Friends and Lovers (1931)

British Army captain Geoff Roberts carries on an affair with Alva, the wife of the cruel Victor Sangrito. Sangrito, however, is well aware of the affair, as he uses his beautiful wife to ... See full summary »

Director:

Victor Schertzinger

Writers:

Maurice Dekobra (novel), Wallace Smith (adaptation),

Stars:

Adolphe Menjou, Lili Damita, Laurence Olivier

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Adolphe Menjou	...	Captain Geoffrey Roberts
Lili Damita	...	Alva Sangrito
Laurence Olivier	...	Lieutenant Ned Nichols
Erich von Stroheim	...	Victor Sangrito
Hugh Herbert	...	McNellis
Frederick Kerr	...	General Thomas Armstrong (as Frederic Kerr)
Blanche Friderici	...	Lady Allice
Vadim Uraneff	...	Ivanoff
Jean Del Val	...	Marquis Henri de Pézanne

Storyline

British Army captain Geoff Roberts carries on an affair with Alva, the wife of the cruel Victor Sangrito. Sangrito, however, is well aware of the affair, as he uses his beautiful wife to lure men into romance with her, then blackmailing them to save their careers. When Roberts falls into Sangrito's trap, he pays the blackmail and leaves for India, hoping to forget Alva, whom he loved but now believes betrayed him. After some time in India, he is joined by his young friend and bosom companion Lt. Ned Nichols. Nichols, too, is in love with a woman back in England...the same woman. Though the two friends nearly come to blows over Alva, they eventually realize that she has been false to them both and that their friendship far outweighs their feelings for a mendacious woman. But when the two are invalided home, they encounter Alva again, and learn that she may not have betrayed them after all.

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Plot Keywords:

military | jealousy | photograph | military post | butler | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wine in the Blood

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the score is credited to both Victor Schertzinger and Max Steiner, in fact Steiner did not write any music for the picture, serving only as Musical Director.

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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]

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Connections

Featured in Great Performances: Laurence Olivier: A Life (1983)

User Reviews

A very good bad film

This is the sort of film that got RKO Radio studios into financial trouble. It has a great cast: Damita, von Stroheim, Menjou, Olivier. The plot is predictable, and the story threadbare. I doubt if there were many more people in the 1930s who were turned on by this kind of melodrama as there are now.

A porcelain collector uses his younger wife to ensnare rich army officers, so that he can blackmail them. Two officers, serving in the British army in India, find out that they are both in love with this same woman. That is the plot in a nutshell. The saving feature of this film it to witness some pretty good acting performances. Apart from Hugh Herbert, whose Scottish accent slips like a postman in the snow and sounds about as authentic as the MacFarterchops tartan, the rest of the cast turn in some pretty good performances. Von Stroheim's performance is weird; but then again he is playing a weirdo. Menjou turns in a competent performance - as he always does. Olivier is subtle: you have to watch him carefully to fully appreciate what he does. The same can be said for Damita. Yes, it's great to have a sophisticated leading lady who doesn't mind getting her kit off; but watch her performance next to Olivier in the dining table scene. Further down the cast, the pair who play the general and his sister turn in good performances, too.

The performances of the cast rescue this film, which is of its time. It is watchable.