First movie version of the play Berkeley square, by John L. Balderston, that was a huge success in Broadway in 1929 also played and co-directed by Leslie Howard and Howard Miller. Had a remake filmed in 1951 The house in the square (aka I'll never forget you) with Tyrone Power in the leading role that in my opinion was better than this one.
Although Leslie Howard plays the role properly - in fact he was Oscar nominated - it lacks of passion and interest. All the cast seems too theatrically affected and although all of them play their roles convincingly their performances are mainly plain and bland, too emotionless, a common fact in British acting.
Another problem with this movie is that, on the contrary to the 1951 version, it is quite stagey we never watch any of what supposedly attracted the main character to the XVIII century: intellectuals, way of leaving in that era, social changes. Not even a glimpse of it. Only a ball at their residence. Nothing that lets us understand why this man would want to travel past. This causes the film being rather dull and dated, since the film gets centered in the love story only. In the 1951 version the main character travels to past to discover a supposedly nicer era - he was a scientific. But in this one one wonders why he wants to travel to past only to find a romance he can find in his own era. Any historical character appears here excepting Joshua Reynolds and the duchess of Devonshire, no visit to historic places or learning something about XVIII century way of living (we learn he has gone to meet the king and feeling disgustingly disappointed by watching him mock his nose with his fingers) so it ends being quite bore movie.
That being said, the film has its values: scenography and fashion designer are excellent. It was a lost movie until a copy was found in 1970s, restored and shown in 2011 H. P. Lovecraft film festival.
Although Leslie Howard plays the role properly - in fact he was Oscar nominated - it lacks of passion and interest. All the cast seems too theatrically affected and although all of them play their roles convincingly their performances are mainly plain and bland, too emotionless, a common fact in British acting.
Another problem with this movie is that, on the contrary to the 1951 version, it is quite stagey we never watch any of what supposedly attracted the main character to the XVIII century: intellectuals, way of leaving in that era, social changes. Not even a glimpse of it. Only a ball at their residence. Nothing that lets us understand why this man would want to travel past. This causes the film being rather dull and dated, since the film gets centered in the love story only. In the 1951 version the main character travels to past to discover a supposedly nicer era - he was a scientific. But in this one one wonders why he wants to travel to past only to find a romance he can find in his own era. Any historical character appears here excepting Joshua Reynolds and the duchess of Devonshire, no visit to historic places or learning something about XVIII century way of living (we learn he has gone to meet the king and feeling disgustingly disappointed by watching him mock his nose with his fingers) so it ends being quite bore movie.
That being said, the film has its values: scenography and fashion designer are excellent. It was a lost movie until a copy was found in 1970s, restored and shown in 2011 H. P. Lovecraft film festival.