FANNY BY GASLIGHT

Stewart Granger and Phyllis Calvert

FANNY BY GASLIGHT (aka Man of Evil/1944). Director: Anthony Asquith. 

In 19th century London young Fanny (Phyllis Calvert of Madonna of the Seven Moons) is unaware that her father, Hopwood (John Laurie), isn't her real father, and that he owns the brothel next door. When he is killed by a disgruntled patron, Lord Manderstroke (James Mason), the truth comes out and Fanny and her mother are ostracized. Fanny eventually reunites with her biological father, a cabinet minister named Clive Seymour (Stuart Lindsell) whose marriage to Fanny's mother was annulled by the family. After another tragedy, Fanny draws close to her father's business partner, Harry Somerford (Stewart Granger), but his hateful sister Kate (Cathleen Nesbitt) may destroy their plans for a union. Then there is Lord Manderstroke, who keeps popping up in Fanny's life when she least expects it ...

Margaretta Scott and James Mason

Fanny By Gaslight, is a good, old-fashioned, British "will our Fanny ever find happiness" rags to riches tale that is absorbing, entertaining, and very well-played. In addition to the actors already named, there is also good work from Margaretta Scott [Crescendo] as Seymour's unfaithful wife, Alicia, and Amy Veness as Mrs. Heaviside, the loving servant and former nanny to Clive, among others. If the convoluted plot weren't enough, there are also hookers doing the can can, a ballet sequence, and a duel with pistols outside Paris. Although sinister Mason doesn't have that much screen time, he nearly steals the show. Anthony Asquith also directed The Browning Version and many others. 

Verdict: Solid cast in an engaging melodrama. ***. 

PYGMALION

Leslie |Howard as Henry Higgins

PYGMALION (aka Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion/1938). Directors: Anthony Asquith; Leslie Howard.

Phoneticist Henry Higgins (Leslie Howard of The Animal Kingdom) encounters a shabby flower girl named Eliza Doolittle (Wendy Hiller of Making Love), and this leads into the latter asking the former for speech lessons so she can get a job in a shop instead of selling flowers in the gutter. Higgins has his work cut out for him, but with the help of Colonel Pickering (Scott Sunderland) and housekeeper Mrs. Pearce (Jean Cadell), he is able to work wonders and introduce Eliza to his mother (Marie Lohr). Eliza not only turns into a lady but excites the fancy of young Freedy Eynsford Hill (David Tree). But Eliza can't help but wonder: what is to become of me?

Wendy Hiller as Eliza Doolittle

Some liberties were taken with George Bernard Shaw's play, but the notion that the two lead characters were turned into a more romantic couple is not borne out by the movie. Arguably, Alan Jay Lerner based his libretto for My Fair Lady more on this movie than on Shaw's play. In any case, while you definitely miss those great songs as you begin to watch Pygmalion, after awhile you forget about that and just get pulled along by a great story and dialogue, and two very wonderful performances, along with a host of well-done supporting performances -- a particular mention must go to Esme Percy, who is excellent as Count Aristid Karpathy, a former pupil of Higgins' who is determined to find out exactly who this Miss Doolittle is. Wilfrid Lawson is also fine as Eliza's father, Alfred, although he is nowhere near as lovable as Stanley Holloway in the musical version.

Esme Percy and Leslie Howard

Some may never see anyone else as Higgins except the marvelous Rex Harrison, but Howard is also great, as well as younger and better-looking. Hiller, who was introduced in this film, is certainly not as attractive as Audrey Hepburn, but she gives a sterling performance (one might argue that Hepburn is a bit more moving in the role, however). Eliza is admirably proud and feisty and her attempts to improve both herself and her lot in life are certainly to be respected. The movie was photographed by Harry Stradling, and Arthur Honegger provided some musical cues. Despite the fact that My Fair Lady may have eclipsed this, it is still definitely worth a look. Anthony Asquith also directed such masterpieces as The Browning Version and The Winslow Boy.

Verdict: Amusing and engaging comedy with fine performances. ***. 

THE MILLIONAIRESS

Sophia Loren and Peter Sellers

THE MILLIONAIRESS (1960). Director: Anthony Asquith.

