Number 204 on IMDb's Top 250
When Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) is arrested for the sensational murder of a rich, middle-aged widow, the famous Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) agrees to appear on his behalf. Sir Wilfrid, recovering from a near-fatal heart attack, is *supposed* to be on a diet of bland, civil suits. But the lure of the criminal courts is too much for him, especially when the case is so difficult: Vole's only alibi witness is his wife, the calm and coldly calculating Christine Vole (Marlene Dietrich). Sir Wilfrid's task becomes even more impossible when Christine agrees to be a witness not for the defense but for the prosecution. Hilarity ensues.
Trivia: In order to show just one of Marlene Dietrich's famous legs, an entire scene was written that required 145 extras, 38 stunt men and $90,000, and then they only showed one of her legs, and only for a few seconds. Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester (the nurse, Miss Plimsoll) were real-life husband and wife. Unsure if he could play a man with a heart condition, Charles Laughton staged a heart attack in the pool one day at home. His wife, Elsa Lanchester, and a houseguest panicked and pulled him from the water, at which point he explained his trick. Elsa's reaction has not been recorded. The film was shown in London for a Royal Command Performance, but beforehand the Royal Family had to promise not to reveal the surprise ending to anyone else. This was the final film for Tyrone Power, who died shortly after completion.
Okay, I was ready for the surprise twist at the end, this being an Agatha Christie story and all, but I wasn't prepared for the surprise surprise twist, or the surprise surprise surprise twist, I half expected Chubby Checker to show up. All in all it is a good courtroom drama that keeps you on the edge until the end. Charles Laughton was great as the aging sick barrister with a penchant for cigars, but Elsa Lanchester stole the show as his nurse.
Up Next: Sweet Smell of Success, The almighty J.J. ...the columnist with sixty million believers ...his wrath is feared by the great and near great who worship the sweet smell of success!
Posts
3 comments:
Little side trivia here. Elsa Lanchester is pretty well known from a role she played in the 1930's. That role...the Bride of Frankenstein.
Where do you get these poster pictures. Is that the worst picture of Marlene Deitrich you've ever seen?
I didn't think about that. That was pretty funny. That is the cover of the DVD, which usually means it was the movie poster. There is a part where she is yelling at Laughton to go to hell, maybe the picture was from that. You are right, usually they try to get the best picture available to promote the film.
Post a Comment