Arsène Lupin (1932)

A charming and very daring thief known as Arsene Lupin is terrorizing the wealthy of Paris, he even goes so far as to threaten the Mona Lisa. But the police, led by the great Guerchard, ... See full summary »

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

Maurice Leblanc (play), Francis de Croisset (play),

Stars:

John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Barrymore	...	Duke of Charmerace
Lionel Barrymore	...	Detective Guerchard
Karen Morley	...	Sonia
John Miljan	...	Prefect of Police
Tully Marshall	...	Gaston Gourney-Martin
Henry Armetta	...	Sheriff's Man
George Davis	...	Sheriff's Man
John Davidson	...	Gourney-Martin's Butler
James T. Mack	...	Laurent (as James Mack)
Mary Jane Irving	...	Marie

Storyline

A charming and very daring thief known as Arsene Lupin is terrorizing the wealthy of Paris, he even goes so far as to threaten the Mona Lisa. But the police, led by the great Guerchard, think they know Arsene Lupin's identity, and they have a secret weapon to catch him.

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Plot Keywords:

arsene lupin | mona lisa | thief | loyalty | louvre museum | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 March 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arsene Lupin, der König der Diebe

Filming Locations:

Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Lupin steals the Mona Lisa by wrapping the canvas around his umbrella. The Mona Lisa is painted on a wood panel.

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Quotes

Sonia: [to Chamerace, who has entered his bedroom to find her naked in his bed] Stay out of here. Stay out of here!
Arsène Lupin: How do you do?
Sonia: Close that door!
Arsène Lupin: Certainly.
[closes door, staying inside the room]
Sonia: Won't you please go?
Arsène Lupin: Certainly. But first, let me ask, how do you like my bed?
Sonia: Well, I didn't mean to, really. I was cold.
Arsène Lupin: Oh, yes, it is a cold night for May. However, don't you think Paris is charming in the spring?
Sonia: Well, I prefer Russia. You see, I come from there.
[...]

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Connections

Version of The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1923)

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Soundtracks

"Flower Lei"
(uncredited)
Written by Johnny Noble and Bert Carlson

User Reviews

It's got style and decent acting, but still seems a bit lethargic

John Barrymore plays a gentleman who is also the thief, Arsene Lupin. While no one knows for sure this is the case, the inspector (Lionel Barrymore) is sure of it but cannot prove it. So, Lionel spends much of the movie following John--hoping to catch this brilliant and slippery thief.

Although I liked the film, I really think I had higher expectations for it and thought it might be better than just a very good time-passer. That's because it paired John AND Lionel Barrymore in the film and since these brothers were such dynamic actors, I think I expected sparks and magic but instead only caught glimpses of it here and there. Now this is not to say this is a bad film--it certainly isn't. It just didn't rise to the level of being unforgettable or a film I strongly recommend you see. Thanks an adequate script, the film is pretty good but I was surprised to hear no French accents at all in the film even though it was supposedly about French people! Also, there just wasn't much life in the film until it was nearly complete. The ending was indeed excellent and entertaining--so good that it elevated the film from a 6 to a 7. It's nice to see it ended on a high note.