A charming villain
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A charming villain |
| Original title | The Scoundrel |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1935 |
| length | 65 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur |
| script | Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur |
| production | Ben Hecht Charles MacArthur |
| music | Frank Tours |
| camera | Lee Garmes |
| cut | Arthur Ellis |
| occupation | |
| |
The Charming Villain is a 1935 American drama movie.
action
The editor Tony Mallare is an intellectual but heartless killer. He surrounds himself with a group of snobs who praise his brilliance, but drag on him behind his back. When Tony refuses to publish the book by the philosopher Slazack, the latter commits suicide. Tony describes this as a stupid attempt to get attention. Tony hooks up with the young poet Cora Moore, who then leaves her admirer Captain Paul Decker. Paul recognizes Tony as a typical Don Juan and tries to shoot him. But Paul only hits the tobacco can. Tony calls the incident an act of honor and refuses to bring charges against Paul.
Tony and Cora let a gypsy predict their future. The woman is aloof from Tony, but Cora predicts she will have a long life and gives her a medallion. Months later, Tony dumps Cora because of the pianist Maggie. Cora suffers and begins to drink. Soon afterwards, she seeks Tony to borrow money from him, with which she wants to get Paul, who is now poor, out of prison. Tony refuses and calls it moral blackmail. Cora curses Tony and wishes he was killed in a plane crash.
Tony makes his way to Bermuda to marry Maggie there. His plane crashes. However, Maggie's invitation to get married in Bermuda was just a joke. Nobody from Tony's acquaintance mourns Tony, and Cora laughs too when she receives the news of the crash. But Tony returns as a ghost, as the souls of unloved people cannot find rest. He has a month to find someone to cry for him.
The days go by and Tony is desperately looking for Cora, who Paul found in a shabby guesthouse and asks his forgiveness. When Tony only has one day left, he sees Cora's locket in a pawn shop. Tony lures Cora to the pension where Paul is about to commit suicide. Tony walks into the room and asks Paul for forgiveness. When he tries to give him money, Paul shoots Tony, but he can't hurt him. Tony prays to God to give Cora and Paul peace. Paul turns the gun on himself and pulls the trigger, but the wound heals by itself. Cora cries with gratitude. Tony asks her if these tears are for him.
criticism
The Lexicon of International Films described the film as “a melodramatic story spiced with cynicism; remarkable the brilliant portrayal of the main role. "
Andre Sennwald of the New York Times found that the Hecht / MacArthur team of authors hijacked Noel Coward and made a very entertaining, witty and bizarre film.
The Variety compared the film to an audio book. Lots of dialogue and talk with a minimum of action.
Don Druker from "Chicago Reader" spoke of a clumsy and self-important melodrama.
Awards
In 1936 , Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur received an Oscar in the category of Best Original Story.
background
The film premiered on April 30, 1935. In Germany, the film first appeared on September 23, 1978 as part of a TV premiere in the third BR program .
The writer and critic Alexander Woollcott had a guest appearance as Vanderveer Veyden : Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur can also be seen in a scene in which Burgess Meredith has his first film role. Apart from a brief appearance in a silent film by David Wark Griffith , this film is also the film debut for leading actor Noel Coward.
The film's script is based in part on a novel by Ben Hecht. The film character Tony Mallare is said to be based on the theater producer Jed Harris . The role names of the main characters are taken from a pornographic novel from the 1920s, Fantasius Mallare .
The film is one of over 700 Paramount Pictures productions shot between 1929 and 1949, the television rights of which were sold to Universal Pictures in 1958 .
Web links
- A charming villain in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ A charming villain. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film Service , accessed February 11, 2011 .
- ↑ Review of the New York Times (English)
- ↑ The Scoundrel. In: Variety . 1935, accessed June 15, 2019 .
- ↑ Critique of the Chicago Reader (English)
- ^ The Scoundrel (1935) - Notes. In: Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved June 15, 2019 .