CHARLES BOYER

[knitwit45]

I just finished watching Cluny Brown. This was my 3rd attempt, I just couldn't get past that first scene in Reginald Gardner's apartment. I know this is a favorite of several Boyer devotee's, but sadly, I am not one of them. The whole movie seemed forced, as if they were all trying too hard to be funny. M. Boyer looked tired, his hairpiece did not do him justice, and he looked like he was straining most of the time.

Jennifer Jones was not very good either. I just watched Portrait of Jenny last night, and she was spot on, going from child to young woman. In this one however... well, the material just didn't suit her. She started with an English (?) accent, but it disappeared when she exited that apartment with her uncle.

Maybe it's all this rain we are having, but this movie, while a way to spend the evening, just wasn't up to par for a Lubitsch. His 'touch' wasn't there... You DO realize this is just my opinion, I hope.

[CineMaven]

I was thinking further along the lines of similarity towards Cary Grant and Charles Boyer, they aren't actors you would immediately pair but there are similarities that we've discussed but is it possible that adept on screen as they are, the are typecast or unable to carry off a certain kind of film.

I’d agree with you that that is undoubtedly true. I wonder if all actors aren’t somehow basically typecast. I don’t see Boyer being loosy goosey physically as a "silly Cary." But I do see him in romantic drawing room comedies...a wordsmith. Hell, it’s a mystery to me, WHY an actor can do one thing but not another. I’m still trying to picture Bette Davis dancing in burlesque and doing a split.

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Delon is gorgeous but like Tyrone Power he's just too good looking and I think Delon knows it too. I'm far more a Trintignant kind of gal, he's the better actor too in my opinion although for a pretty boy, Delon is a very good actor, Trintignant is one of my favourites.

Some folks are conceited about their looks... ...but acting? Oh I confess, some- times...I...just...like...to...watch.

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I just finished watching Cluny Brown. This was my 3rd attempt, I just couldn't get past that first scene in Reginald Gardner's apartment. I know this is a favorite of several Boyer devotee's, but sadly, I am not one of them. The whole movie seemed forced, as if they were all trying too hard to be funny. M. Boyer looked tired, his hairpiece did not do him justice, and he looked like he was straining most of the time...Maybe it's all this rain we are having, but this movie, while a way to spend the evening, just wasn't up to par for a Lubitsch. His 'touch' wasn't there... You DO realize this is just my opinion, I hope.

I hated ”CLUNY BROWN” for sooooo many years. But then again, I hadn’t seen the movie. Finally, I sat down to watch it; from beginning-to-end. ”This is what I was hating? Why it’s delightful.” At least you gave the movie a chance. It just wasn’t your cup o’ tea.

Hope the rain clears up in your neck of the woods. It's been balmy, cloudless and sunny here in NYC.

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...And Theresa, you SSO women write down your thoughts as poetic Goddesses...that's why you are superior to us mortal men...

Looking forward to reading more enlightening posts at SSO.

[moira finnie]

I just finished watching Cluny Brown. This was my 3rd attempt, I just couldn't get past that first scene in Reginald Gardner's apartment. I know this is a favorite of several Boyer devotee's, but sadly, I am not one of them. The whole movie seemed forced, as if they were all trying too hard to be funny. M. Boyer looked tired, his hairpiece did not do him justice, and he looked like he was straining most of the time.

Jennifer Jones was not very good either. I just watched Portrait of Jenny last night, and she was spot on, going from child to young woman. In this one however... well, the material just didn't suit her. She started with an English (?) accent, but it disappeared when she exited that apartment with her uncle.

Maybe it's all this rain we are having, but this movie, while a way to spend the evening, just wasn't up to par for a Lubitsch. His 'touch' wasn't there... You DO realize this is just my opinion, I hope.

Nan,
You're not alone. For the first five times I tried to watch Cluny Brown I had the same reaction--and then one day I caught it on the fly again and something happened. I accepted the archness of the situation and loved much of the film, responding to the playfulness of the movie. I don't like all of Lubitsch's movies, [Heaven Can Wait leaves me cold, for instance] though he has grown on me over time. Jones seems to have been particularly adept at playing someone who was suspended between childhood and womanliness in her best roles, doesn't she? Singleton in Love Letters is one that I respond to rather well, as is Song of Bernadette, the elder daughter in Since You Went Away and of course, the lovely Jennie.

