Ronald Colman

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Ann Harding
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Ronald Colman

Post by Ann Harding »

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As I already mentioned in my introduction, I am very fond of this British actor who made (nearly) his whole career in America.
He is very sadly overlooked nowadays. I am pretty furious because he was a role model for many actors during the 30s (David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Raymond Massey....). He broke the 'sound barrier' without any problem. His first talkies show an actor totally at ease with the microphone, with perfect timing and humor.

I know why he isn't better known nowadays. For many years (1924 to 1933), he was under contract with Samuel Goldwyn, an independant producer who released his films through United Artists. It means that nowadays this catalogue belongs to MGM/UA and they don't seem to give a hoot about it.... :cry:

The other aspect is a huge number of his films were remade. No less that 11 of his films. While his films are usually the best, they got overshadowed for years by sub-standard remakes...... Example: Beau Geste (1926) was remade in 1939 shot-for-shot. Same fate for The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) also remade shot-for-shot in 1952. :?

And another deadly fact, half of his films are silents (many lost) and on top, the majority of his film output was before 1940.

After a lot of searching, I managed to see all his talkies and eight of his silents.
The first 8 talkies he made for Goldwyn from 1929 to 1933 are all gems that should be released on DVD ASAP. Alas, only Arrowsmith has been released so far and in a truncated version (some scenes were cut by censors later on).
These eight films are really among the best early talkies ever made: the cinematography is by George Barnes (and his young assistant Gregg Toland) or Ray June. The sets are by William Cameron Menzies or Richard Day. Plus, they boast excellent scripts.

Here are the titles:
Bulldog Drummond (1929) F. Richard Jones
Condemned (1929) W. Ruggles
The Devil to Pay (1930) G. Fitzmaurice
Raffles (1930) G. Fitzmaurice/H. d'Abbadie d'Arrast
The Unholy Garden (1931) G. Fitzmaurice
Arrowsmith (1931) J. Ford
Cynara (1932) K. Vidor
The Masquerader (1933) R. Wallace

Have you seen any of these? Did you like them?
Last edited by Ann Harding on January 31st, 2008, 7:41 am, edited 2 times in total.
feaito

Post by feaito »

You are right about Ronald Colman Christine, in that so many of his films having been remade is an important fact that prevents him of being better known. Something similar happens with Irene Dunne who must have the record of the actress whose films have been subject of remakes (The Awful Truth, Anna & the King of Siam, Love Affair, The Age of Innocence, A Guy Named Joe, My Favorite Wife, Magnificent Obsession, Back Street, Roberta et al).

Of the films you list I saw "Unholy Garden", "Condemned" and "The Devil to Pay" as a kid/teenager and I don't really recall them. I do remember though that the the former two were very atmospheric and that they had very elegant production values thank to the care put in his projects by producer Samuel Goldwyn.

I saw "Arrowsmith" because I bought the official VHS ( and have the official DVD on my Wish List) and I liked it a lot: entertaining, well acted, absorbing, ultimately engrossing. It deserves more viewings most certainly.

I saw "Cynara" recently and I liked it but wasn't much taken in by Phyllis Barry's performance, but then, maybe I wasn't in the right mood when I watched it. I plan to watch it again soon. Colman's performance is impeccable though and the story is very honestly told and portrayed. I remember that I felt that some scenes were missing.
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Post by Ann Harding »

Well, Fernando, you've seen quite a few! :)

Bizarrely five of these were released in the UK on VHS in the 90s and never in the US: perhaps there are some film rights problems?

The Devil To Pay (1930) played recently on TCM US as part of an homage to Loretta Young. It's a fabulous comedy and I would rate it as probably the earliest example of sophisticated comedy together with Laughter (1930) by Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, another film at least 2 to 3 years ahead of its time.

The Unholy Garden (1931) has a completely messy script by Hecht and MacArthur. Hecht allegedly dictated it in one night! :lol: But, nevertheless, the film is fun as a spoof detective/gangster picture. This is the way Colman plays it. And the film seemed to have been a 'model' for the later French classic Pépé le Moko (1936) by Julien Duvivier as it borrows a lot of its imagery.

Cynara (1932) is an underrated Vidor picture. Here is just a little gif animation showing Kay Francis and Colman in close-up at the end of the film.
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Colman

Post by melwalton »

Hi, Ann.
I think your boy got his best pictures after he left Goldwyn. A Tale of Two Cities, Under Two Flags, Lost Horizon, The Light That Failed ( I, especially liked that one ) Random Harvest and A Double Life.

