If I Were Free

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movie
Original title If I Were Free
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1933
length 66 minutes
Rod
Director Elliott Nugent
script Dwight Taylor
production Merian C. Cooper for RKO
music Roy Webb
camera Edward Cronjager
cut Arthur Roberts
occupation

If I Were Free is a 1933 melodrama starring Irene Dunne .

action

The well-known British lawyer Gordon Evers seeks a change from his unhappy marriage in Paris. He meets the young American Sarah Cazenove, who is also not happy in her marriage to the playboy and womanizer Tono Cazenove. The two begin a relationship from which a deep love quickly develops. After Gordon's first attempt to obtain a divorce fails, he reports to the front in frustration and is wounded. Many entanglements later, a dangerous operation saves his life, his wife agrees to a divorce and he finds happiness in Sarah's arms.

background

In the course of her early career, Irene Dunne had the image of the clean, noble woman who stoically endures all the hardships of fate, never rebels against the oppressors and is ultimately rewarded for her ability to suffer. With passive resistance, Dunne fought in her films against the infidelity of her filmmakers, the meanness of their lovers and against the circumstances themselves.

It was not until 1933 that the studio began using the actress in other roles. Ann Vickers and The Silver Cord presented Dunne as successful women with their own ideas about the relationship between men and women. In the adaptation of the play Behold My Live , which John Van Druten had written for Gertrude Lawrence and Gerald Du Maurier in 1932, the change from Dunne's screen image to more urbane characters was only shown in nuances. At least in the first half of the film, Dunne is the betrayed wife again, but here she breaks out and runs off to England with her lover, who is also married, where they both live more or less openly together. In the second half, If I Were Free changes back to the familiar basic pattern of Irene Dunne's previous films: tears, waiting, enduring, stoic composure, happy ending.

It was one of the last meaningful roles for Nils Asther , whose career quickly dwindled after a hopeful start in the last days of the silent film with the rise of the sound film. The actor made a comeback in 1932 as the sadistic lover of Joan Crawford in Letty Lynton .

Reviews

The New York Times was reasonably impressed with the film, but warned viewers against false hopes:

“[One] expects a passionate melodrama, but little, if any, tension follows. Thanks to the clever play of Clive Brook and Irene Dunne, it turns out to be reasonably good entertainment in the end. [...] Given the limitations of her role, Miss Dunne is doing remarkably well. "

The New York Sun praised Irene Dunne:

"She plays simply, honestly and well and remains the nice clean woman she always is."

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ [One] anticipates sitting through a lusty melodrama. But there follows little if any excitement in the narratives, which, however, is made fairly diverting through the intelligent performances of Clive Brook [and] Irene Dunne […] Considering the limited possibilities of her role, Miss Dunne does remarkably well.
  2. ↑ She plays simply, sincerely, and well and remains that likeable Miss Wholesomeness she always is.