Did the urbane character George Sanders get bitten by some bug while in Africa that made him decide that he needed to seduce every woman he walked by? It seems that way as he makes his way through Paris society treating street whores like a countess, and treating countesses like street whores. Of course, once he gets them, he tosses them aside as soon as his appetite is filled. That is all but one whom he can't seem to get out of his mind, and that is the graceful widow played by the magnificent Angela Lansbury. Having been the victim of Dorian Gray some two years before while Sanders watched from the sidelines, Lansbury is a lady here rather than a poor down-on-her-luck singer, yet one not so obsessed with her station in life as intently as she is on remaining true to the one man she loves. She's a widow with a sweet young daughter, and upon meeting Sanders at a dinner party given by Sanders' old pal John Carradine and his wife Ann Dvorak, she's smitten. The problem is however that so is pretty much every woman Sanders encounters, and that includes the very married Dvorak.
What is the truth about Sanders' character here? That is the mystery that rolls through this somewhat over-long melodrama, sometimes slow, sometimes mesmerizing. Is Sanders a simple Don Juan, or is he a Libertine, or does he secretly hate women for some reason, wanting to break their spirits and destroy them? Look how he treats cafe singer Marie Wilson who makes a scene when he ignores her after he shows up after meeting Lansbury, having first met Wilson, insulted her publicly, then seducing her for "what the heck's" sake. He's not above seducing all the married women in society, and while his charm is obvious, it is also clear that he will never sincerely mean what he tells them. The film gives the impression that when he is seducing one woman, he's thinking of another woman in his mind, particularly Lansbury who writes him a love letter of such poetic beauty, you'd think he'd change his womanizing ways instantly. But Sanders' character is obviously insane, if not violently so, definitely a sociopath. It's watching his character rise and fall that makes this so fascinating, even if he is definitely one of the biggest rogues to be seen on screen.
I wanted to see more of both Carradine and Warren William, who ironically was sort of the George Sanders of the early 30's with his ultra womanizing characters seducing then dropping practically every lady in sight. Of course, both could play the gentlemen and be noble, but villains are always more fascinating, especially if they are played with many layers. Frances Dee is excellent as a troubled married woman who allows herself to be seduced with tears behind her eyes as she realizes she's being pulled into intrigue by the devil himself. Susan Douglas also gives an excellent performance as Dee's daughter who as Sanders ages becomes the latest victim, one which will surely lead to his doom as the world catches up to his sins. This isn't an easy film to watch, but it is one that if totally alert, you can get through like you would the world's most famous epic novels. And in the end, Sanders is a character you do feel sorry for, because with someone as wonderful as Lansbury's character there pining for him, you just want him to wake up and realize the missed opportunity he's turning away from.
What is the truth about Sanders' character here? That is the mystery that rolls through this somewhat over-long melodrama, sometimes slow, sometimes mesmerizing. Is Sanders a simple Don Juan, or is he a Libertine, or does he secretly hate women for some reason, wanting to break their spirits and destroy them? Look how he treats cafe singer Marie Wilson who makes a scene when he ignores her after he shows up after meeting Lansbury, having first met Wilson, insulted her publicly, then seducing her for "what the heck's" sake. He's not above seducing all the married women in society, and while his charm is obvious, it is also clear that he will never sincerely mean what he tells them. The film gives the impression that when he is seducing one woman, he's thinking of another woman in his mind, particularly Lansbury who writes him a love letter of such poetic beauty, you'd think he'd change his womanizing ways instantly. But Sanders' character is obviously insane, if not violently so, definitely a sociopath. It's watching his character rise and fall that makes this so fascinating, even if he is definitely one of the biggest rogues to be seen on screen.
I wanted to see more of both Carradine and Warren William, who ironically was sort of the George Sanders of the early 30's with his ultra womanizing characters seducing then dropping practically every lady in sight. Of course, both could play the gentlemen and be noble, but villains are always more fascinating, especially if they are played with many layers. Frances Dee is excellent as a troubled married woman who allows herself to be seduced with tears behind her eyes as she realizes she's being pulled into intrigue by the devil himself. Susan Douglas also gives an excellent performance as Dee's daughter who as Sanders ages becomes the latest victim, one which will surely lead to his doom as the world catches up to his sins. This isn't an easy film to watch, but it is one that if totally alert, you can get through like you would the world's most famous epic novels. And in the end, Sanders is a character you do feel sorry for, because with someone as wonderful as Lansbury's character there pining for him, you just want him to wake up and realize the missed opportunity he's turning away from.