[feaito]

Nancy,

I liked very much Cluny Brown, but I had a similar experience with Lubitsch's "That Uncertain Feeling" (1941). I disliked it and could not find anything funny; everything seemed so forced and terribly unfunny to me and Merle Oberon so miscast...

[knitwit45]

as much as I didn't like Cluny Brown, it er, um, didn't keep me from dreaming about M. Boyer.....gulp.....

[RedRiver]

Tyrone Power on a gigantic screen must have been overwhelming for women

My dear Mother, may she rest in peace, would confirm that. I once described a movie I didn't care for. She said, "Believe me. For a teenage girl in 1940, if Tyrone Power is in it, that's all that matters!"

That Cary Grant! If ever there was an actor who could do just about anything...The fact that his character doesn't THINK he's funny makes it that much funnier. It's perfectly normal for him to parade around in a woman's bathrobe. It's the situation that's ridiculous!

[CineMaven]

...Jones seems to have been particularly adept at playing someone who was suspended between childhood and womanliness in her best roles, doesn't she? Singleton in Love Letters is one that I respond to rather well, as is Song of Bernadette, the elder daughter in Since You Went Away and of course, the lovely Jennie.

I love her performance in "LOVE LETTERS." That whole scene when she's trying to remove the letters from the fire. Heart-wrenching.

as much as I didn't like Cluny Brown, it er, um, didn't keep me from dreaming about M. Boyer.....gulp.....

Now see Nancy...THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!!!! Who are we to monitor our dreams.

My dear Mother, may she rest in peace, would confirm that. I once described a movie I didn't care for. She said, "Believe me. For a teenage girl in 1940, if Tyrone Power is in it, that's all that matters!"

Darned tootin'!! Mother knows best. He was gorgeous!

[JackFavell]

I find Errol to be more human than Tyrone Power. He is handsome yes, but he usually plays it for laughs. His characters have flaws, and don't take themselves too seriously. This is what I love most about him, that he realizes the foolishness of parading around in tights or poufy costumes. I don't get that Ty had much of a sense of humor, especially about himself. He may have, but it's not in his nature to make fun on screen.

[movieman1957]

That was part of Flynn's charm. He could be self congratulatory without being arrogant. And even if he was fe didn't come off that way. Power never quite reached that level for me either. Maybe he came closest in "Zorro" and a few comedies in the 30s but they were different men completely.

[JackFavell]

I prefer Power in his earlier incarnation, in the 1930's with Loretta Young and Alice Faye. But for me, Flynn has an edge because he has that devil may care humor, and a sense of the ridiculous.

[Rita Hayworth]

I prefer Power in his earlier incarnation, in the 1930's with Loretta Young and Alice Faye. But for me, Flynn has an edge because he has that devil may care humor, and a sense of the ridiculous.

Where I live, many women (in their 55's to 80's) prefers Tyrone Powers over Errol Flynn any day. My own Mother, had a crush on Tyrone Powers and she told me many times that and she told me that her favorite movies were:

1939 ... The Rains Came with Myrna Loy
1940 ... Zorro with Linda Darnell
1941 ... Blood and Sand with Rita Hayworth, Linda Darnell, and Anthony Quinn.
1942 ... The Black Swan with Maureen O'Hara
1949 ... Prince of Foxes with Orson Welles and Wanda Hendrix
1950 ... The Black Rose with Orson Welles and Cecile Aubry

She also a big fan of Orson Welles and Anthony Quinn ... so you can safely say her favorite Rita Hayworth film is Blood and Sand. And, always is.

[JackFavell]

Those are all great movies, kingme. I am not saying I don't like Tyrone Power, just that I like Errol better. I get a kick out of Errol, he's got a more cheery personality.

[charliechaplinfan]

Nancy, I won't hold it against you, promise. Cluny Brown is very silly and perhaps not what one would expect from Charles Boyer or perhaps from Ernst Lubitsch, in some of his innuendos he seems to have gone back to the early thirties. I don't know how much of the language translates, we speak the same language but there are some words and meanings can be different. The mileage made out of the fact she is a plumber and she likes banging away with her spanners. I liked it on first viewing but I loved it on repeated viewing, it does take getting used to.

