Friends and Lovers (1931)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Victor Schertzinger

Writers:

Maurice Dekobra (novel)
Wallace Smith (adaptation)

Release Date:

3 October 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Military | Jealousy | Photograph | Military Post | Butler

Cast

Adolphe Menjou	...	Captain Geoffrey 'Geoff' Roberts
Lili Damita	...	Mrs. Alva Sangrito
Laurence Olivier	...	Lieutenant Ned 'Neddie' Nichols
Erich von Stroheim	...	Col. Victor Sangrito
Hugh Herbert	...	McNellis, Roberts' Batman
Frederick Kerr	...	General Thomas Armstrong (as Frederic Kerr)
Blanche Friderici	...	Lady Allice, Armstrong's Sister
Vadim Uraneff	...	Ivanoff the Sangrito Butler
Jean Del Val	...	Marquis Henri de Pézanne

Also Known As:

Wine in the Blood (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Certification:

USA:Approved

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

Nicholls makes a comment to Roberts along the lines of "The Old Guard dies but never surrenders its shower ... ". This is a reference to the famous quote by one of Napoleon's generals, popularly attributed to General Vicomte de Cambronne, on June 18, 1815, to the Duke of Wellington's demand for a French surrender at Waterloo. Cambronne himself said afterwards that his reply was, "Merde," (sh*t). For years afterwards, the word "merde" was referred to by the French as "le mot de Cambronne" (Cambronne's word).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Captain Geoffrey 'Geoff' Roberts: I suppose you will hate me... now.
Mrs. Alva Sangrito: Hate you? I love you more than ever.
[He takes her hand as they gaze into each other's eyes]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Three's Company: Friends and Lovers: Part 2 (#8.22)" (1984)

The Old Badger Game, UK Style

Friends and Lovers was Sir Laurence Olivier's fourth film and first for an American studio in this case RKO. His first wife Jill Esmond was better known and RKO brought her over from the UK for a couple of films and Larry went along for the ride.

He was also appearing on Broadway in Private Lives so his film work in general was an afterthought. Friends and Lovers was something that better been left undone though.

I mean it is terrible, everyone in this drama is overacting completely especially the stage trained Olivier. Olivier was dismissive of all his film work before Wuthering Heights and he was hard on himself in something like Fire Over England. But here he was justified.

The plot has Lili Damita apparently making a living at seducing men of property and then having husband Erich Von Stroheim show up and demand financial remuneration for his cuckolded pride. It's an upper crust English version of what we in the USA call the old badger game. Her latest victim is Captain Adolphe Menjou set to leave for the Indian frontier the next day.

When Menjou arrives he finds out that an old army pal Laurence Olivier is to join him at the post. When Olivier arrives Menjou discovers he also was a victim and the friendship goes on the rocks.

Friends and Lovers goes downhill from there. I suppose its Hollywood's idea about the British upper crust. The whole thing is rather silly from my point of view.

I'm sure Erich Von Stroheim thought so too. He's guilty of the most overacting in the film. I think Von Stroheim thought he was taking advantage of the deficiencies of the script. Still the whole thing is pretty silly.

Hugh Herbert is here also. Oddly enough with a fake Scot's burr, he's at the most restrained I've ever seen him as Menjou's orderly. A little 'woo woo' might enlivened the film a bit.

Friends and Lovers is a curiosity for fans of the late Lord Olivier, anyone else be warned.