There was a story ( I can't vouch for the truth of it ) in the mid 30s Goldwyn stated publicly that Colman was a better actor when he was drunk. Colman sued. I don't know how the case was settled but Colman did not work for Sam after that.
I think the reason he made the transition from silents so easily was mostly due to that attractive voice. Welcome to SSO. ...... mel
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Post by mrsl »

Ann Harding, Welcome!!! :

I don't know what it's like in Paris, but here in the States, Mr. Colman is quite well known and appreciated. He even has the nickname of "The Velvet Voice", if I remember correctly. His films are well known by us classic fans, and he usually has a day of his own during the Star of the Month. His Random Harvest, with Greer Garson is often considered one of the most romantic pairings on screen, and due to his voice, much of his career was spent on radio and in recording stories on vinyl. I'm pretty sure if you ask a true classic movie fan about Ronald Colman, you would get a pretty admirable answer. :lol:

Anne
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Post by Jezebel38 »

Hi Ann - I live in the SF Bay area and have the wonderful Stanford Theatre as my local retro movie palace. A couple years back, David Packard ran a Ronald Colman Festival, as he is one of DP's favorite actors along with Cary Grant. There is an annex to the theatre, which displays original posters and a display case, which for the RC festival was filled with documents such as period movie reviews and articles, but most interesting of all were the personal correspondence from other actor's. A couple that I recall were telegrams of congrats from Larry and Viv for RC's oscar win, and a fabulous letter from Basil Rathbone expressing his admiration of RC's acting talents. Here is a link below to an archive list of the films that played at the festival - needless to say I was camped out at the theatre for several weeks.
http://www.stanfordtheatre.org/stf/cale ... olman.html
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Post by Ann Harding »

I'll try to reply to everybody.

Melwalton:
Of course, Colman made some great pictures after he left Goldwyn in 1933. And most of these are easily available on DVD or on TV. I too love Tale of Two Cities, Lost Horizon, Light That Failed (though I don't always like the way Wellman directed) and A Double Life. But not Random Harvest which I find terribly soapy and ponderous (I don't like Mervyn Le Roy's MGM films).

As for suing Goldwyn. Here is the whole story. When Colman was shooting Cynara, the studio publicity man told a columnist that Colman needed a few drinks to go through his love scenes. Needless to say, Colman was livid and asked Goldwyn to send out a 'retraction'. Goldwyn said apologies were enough. I suspect he was trying to lower his actor's value to renegociate a new contract. As a result, Colman sued Goldwyn for libel. Something completely unheard of in those days as producers were so powerful. In the end, they settled out of court and Colman left Goldwyn for good (after spending more than a year off screen) and joined the newly formed XXth Century Pictures.

Mrsl: Colman is better known among US movie lovers than French ones. Unless, you're a movie maniac like me, his films are pretty hard to seeover here. I nevertheless managed to see on a big screen (in Paris): Lady Windermere's Fan, Stella Dallas (1925), Cynara, Lucky Partners, The Late George Apley and A Double Life.

Jezebel: I am SO JEALOUS!!!! I saw the Stanford theatre Festival announcement on the Internet last year. And I was just so desperate I couldn't go..........SF is too far away! :( I hope you went to see all the silents. That's really the films I would have gone to see. Especially, Her Sister From Paris, Her Night of Romance and the newly restored Kiki! Did you go to see any of these?

If I mentioned the Goldwyn films, it's because I think they are overlooked both by film critics (except William K. Everson) and by distributors (TV, DVD). And they deserve to be much better known! :)
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Post by Jezebel38 »

HI Ann – it’s been a while since I saw these films, so they are not fresh in my memory, but I can at least tell you which titles I did see and my general impressions – I’ll just list the silents.

White Sister – I arrived late for this one as the first film on the bill ran short, and the theatre started this one sooner than scheduled. I caught the last hour, and remember most a scene where Ronnie is holding Lillian in a room against her will, while he is quite ardently trying to get her to give up her vows.

Her Night of Romance – Excellent! 4 stars! The Stanford had previously shown this silent and it was the first time I had seen Constance Talmadge and I laughed my head off, so I made sure to see this repeat showing. Part of the plot has Ronnie being mistaken for a doctor by Constance’s father, who calls him in later to treat her when she is having a fit of the vapors or something. Hilarious watching Ronnie unbutton her blouse a bit and then having to place his ear against her bosom to listen to her heart – the look on his face a mix of both embarrassment and arousal!

Her Sister From Paris – OK, not as funny as Night of Romance.