Ephifania Pererga (Sophia Loren), the daughter of a late magnate, is a spoiled, haughty heiress who has already had one bad marriage. For her next husband she hopes to land Ahmed el Kabir (Peter Sellers), a selfless doctor who ministers to the poor. Ahmed seems more confused and amazed by the strange woman than especially interested in her, but Ephifania tries to win him over by making something of herself with only a small pittance to start with, and by hoping he'll win her hand by doing the same. Can these two people on such different wavelengths ever get together? Based on a play by George Bernard Shaw, one can only assume that this is a gross bowdlerization and extreme vulgarization of Shaw's original concept, as neither Ephifania or Kabir come off like real people, which is especially true in the former's case. Loren [Boy on a Dolphin] manages to do a nice job even though she's playing an impossible role, and Sellers also acquits himself nicely, with an excellent Indian accent, but it's a wonder that the two actors manage to play so well together in spite of everything. Alistair Sim [The Ruling Class] nearly steals the picture as Ephifania's lawyer, while Gary Raymond, as her first husband, has little to do but run away from the lady while sher's throwing everything she can get her hands on at him. Vittorio De Sica, who later directed Sellers in After the Fox, has a supporting part as Joe, a sweatshop owner, and he's quite good, and Pauline Jameson is also notable as Sim's secretary, Muriel. In addition to a lousy script, the film suffers from the fact that the heroine, if that's what you can call her, despite some admirable qualities, is never a nice person. Judging from the outfits Loren is caparisoned in, one imagines the clothes budget for the picture was roughly equal to her salary.

Verdict: Sellers is far superior to the material in this. **.

THE YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE

Alain Delon and Shirley MacLaine

THE YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE (1964). Director: Anthony Asquith. Screenplay by Terence Rattigan

"Oh, God. How I'm going to hate living from now on."

This is a trio of tales loosely tied to the same beautiful title automobile -- copulation occurs in the back seat of the rolls in each story, but even that doesn't make this picture entertaining. Surely a movie built around such a premise could have turned out better than this, but it's as if playwright Rattigan [The Browning Version] decided to throw together scrips and scraps from his discarded idea book to come up with this mess. The first story, starring Rex Harrison [My Fair Lady] as a member of the Foreign Office, is easily the best, and even manages to be somewhat moving in its tale of Harrison being cuckolded by his wife (Jeanne Moreau) and her lover (Edmund Purdom), who works with Harrison, on the day he should be happiest. The second and worst story has to do with a gangster (George C. Scott) traveling in Italy with his moll (Shirley MacLaine) who encounter a handsome man (Alain Delon) who makes tips selling photos to tourists; you can guess what happens. This exercise in tedium can't even be saved by the actors (including Art Carney as Scott's Man Friday) and has a flat wind up to boot. Delon and MacLaine have little chemistry. The third and last story is a contrived bit of business in which a fussy and wealthy woman (Ingrid Bergman) agrees to take a Yugoslav (Omar Sharif) across the border to aid his king and country just as the Germans are attacking. This termagant has more intestinal fortitude than anyone would ever have imagined, but her romance with Sharif is unconvincing, to say the least. (It would have been even less convincing had the more appropriate Katharine Hepburn been cast, as one critic suggested). Bergman is miscast, Scott [The Exorcist III] is excellent as the mobster, Delon succeeds at being charming, Moreau is creditable, and Harrison, with that stiff British upper lip, underplays quite satisfactorily. The best performance, however, is given by a winning and credible Sharif.

Verdict: The first episode is good, but the last two make two hours seem like ten. *1/2.

LIBEL

Olivia de Havilland and Dirk Bogarde

LIBEL (1959). Director: Anthony Asquith.

Sir Mark Loddon (Dirk Bogarde), a wealthy baronet who escaped from a POW camp during the war, lives on a huge estate with his wife, Margaret (Olivia de Havilland), and their young son. One afternoon there arrives Jeffrey Buckenham (Paul Massie), who served with Mark and was also in the POW camp. Jeffrey insists to everyone that "Sir Mark" is actually Frank Welney, another man who was also a prisoner in the camp and who looked enough like Mark to be his twin. When Jeffrey writes to the newspapers, Margaret importunes Mark to file a libel suit against the paper, leading to a highly dramatic trial and many revelations. Libel is a highly suspenseful picture that keeps throwing twists and turns at the viewer and keeps one going back and forth as to whether Mark is really Welney or not. Although you would think Bogarde [Doctor at Sea] and de Havilland [The Heiress] would mix together like oil and water, they play nicely together anyway, and both give very good performances in their different styles; Bogarde successfully etches dual roles as well. Robert Morley and Wilfred Hyde-White are also excellent as opposing council, and Massie [The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll] gives one of the most notable performances of his career as Buckenham. One of the most beautifully-played scenes is between Massie and de Havilland when Margaret confronts the compassionate (towards her) Jeffrey outside the courtroom, but their disquieting conversation doesn't quell her fears as she'd hoped. Robert Shaw has a small role as a photographer.

Verdict: Almost perfect on all accounts. ***1/2.

THE WOMAN IN QUESTION

Dirk Bogarde and Susan Shaw

THE WOMAN IN QUESTION (aka Five Angles on Murder/1950). Director: Anthony Asquith.

