual panache by director Frank Borzage (channeling Ernst Lubitsch) and cinematographer David Abel. It possesses a small but solid fan base, who value Boyer and Arthur’s romantic chemistry and Clive’s unrepentant villainy. Despite its flaws, this one’s worth a one-time look if you can catch it.

Note: Reading a bit more about Borzage’s background, I found myself wondering if Carrillo’s accent was an homage of some kind to Borzage’s Italian-speaking stonemason dad? I was also glad to finally be informed that his name is pronounced “bor-ZAY-gee” rather than rhyming with “corsage”.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Jean Arthur as Irene Vail
  • Charles Boyer as Paul Dumond
  • Fine cinematography and direction

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly recommended.

Links: