Arsène Lupin **** (1932, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley) – Classic Movie Review 8676

Director Jack Conway has the privilege of bringing Maurice Leblanc’s famous gentleman crook Arsène Lupin to the screen for its first sound incarnation in 1932 with both Barrymore brothers in the popular MGM pre-Code mystery film Arsène Lupin.

A daring posh Paris gentleman thief known as Arsene Lupin tries to steal the Mona Lisa in MGM’s effervescent crime caper, with the Barrymore brothers, John and Lionel, giving entertainingly fruity performances as (respectively) the master robber Arsène Lupin and the dogged police detective Guerchard pursuing him, in the star actors’ first screen appearance together. [Spoiler alert] Of course, naturally, the film culminates in the recovery of the Mona Lisa.

Arsène Lupin is crisp, classy vintage crime entertainment, based on a popular 1909 play by Maurice Leblanc and Francis de Croisset.

In a pre-Code highlight, the Duke of Charmerace (John Barrymore) finds Sonia (Karen Morley) naked in his bed, turns off the lights and makes love.

Also in the cast are Karen Morley as Sonia, John Miljan as Prefect of Police, Tully Marshall as Gourney-Martin, Henry Armetta as Sheriff’s man, George Davis as Sheriff’s man, John Davidson as Butler, James T Mack as Laurent, Mary Jane Irving as Marie, Olaf Hytten as Party Guest (uncredited), Leo White as Jeweller (uncredited), Mischa Auer, Theodore Lorch, Georges Renavent, Joe Sawyer, Nicholas Soussanin and Roland Varno,

Arsène Lupin is directed by Jack Conway, runs 85 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Carey Wilson, Lenore J Coffee and Bayard Veiller, based on a play by Maurice Leblanc and Francis de Croisset, is shot in black and white by Oliver T Marsh, is produced by Samuel Goldwyn, is scored by Alfred Newman and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

The film grossed $1,110,000, making a profit of $245,000 on a budget of $433,000.

Lionel Barrymore was the favourite actor of MGM studio boss Louis B Mayer, who promptly grabbed John Barrymore, too, the moment his Warner Bros contract expired. It is his first MGM film under his new contract.

Arsène Lupin Returns followed in 1938 with Melvyn Douglas and Enter Arsène Lupin in 1944 with Charles Korvin. The Adventures of Arsène Lupin [Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin] (France, 1957) with Robert Lamoureux as Lupin is an outstanding colour version featuring the character.

Arsène Lupin author Maurice Leblanc.

Arsène Lupin has provided a rich seam to mine for the movies. These are the many films of the books: The Gentleman Burglar (B&W, US, 1908) with William Ranows (Lupin), Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes (B&W, Germany, 1910) with Paul Otto (Lupin), Arsène Lupin (B&W, France, 1914) with Georges Tréville (Lupin), The Gentleman Burglar (B&W, US, 1915) with William Stowell (Lupin), Arsène Lupin (B&W, UK, 1916) with Gerald Ames (Lupin), Arsène Lupin (B&W, US, 1917) with Earle Williams (Lupin), The Teeth of the Tiger (B&W, US, 1919) with David Powell (Lupin), 813 (B&W, US, 1920) with Wedgewood Nowell (Lupin) and Wallace Beery, Les Dernières aventures d’Arsène Lupin (B&W, France/Hungary, 1921), 813 – Rupimono (B&W. Japan, 1923) with Minami Mitsuaki (Lupin), Arsène Lupin (B&W, US, 1932) with John Barrymore (Lupin), Arsene Lupin, Detective (Arsène Lupin détective, B&W, France, 1937) with Jules Berry (Lupin), Arsène Lupin Returns (B&W, US, 1938) with Melvyn Douglas (Lupin), Enter Arsène Lupin (B&W, US, 1944) with Charles Korvin (Lupin), Arsenio Lupin (B&W, Mexico, 1945) with R. Pereda (Lupin), Nanatsu-no Houseki (B&W, Japan, 1950) with Keiji Sada (Lupin), Tora no-Kiba (B&W, Japan, 1951) with Ken Uehara (Lupin), Kao-no Nai Otoko (B&W, Japan, 1955) with Eiji Okada (Lupin), The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (Les Aventures d’Arsène Lupin, col, France, 1957) with Robert Lamoureux (Lupin), Signé Arsène Lupin (B&W, France, 1959) with Robert Lamoureux (Lupin), Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin [fr] (B&W, France, 1962) with Jean-Pierre Cassel and Jean-Claude Brialy (Lupins),  Arsène Lupin (col, France, 2004) with Romain Duris (Lupin), and Lupin no Kiganjo (col, Japan, 2011) with Kōichi Yamadera (Lupin).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8676

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