The Guardsman is a pretty ordinary movie except for two things: the performances are tops and, the actual outcome is unknown until the end of the film. The two central characters are husband and wife. They are portrayed by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, husband and wife in real life. Anyway, in The Guardsman the husband wonders whether his wife truly loves him and if she is completely faithful to him. Both characters are stage actors and so the husband plots to pose as a foreign guardsman, complete with uniform and a very bad accent. Will he be able to woo the wife and thereby prove to himself that she is unfaithful? It isn't exactly an original plot gimmick.
Given that the film is from 1931, the performances are unusually restrained and refined, making them better than one might expect for an ancient movie. The plot's question is, does the wife know that the guardsman is actually her husband? That is not answered until the last scene in the film. A good but not great film.
Given that the film is from 1931, the performances are unusually restrained and refined, making them better than one might expect for an ancient movie. The plot's question is, does the wife know that the guardsman is actually her husband? That is not answered until the last scene in the film. A good but not great film.