A friend just sent me a great copy of this film. It is black and white, but primarily sepia-colored when the stage performances are shown.
From the first I felt an empathy for poor Suzanne who practiced for hours and was forced by her manager (well-played by Leslie Banks) to isolate from fans or friends. Her helper, "Mama", was in sympathy, but was out for what she could get. She tirelessly keeps Suzanne practicing her ballet steps.
When Suzanne meets Tony the puppeteer, her manager throws him out, as he fears she will leave the act. He is jealous in a personal sense as well. Even when Tony explains he wants to sketch a puppet of Suzanne, The Baron gets angry. Though he never appreciates her fine singing voice and her lovely stage dancing, he is quick to pocket a lot of Suzanne's earnings. He also uses psychology on Suzanne to get her to marry him. Hinting that she will be without her act if she does not, Suzanne is afraid to give up her dancing and singing. She almost tearfully asks "the Baron" to marry her and it is arranged.
When Suzanne (beautifully portrayed by Lillian Harvey) sang and did her stage performances, I felt pleasantly surprised by the lovely intertwining harmonies supplied by the puppeteers, who had their people sing and dance with lovely precision. The singing voices are reminiscent of the haunting harmonies of the voices in Merrie Melodies cartoons of the 30s and also films I love of the early 30s.
When Suzanne is doing her act "flying through the air" from the audience to the stage, Tony begs her not to marry the Baron. Thus, she recognizes feelings for him which cause her to miss-step. As she falls and ends up in hospital, Suzanne is encouraged by the doctor and Tony daily. Tony helps with her exercises and Suzanne is recovering. She does not wish to marry the Baron and tells him so.
I have not seen many puppet performances, but these are superb! The dancers are perfect replicas of Tony and Suzanne and dance beautifully in time to the music. I do like The Puppet People and a film with Lionel Barrymore where he wreaks vengeance on people, shrinking them to doll size. These are skillfully done, but show the real people in close-ups as well as the puppets.
In I Am Suzanne, we see more close-ups of the puppets. AS reviewers have already pointed out, Suzanne is confused about Tony's feelings when he proposes to her through the life-like puppet he has made of himself (and her). Later he explains that she, as a star, was an ideal to him. He never thought he would be close enough to propose marriage to her.
I will not spoil the denouement of the film for others. I think it is time well spent.
From the first I felt an empathy for poor Suzanne who practiced for hours and was forced by her manager (well-played by Leslie Banks) to isolate from fans or friends. Her helper, "Mama", was in sympathy, but was out for what she could get. She tirelessly keeps Suzanne practicing her ballet steps.
When Suzanne meets Tony the puppeteer, her manager throws him out, as he fears she will leave the act. He is jealous in a personal sense as well. Even when Tony explains he wants to sketch a puppet of Suzanne, The Baron gets angry. Though he never appreciates her fine singing voice and her lovely stage dancing, he is quick to pocket a lot of Suzanne's earnings. He also uses psychology on Suzanne to get her to marry him. Hinting that she will be without her act if she does not, Suzanne is afraid to give up her dancing and singing. She almost tearfully asks "the Baron" to marry her and it is arranged.
When Suzanne (beautifully portrayed by Lillian Harvey) sang and did her stage performances, I felt pleasantly surprised by the lovely intertwining harmonies supplied by the puppeteers, who had their people sing and dance with lovely precision. The singing voices are reminiscent of the haunting harmonies of the voices in Merrie Melodies cartoons of the 30s and also films I love of the early 30s.
When Suzanne is doing her act "flying through the air" from the audience to the stage, Tony begs her not to marry the Baron. Thus, she recognizes feelings for him which cause her to miss-step. As she falls and ends up in hospital, Suzanne is encouraged by the doctor and Tony daily. Tony helps with her exercises and Suzanne is recovering. She does not wish to marry the Baron and tells him so.
I have not seen many puppet performances, but these are superb! The dancers are perfect replicas of Tony and Suzanne and dance beautifully in time to the music. I do like The Puppet People and a film with Lionel Barrymore where he wreaks vengeance on people, shrinking them to doll size. These are skillfully done, but show the real people in close-ups as well as the puppets.
In I Am Suzanne, we see more close-ups of the puppets. AS reviewers have already pointed out, Suzanne is confused about Tony's feelings when he proposes to her through the life-like puppet he has made of himself (and her). Later he explains that she, as a star, was an ideal to him. He never thought he would be close enough to propose marriage to her.
I will not spoil the denouement of the film for others. I think it is time well spent.