Topaze **** (1933, John Barrymore, Myrna Loy, Reginald Mason) – Classic Movie Review 9518

Director Harry d’Abbadie D’Arrast’s 1933 comedy remake Topaze stars John Barrymore and Myrna Loy, who head up a fine American version of the Marcel Pagnol story about a meek French teacher, Professor Auguste Topaze (Barrymore).

Topaze finds out how to succeed in business after he is tricked by a greedy nobleman, the baron Philippe De La Tour (Reginald Mason), who uses him as a frontman in phony advertising for supposedly curative waters.

Barrymore and Loy as Coco are excellent, both of them ideally cast and on form, and this adult, satirical material makes for an outstanding film that was banned by the American censor on its re-release in 1936 because Coco’s Loy is shown as Philippe (Mason)’s mistress and their relationship was judged by Joseph Breen of the Production Code to lack compensating moral values.

Also in the cast are Albert Conti as Henri de Fairville, Luis Alberni as Dr Bomb, Reginald Mason as Baron Philippe De La Tour, Jobyna Howland as Baroness Hortense De La Tour, Jackie Searl, as Charlemagne De La Tour Frank Reicher as Dr Stegg, Lowden Adams as Joseph the Butler, Max Barwyn, Edgar Sherrod, Paul Weigel, Buster Slaven, Mickey Martin and Rolfe Sedan.

Pagnol’s 1928 play spun off another English-language version (Peter Sellers’s 1961 Mr Topaze, aka I Like Money) and three French films – the original 1933 Topaze with Louis Jouvet, the 1936 Topaze directed by Pagnol himself and the 1951 Topaze with Fernandel, also directed by Pagnol.

Topaze was the first RKO film to play at New York’s Radio City Music Hall and it won the 1933 National Board of Review Award for Best Film. The film has now been preserved by the Library of Congress.

Frank Morgan had played the title part on stage so was unlucky not to star in the film.

Topaze is directed by Harry d’Abbadie D’Arrast, runs 78 minutes, is made by RKO Radio Pictures and David O Selznick Productions, is released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by Ben Hecht and Benn W Levy, is shot in black and white by Lucien N Andriot, based on Marcel Pagnol’s play, is produced by David O Selznick and Kenneth Macgowan (associate producer), is scored by Roy Webb and Max Steiner (musical director / composer stock music), and is designed by Van Nest Polglase.

It is released by Kino Lorber (2018) (US) (Blu-ray) (DVD).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9518

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