Agnes Huston (Jean Kent), a woman who has a fortune-telling act as "Madame Astra," is found strangled in her home. Supt. Lodge (Duncan Macrae) and Inspector Butler (Joe Linnane) interview assorted suspects and seem to get very different impressions of the woman. A neighbor, Mrs. Finch (Hermione Baddeley), sees her as a warm and classy lady, while her sister, Catherine (Susan Shaw of Pool of London) sees her as a crude and hateful antagonist. Then there's Bob Baker (Dirk Bogarde of I Could Go On Singing), who wants to do a mind-reading act with Agnes but winds up engaged to Catherine. The kindly Albert Pollard (Charles Victor) does lots of favors for Agnes and becomes smitten with her, and the sailor Michael Murray (John McCallum) has a hankering for her as well. The Woman in Question is an absorbing mystery-drama that features excellent performances from the entire cast, with a special nod to Jean Kent, who also appeared to good advantage in The Browning Version the following year. The film illustrates the fact that every person we know or meet forms a different impression of us depending on their own personality, circumstances, and a variety of other factors. The killer may not come as a big surprise, but the film is still quite watchable. With his good looks and acting skill, Bogarde was clearly destined for major stardom and was already on his way. McCallum was not well-known to American audiences.

Verdict: Noteworthy British mystery with top-notch performances. ***.

THE BROWNING VERSION (1951)

Brian Smith and Michael Redgrave

THE BROWNING VERSION (1951). Director: Anthony Asquith. Screenplay by Terence Rattigan, based on his stage play.

Andrew Crocker-Harris (Michael Redgrave), a teacher at a boy's school, is having a pretty lousy day. Ill health has necessitated his going to another school with less strenuous duties, but he may not be given a pension. His bitter wife, Millie (Jean Kent), is having an affair with another teacher, Frank (Nigel Patrick). And Andrew is beginning to realize that his attitude towards his students, brought about by his disappointment in life, marriage and career achievements, has turned him into a stuffy, rather unpleasant fellow whose students call "Himmler." Yet there is a young boy named Taplow (Brian Smith) whose compassion for the older man might be his saving grace ... The Browning Film is a rare gem, one of those beautiful movies that gives you hardly anything to quibble about. Although Michael Redgrave [Dead of Night] at first seems to be bordering on caricature, channeling Richard Haydn, he actually gives a wonderful and touching performance. The second best performance is from young Brian Smith, who essays a kindly, decent fellow who is wise beyond his years. Years ago Andrew began a new translation of Agamemnon and Taplow gives him a copy of "The Browning Version," translated by Robert Browning. Patrick and Kent [The Prince and the Showgirl] are also quite good as the dissatisfied lovers, with Frank ultimately ashamed of his actions, and neglected Millie unable to cope with the fact that her husband wanted companionship and she wanted much more. There's also nice work from Ronald Howard [Black Orchid] as Gilbert, who will take over Andrew's teaching duties, and Wilfrid Hyde-White as the headmaster. All aspects of the production are superior. Young Brian Smith, who was 19 but looked much younger, amassed sixty credits after completing this picture. Remade with Albert Finney in 1994.

Verdict: Beautiful and moving classic movie. ****.

THE WINSLOW BOY (1948)

THE WINSLOW BOY (1948). Director: Anthony Asquith. Screenplay by Terence Rattigan, from his play.

Retired for health reasons, Arthur Winslow (Cedric Hardwicke) is disturbed to learn that his 12-year-old son Ronnie (Neil North) has been thrown out of the Royal Naval Cadets on a charge of stealing. Ronnie insists that he is innocent, and his father believes him -- and becomes increasingly angry at the fact that his son was never given a real chance to defend himself in a trial. Enter solicitor Sir Robert Morton (Robert Donat) a heavyweight who decides to take the case-- after grilling the boy intensely, almost savagely -- but the first hurdle will be to get past the fact that it is unheard of to, in effect, sue the Queen. We see the effect all the publicity has on the rest of the family, especially sister Catherine (Margaret Leighton) who may lose her fiance over the brouhaha. Even Ronnie's mother wonders if it's worth the financial cost and everything else to pursue the matter. The film works up quite a bit of suspense in wondering what will happen and what the outcome of the trial -- if there is one -- will be.

The Winslow Boy is the real deal. The characters are real, living, breathing, three-dimensional human beings, not stereotypes (even Morton, who at first does come off as a "type"). The acting by the entire cast is uniformly excellent, with Donat and Hardwicke neck and neck in the competition for most superb performance. And the movie rivets your attention from start to finish. Composer William Alwyn has contributed an almost [Richard] Straussian score. If I have any quibble with the film it's that I wish we were shown more details of the trial, considering the circumstances. NOTE: There was a creditable remake in 1999 as well as at least two television versions.

Verdict: Pounce! ****.