I didn't like Heaven Can Wait though, perhaps I should try it again, it just wasn't exciting.

I didn't take to Jennifer Jones straight away, for me she was an acquired taste but once acquired I loved her and she's a firm favourite now although I haven't caught the bug yet for Portrait of Jennie but Joseph Cotten doesn't always translate for me, although a good actor he's not always a romantic lead for me. He's great in Since You Went Away and September Affair but I couldn't get into him in Jennie.

Errol and Tyrone, I know a lot more about Errol and would agree with everyone else that his self deprecating character and general cheeky boy character makes me forgive him for all of his escapades, even if David Niven's memoirs gave me a bit of an education when I was younger, I still love Errol even after reading that chapter. I don't know an awful lot about Tyrone Power although I've read what Jean Basinger has said about him, the impression I got was that he was not a man happy in his own skin, mostly because of the roles that were foisted on him by Fox studios concentrating more on swashbuckling rather than script content. I have seen him in The Razor's Edge and thought he was very good. I haven't seen him in The Sun Also Rises yet and I should as I love all the leads.

Thanks for the picture of Alain Delon, Theresa, that illustrates perfectly just how good looking he is, I'm sure he's never been short of admirers.

[CineMaven]

I find Errol to be more human than Tyrone Power. He is handsome yes, but he usually plays it for laughs. His characters have flaws, and don't take themselves too seriously. This is what I love most about him, that he realizes the foolishness of parading around in tights or poufy costumes. I don't get that Ty had much of a sense of humor, especially about himself. He may have, but it's not in his nature to make fun on screen.

That was part of Flynn's charm. He could be self congratulatory without being arrogant. And even if he was fe didn't come off that way. Power never quite reached that level for me either. Maybe he came closest in "Zorro" and a few comedies in the 30s but they were different men completely.

Errol and Tyrone, I know a lot more about Errol and would agree with everyone else that his self deprecating character and general cheeky boy character makes me forgive him for all of his escapades, even if David Niven's memoirs gave me a bit of an education when I was younger, I still love Errol even after reading that chapter. I don't know an awful lot about Tyrone Power although I've read what Jean Basinger has said about him, the impression I got was that he was not a man happy in his own skin, mostly because of the roles that were foisted on him by Fox studios concentrating more on swashbuckling rather than script content. I have seen him in The Razor's Edge and thought he was very good. I haven't seen him in The Sun Also Rises yet and I should as I love all the leads.

Hi there...I see what you guys are saying: self-deprecating, devil-may-care, sense of humor (Flynn over Power). I think I was just reacting to what Allison wrote initially:

...Now look at Cary in the mid thirties to early fifties and there's no one to match him in the impact of his looks apart from Errol Flynn.

The case I was making was that I don't think "no one could match Cary Grant's looks apart from Errol Flynn"; I was thinking Tyrone Power was another actor besides Errol Flynn who could rival Cary Grant's looks back then. I might be doing a kind of bad thing in compartmentalizing a person...isolating his looks from his overall talent. Heck, I'm just glad we had sooooo many good looking actors, and so many good looking actors...who were talented. No either / or...I'll have both, or all three...or all. It's ALL good for me. I'm loving the delineation between the two actors as you guys have defined. And I agree. If you guys could help me decide what the shade of difference is between IRENE DUNNE and MYRNA LOY. I feel it, but I can't quite describe it.

Thanks for the picture of Alain Delon, Theresa, that illustrates perfectly just how good looking he is, I'm sure he's never been short of admirers.

Merci Madame.

[knitwit45]

To me, Irene Dunne is cold. She always held a part of herself aloof from whatever character she was inhabiting, kind of a do not touch me personality. The only time she became her character was as Mama, in I Remember Mama.

Myrna Loy was warm. She might hold a part of herself back, but she seemed to be laughing about it, willing to share a naughty joke with her audience. She seemed to be always looking sideways at her leading man, mentally shaking her head at whatever antics he was going through.