Stella Dallas - (you saw this one) Mostly Belle Bennet’s picture – she really shows up in some frowsy frocks in this. I liked that Doug Fairbanks, Jr. and Ronnie are in the wedding scene – the two will team up again later for Prisoner of Zenda.

The Night of Love – Wow, Ronnie as a Gypsy with curly hair. Impressive sets and art direction on this film. A brunette Sally Rand performs a Gypsy dance around the campfire. Ronnie goes the Valentino route by kidnapping Vilma Banky, who is betrothed to Montague Love. I would want to see this one again.

Winning of Barbara Worth – Ronnie and Vilma again. I was watching this more for Gary Cooper. I’m not a big fan of Westerns, so I’d rather see Ronnie in something else.

Sporting Venus – not very memorable except we do get to see Ronnie in a kilt.

$20 Dollars a Week- Ronnie plays George Arliss’ son and is only in a few scenes.

KiKi – this was my first, and so far, only Norma Talmadge picture. I’m afraid I can’t remember much of the plot, but Ronnie plays a stage manager and Norma is trying very hard to impress him to get a role. It was very good and worth watching again if I had a chance. But I still think her sister is funnier!

The Rescue – something about gunrunners if I recall, ships trying to avoid the authorities. Ronnie ends up falling for and trying to rescue the especially luscious Lily Damita, who is married to one of the other characters.
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Post by Ann Harding »

Thanks Jezebel for your comments on silents! :)

This is the least well known part of Colman's career. On top, as I discussed it with Mr Shepard, nearly all the Goldwyn silents have disappeared. :cry: Trashed by Frances Goldwyn to get more shelving spaces in vaults....

Among the silents, I have seen:
The White Sister (One of his best picture. A fantastice picture that should be already on DVD)
Romola (a real disappointment: a very academic version of George Eliot's novel)
Stella Dallas (another great Henry King picture)
Lady Windermere's Fan (fantastic Lubitsch)
Kiki (It's a great mixture of slapstick and sophisticated comedy)
The Sporting Venus (it's not a major Marshall Neilan film, but, still contains some interesting aspects like the dying mother smoking a cigarette in a very detached way...)
The Winning of Barbara Worth (now available on DVD in a gorgeous print. Visually stunning though the script is not great.)
Beau Geste (I have mixed feelings on this one. A trifle too militaristic for my taste.)

You are very lucky to have seen Night of Love, one of the few Banky-Colman that has survived. I would give anything to see the Talmadge comedies as well.....pretty unlikely on this side of the Atlantic alas.....
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Post by moira finnie »

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Of the eight early talkies that Ann Harding mentioned, I've seen all but The Masquerader (1933), which certainly sounds intriguing. Bulldog Drummond (1929) must've been such an exciting movie for audiences to witness in 1929. Not so much for the rather commonplace plot, but that opening sequence, when audiences heard--at last--that velvety voice!

I also like Colman's playfulness in this film, especially in his scenes with the very young Joan Bennett. Though it's always amusing to see Montague Love and Lilyan Tashman strut their stuff, Colman owns the screen, and his apparent enjoyment is infectious. It's as though I half expect him break the fourth wall, to turn to the camera and say, "Ladies and gentlemen, surely we all know that this bit of artifice is too silly to play with a straight face, so if you will indulge me just a bit, I'll proceed to kid some life into a script that was old when Edmund Kean trod the boards..."

The Devil to Pay (1930) is probably one of my favorite Colman movies, due to his worldly fondness expressed for both Myrna Loy and Loretta Young. I'm also captivated by his character's casual approach to money and the scenes between him and the dog, which are enchanting. People tend to dismiss this kind of "throwaway", relaxed style of acting, but if it were so easy, wouldn't more great examples of it exist?

I think that the qualities of seemingly relaxed naturalism and quiet grace, along with a bemused quality when facing life's vicissitudes, and, yes, that handsome face and warm voice, were part of his appeal. As he aged quite gracefully, and naturally, I think he was unusual in that quality as well. He never strained or even seemed to yearn to be au courant. Yet, there's also another, less easily described aspect to Ronald Colman's that is part of his belonging to another age. His type of actor and style of acting didn't really survive past the Second World War, though a few, such as Rex Harrison, in a more assertive way and Robert Donat, in his shy manner, continued to warm their audiences with their wonderfully old-fashioned comportment for a time. Even during his own lifetime, it seems that Colman's attitude remained a bit aloof, and he seemed aware of his belonging to an earlier age. If I had to put his most memorable quality into one phrase, it might be he seemed a "gentle man", in every sense.

