Arsène Lupin Returns *** (1938, Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce, Warren William, John Halliday, Nat Pendleton, Monty Woolley, George Zucco) – Classic Movie Review 8677

Director George Fitzmaurice’s 1938 Arsène Lupin Returns is the welcome sequel to the 1932 MGM hit Arsène Lupin.

And, yes, happily Arsène Lupin Returns, but alas John and Lionel Barrymore do not return for this rather less compelling and slightly clumsily written sequel to their 1932 hit, as a US private eye detective, ex-FBI man Steve Emerson (Warren William), sets the now retired French gentleman cat burglar and jewel thief René Farrand (Melvyn Douglas), aka Arsène Lupin, to catch a copycat French thief. The woman in the middle of what turns out to be a love triangle is wealthy and alluring socialite Lorraine de Grissac (Virginia Bruce), after someone tries to steal a precious emerald necklace from her uncle, the Count de Grissac (John Halliday).

Old smoothies Melvyn Douglas and Warren William should have done the trick with their polished acts, and they are highly watchable, but Arsène Lupin was better with the Barrymores and the vintage crime mystery material just doesn’t quite work as well this time.

Arsène Lupin Returns is not entirely satisfying but the reasonable mystery plot and the vintage support cast (including favourites Nat Pendleton, Monty Woolley, George Zucco, Rollo Lloyd, Ian Wolfe, E E Clive, Tully Marshall, Vladimir Sokoloff, Jonathan Hale and Jack Norton) help quite a lot though.

The screenplay and original story are by James Kevin McGuinness, Howard Emmett Rogers and George Harmon Coxe, based on the character created by Maurice Leblanc.

Also in the cast are Robert Emmett Keane, Frank Dawson, King Baggot, Edward Biby, Dell Henderson, William Bailey, Egon Brecher, Harvey Clark, Chester Clute, Sidney D’Albrook, George Davis, George Douglas, Stanley Fields, Christian J Frank, Otto Fries, Ruth Hart, Perry Ivins, Joe King, Priscilla Lawson, Frank Leigh, Mitchell Lewis, Bob O’Connor, Leonard Penn, Jean Perry, Lillian Rich, William Royle, Harry Tyler, Jacques Vanaire and Pierre Watkin.

Arsène Lupin Returns is directed by George Fitzmaurice, runs 81 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by James Kevin McGuinness, Howard Emmett Rogers and George Harmon Coxe (original story and screenplay), based on the character created by Maurice Leblanc, is shot in black and white by George J Folsey, is produced by John W Considine Jr, is scored by Franz Waxman and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

Enter Arsène Lupin followed in 1944 with Charles Korvin.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8677

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