I have always liked George Sanders, so I was quite interested in seeing this film. Well, I waded through it, and I was ultimately glad I did, but it isn't a film I would like to watch again. I found it VERY slow.
Sanders' character is described by one of the other characters as an "unmitigated cad", and that sums it up pretty well. He constantly plays women as if they are chess pieces to help him rise into the society in which he wants to live. One by one he drops the women. And in the end, the theft of a title (name) is his downfall. Only then does he really know whom he really loved.
George Sanders seemed a little bit too laid back in this film, at least to me. As I said earlier, I really like Sanders, but this is not one of his best performances. On the other hand, this is an interesting performance by Angela Lansbury, as one of the women he wrongs. I'm sort of used to seeing her as a very strong willed character, and here she is quite subtle in her performance; I really liked it. Ann Dvorak is excellent here. Warren William, very ill when this film was made, was not that good here. I was particularly interested to see Albert Bassermann. Basserman was interesting in Alfred Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent", and I've always enjoyed seeing him since seeing that flick. Basserman was a German actor, but I always found him interesting on screen. Marie Wilson -- better known as "My Friend Irma" seemed very out of place in this film.
I'm glad I watched this film...but I won't be watching it a second time. If you're a real fan of George Sanders of Angela Lansbury, you might enjoy this. If not...well, I see many of our other reviewers liked this film very much. You'll have to decide.
Sanders' character is described by one of the other characters as an "unmitigated cad", and that sums it up pretty well. He constantly plays women as if they are chess pieces to help him rise into the society in which he wants to live. One by one he drops the women. And in the end, the theft of a title (name) is his downfall. Only then does he really know whom he really loved.
George Sanders seemed a little bit too laid back in this film, at least to me. As I said earlier, I really like Sanders, but this is not one of his best performances. On the other hand, this is an interesting performance by Angela Lansbury, as one of the women he wrongs. I'm sort of used to seeing her as a very strong willed character, and here she is quite subtle in her performance; I really liked it. Ann Dvorak is excellent here. Warren William, very ill when this film was made, was not that good here. I was particularly interested to see Albert Bassermann. Basserman was interesting in Alfred Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent", and I've always enjoyed seeing him since seeing that flick. Basserman was a German actor, but I always found him interesting on screen. Marie Wilson -- better known as "My Friend Irma" seemed very out of place in this film.
I'm glad I watched this film...but I won't be watching it a second time. If you're a real fan of George Sanders of Angela Lansbury, you might enjoy this. If not...well, I see many of our other reviewers liked this film very much. You'll have to decide.