Lupin!

ARSENE LUPIN-1932-Dueling Barrymores! Lionel is a French detective trying to catch the master jewel thief Arsene Lupin. John is the Duke of Charmerace who may actually be Lupin. There's some clever dialogue but the story is rather drawn out. Like many early talkies it suffers from being more like a filmed play. Also with Karen Morley, John Miljan, Tully Marshall and in un-credited roles Mischa Auer and Joe Sawyer.

The Lupin character was created by French author Maurice Leblanc (a contemporary of Arthur Conan Doyle)  in 1905. He wrote several Lupin stories that spawned sequels by other authors, films, a TV show and even an Anime series from Japan!


Director Jack Conway had directed many silent films and the "talkie" remake of THE UNHOLY THREE with Lon Chaney. He later made high profile films like A TALE OF TWO CITIES, VIVA VILLA and DRAGON SEED. 


The same year as AL both Barrymore brothers were featured in GRAND HOTEL and with their sister Ethel in RASPUTIN AND THE PRINCESS (the only film to feature all 3 siblings). 


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3 More!

COUNSELOR AT LAW-1933-This is often considered the legendary John Barrymore’s last great performance and he does live up to that claim. It’s also ahead of it’s time in it’s view on lawyers and the way they interpret the law.

“The Great Profile” plays a successful Jewish lawyer up to his neck in controversy. One case may get him disbarred and he tries defend a self proclaimed Communist who declares the US is “worst than Russia was under the Czar”. Although Barrymore would act another 7 years, good roles would be few a far between (20th CENTURY, ROMEO & JULIET and THE GREAT MAN VOTES would be exceptions). In an ironic twist his character says “I don’t even know how to get drunk”! Also with Bebe Daniels, Melvyn Douglas (he was in THE VAMPIRE BAT the same year), Onslow Stevens, Doris Kenyon, Thelma Todd, Mayo Methot and John Qualen. This would also put director William Wyler on the map.




UFO: THE TRUE STORY OF FLYING SAUCERS-1956 –Wow! This pseudo-documentary must have really shook up 1950’s moviegoers. It’s nothing like the stuff AIP was churning out at the time. It uses actually amateur shot color films (though the rest of the movie is black & white) and has interviews with real UFO (called “unknowns” here) eyewitnesses though the lead reporter is played by an actor (Tom Powers who a small roles in many Hollywood productions and died soon after this was made). There’s a lot of talk and some unintentionally funny parts but most for it remains serious and effective. Actors Harry Morgan and Les Tremayne provide the voices of the pilots who have a “close encounter”.


CHANDU THE MAGICIAN-1932-Edmund Lowe stars as Chandu, a yogi who uses hypnotism to battle the evil would ruler of the world named Roxor (Bela Lugosi, really hamming it up). Roxor wants the death ray a scientist has invented. 

This has great sets (Willaim Cameron Menzies was one of the directors) and some crude but fun SFX including stone statues coming to life and Chandu turning rifles into snakes. Like many ‘30’s movies a comic relief assistant bogs down the story.  

This pre-code action fantasy is fairly  crude but the weird things Chandu can do is a plus and Lugosi's Roxor is a hoot. It's based on a radio show. Strangely, the sequel starred Lugosi in the Chandu role!  But I think an opportunity was missed in not bringing back the Roxor character and have Bella playing both roles! Also with Irene Ware (who was later in THE RAVEN with Lugosi and Karloff).



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