Arrowsmith (1931) I found to be tedious and thought that Ford and Colman seem out of sync with one another's styles. The scenes with Helen Hayes were overly sentimental. Hayes, who said that she was thrilled to be in a movie with Colman, but never felt that she came across well on screen, has an almost impossible role. Though I haven't read any Sinclair Lewis since tackling Main Street many moons ago, I wonder if this film is close to the book?

Cynara (1932), which used to be shown alot 25 years ago on NYC tv (channel WPIX) was one of the first Colman movies that made me a fan of Mr. C. His frailty and sorrow throughout the film were beautifully depicted, and he had such marvelous actors to work with in this film, that the now ancient social attitudes can be overlooked entirely. I'm particularly impressed with Henry Stephenson's Mephistopheles-like friend. Stephenson so seldom played anything other than the virtuous embodiment of the British Empire that his turn here is more dramatically compelling than it might have been if played by an actor with an air of some duplicity, such as John Halliday or Henry Daniell.

I have a vhs of Colman's breakthrough role White Sister, but I hope that someone knows if there is a better print of this somewhere. The one that I've seen is pretty terrible, but, since Ronald Colman's appealing blend of diffidence and dash is all there, even in a grainy, scratched state, it's a must for anyone who cherishes his work.

Though I know what you mean about the ponderous element of some aspects of Random Harvest, Colman's performance as the veteran, wounded in his soul and mind, makes the slower parts of the story endurable. I do prefer the first half of the film over the second, however. Two films that I don't like much of Colman's were Lost Horizon and A Double Life. There was an "importance" to them that I don't entirely respond to, though some scenes are better than others. They just don't have the sparkle of some of his incidental movies.One of the "important" movies in Colman's c.v. that does hold up with repeated viewings is A Tale of Two Cities. But then, that Dickens guy, I think his stories may have legs :wink:

Where in heck have the wondrous If I Were King (1936), (with an amusing and romantic script by Preston Sturges at his best & with an additional great performance by Basil Rathbone as Louis XI) The Light That Failed (1939), and Under Two Flags gone away to? They used to pop up occasionally on the tube, but now seem to have disappeared completely!

One of the Colman films that I'd love to see sometime: The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1935). Where can it be, oh, 20th Century Fox?

Here are a few samples from Under Two Flags (1936) in two very different scenes with Claudette Colbert & Rosalind Russell that display the Colman playfulness and charm, (at least to this sap--er, I mean, fan).

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]
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Post by Ann Harding »

Dear Moira, you're really a fan after my heart! :D

Let me tell you a few things regarding the films you mention.

The Masquerader (1933) is truly a nice film thanks to Colman's double role (the alcoholic & drug addicted MP versus the nice sober journalist) and also thanks to Gregg Toland's superb cinematography.
A little appetizer here:
http://annhardingstreasures.blogspot.co ... -1933.html

I also value very highly The Devil To Pay (1930): his best comedy!

I know a lot of people do not like Arrowsmith (1931). The film is rather dry. But, I DO love it. There are many reasons. First of all, I am a scientist and I am absolutely amazed how incredibly accurate the film is in that respect. I read Sinclair Lewis' novel and absolutely adored it. The adaptation by Sidney Howard shortens the story but keeps his spirit. Howard was a Lewis specialist: he also wrote the script for Dodsworth, another favourite of mine (novel & film).

Cynara (1932) has aged very gracefully. Vidor made such good pictures about marriage around that time (The Stanger's Return, the Wedding Night).

As The Man Who Broke The Bank at Monte Carlo (1935), it's a disappointing comedy produced by the newly formed XXth Cent Fox. Its beginning offers some attractive possibilities spoiled by a weak script. Colman is a penniless Russian émigré in 30s Paris. he wins a fortune in monte Carlo before losing everything.

His two Paramount features are still not extant en DVD. I too love The Light That Failed and If I Were King.

As for Under Two Flags, the film has been shown for years as a truncated version missing about one reel (14min). That's the only version I have ever seen. Frank Lloyd is not a great director, but, I love Colman's pairing with Claudette Colbert. The UCLA Film & TV Archive have restored it recently to its full length. But, no TV broadcast or DVD yet, alas..... :(

As The White Sister, it's been broadcast on TCM France in 2006 in a gorgeous 35 mm print. The film is just magnificent. The cinematography is stunning so is the acting. This is one of my favourite Henry King film as well as Colman. :D
http://annhardingstreasures.blogspot.co ... -1923.html
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Post by klondike »

And, let us not forget that Mr. Colman, along with fellow Brits Basil Rathbone & Claude Rains, served, prior to his acting debut, with the London Scottish Regiment, which during the last 3 centuries has boasted one of the proudest records of service & gallantry in all of the Royal Territorial Army, from the Crimea clear through to the Falklands.
Way to go, Ronnie! 8)
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Post by moira finnie »

Ronald Colman and Claude Rains were both invalided out of service due to illness brought on by the conditions at the front. Ronald Colman rarely spoke about his experiences, which some sources say included seeing the first devastating effects of the Great Influenza epidemic in France, (and transmitted by returning soldiers throughout the world subsequently).

