Topaze (1933/I)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast

Writers:

Ben Hecht (writer)
Benn W. Levy (adaptation)

Release Date:

24 February 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

An honest and naive schoolteacher gets a lesson in how the world works outside the classroom, when a...

Plot Keywords:

Mistress | Water | Chemist | Big Business | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

1 win

Cast

John Barrymore	...	Prof. Auguste A. Topaze
Myrna Loy	...	Coco
Reginald Mason	...	Baron Philippe de La Tour-La Tour
Jobyna Howland	...	Baroness Hortense de La Tour-La Tour
Jackie Searl	...	Charlemagne de La Tour-La Tour
Albert Conti	...	Henri de Fairville
Frank Reicher	...	Dr. Stegg
Luis Alberni	...	Dr. Bomb
Lowden Adams	...	Joseph--Butler

Runtime:

78 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:

The original play opened on 9 October 1928 in Paris, France.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the taxi-cab just as Coco tells Topaze about her adultery with the Baron, there is an awkward splice in the rear projection footage making cars and people on the street disappear momentarily.

Quotes:

Dr. Bomb: You're the most impudent scoundrel I've ever known.
Baron Philippe de La Tour-La Tour: Sir, I am impervious to flattery.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Topaze (1951)

Soundtrack:

Roses from the South, Waltz op. 388

Weird Film

Topaze (1933)

** (out of 4)

Extremely weird film about a nice and honest school teacher (John Barrymore) who gets fired from his job after failing a 12-year-old boy but soon gets a job but unknowingly starts ripping off the public with fake sparkling water. The majority of the film deals with the nice guy Barrymore being taken advantage of by bad people and being forced to do bad things without knowing it. That's all good and fine but I'm not sure if this was suppose to make me laugh or not. It's listed as a comedy in every guide book but not once did it make me laugh so on that level the film certainly didn't work for me. The movie kept me entertained from start to finish but all of that is due to Barrymore who delivers a terrific performance. I'm slowly going through Barrymore's filmography and I've mainly watched his wacky, over the top film but here he actually stays within the mild mannered character and doesn't resort to any of that weirdness. He is totally believable as his character and delivers something very fresh. Myrna Loy is his assistant but doesn't get much to do.