Colman always had problems with his lungs for the rest of his life, which contributed greatly to his relatively early death at 67 from a lung infection. Of course, the smoking, (evident in several films and candids), probably didn't help either.To think that his voice may have been partly the result of such horrendous historical events.

I also think that WWI made many men and women, including Colman, Rains, and Basil Rathbone, more inclined to pursue a career in the theatre. They'd all seen how ephemeral life can be, so I believe that they had a fatalistic approach to things, and were therefore less likely to pursue "safer" professions, despite the risks involved in an actor's life.

Claude Rains was blind in one eye due to his war injuries and his beautiful, slightly furry voice was affected by the gassing that he received. Mr. Rains also very rarely spoke about his wartime experiences and kept his problem with his eyesight a family secret, though it has been confirmed by his daughter, Jessica. I've often wondered if that characteristic head tilt of his as he raises one eyebrow while appraising another character might have been some kind of compensation for this physical limitation.

Basil Rathbone, who did talk about his WWI experiences, was actually in the Liverpool Scottish Regiment. One of the incidents Rathbone had included in his memoirs was one time when he disguised himself as a tree to spy on the enemy (I'm not kidding). He was awarded the Military Cross for outstanding bravery, and was gassed as well. He returned home to find that his mother had died and his brother had been killed in battle. Basil and his first wife also split up, so I think Mr. R. did more than his bit.

Btw, Nigel Bruce was machine-gunned in WWI, and some reports state that they pulled 11 bullets out of his legs. He was only in his '50s when he died too. There's lots more info about the WWI experiences of Hollywood vets who fought on all sides, (truly horrendous ones such as those experienced by Fritz Lang, for instance) and amusing ones, (like that moving tree), but I don't want to hijack this thread from Ms.Harding and Ronald Colman. Sorry for the interruptions.
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Post by Ann Harding »

Moira is right to mention WWI as turning point in Colman's life. When he came back, he was a changed man. Though, it's important to point out, he NEVER wanted to be taken for a great war hero. He always downplays considerably his part in the war: a simple soldier who spent only 2 months at the front and was invalidated for a minor injury to his leg.

He loathed any form of violence, wether war or hunting. If you look closely at his films, there are very few where you would see him firing a gun (or even having a gun in his hand for that matter). In that respect, he is very different from the traditional American 'hero'. Even in Bulldog Drummond, he manages to get out of most situation by his volubility; the violence is extremely muted on his part. During WWII, he made Random Harvest where he played a shell-shocked victim of WWI.

His 'colonial' pictures (The Light That Failed after Kipling, Clive of India) offer also a very different image compared with more traditional fare like The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (though it's a very well made picture). In Light, he is a victim; the story is relentlessly dark and we never get any 'positive view' of colonialism. In Clive (a really atrociously badly produced picture), he is nearly an anti-hero. Robert Clive uses all sort of tricks: forged signatures, bribes and fake treaty to further his ambition. No such thing in Bengal Lancer where C. Aubrey Smith explains the 'burden of the British army to protect India'.....
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Post by moira finnie »

Your observant comments on Colman's apparent attitude toward violence in the majority of his films were very astute and made me think, Ann. Now I wonder if that's why I felt so uncomfortable seeing him play a murderer in A Double Life. The psychological monologues that he had in that film were very compelling, but I guess that was one reason why he may have won the Oscar, (which was undoubtedly out of respect for his decades of film work as well), was that the role was seemingly "out of character."

I'm very fond of this perceptive comment by Juliet Colman, made a few years ago in connection with the 39-film retrospective in CA at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto:
"We all have ideals, whether of a partner or parts of ourselves we wish to better. I think that RC's audience responded not only to his physical charms but to the part of himself that he brought to the screen. He truly was a gentleman to the core, incapable of any hint of vulgarity, graced with a voice to melt hearts and looks to match, plus he had a depth, maturity, intelligence and kindness, all of which jumped off the screen. We would probably all like to be kind, to strive and do better, and I think these aspirations resonated in his audience."
Last edited by moira finnie on January 19th, 2008, 12:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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