A Gentleman of Paris (1931) User Reviews

Contrived murder melodrama with poor acting and direction and technically imperfect

[malcolmgsw · 5/10 · 7 June 2011]

This was shown to a packed audience at NFT1 yesterday.It stars Arthur Womtner as the president of a French criminal court.His ex wife or lover has returned to Paris after their son has died.She is working in a cafe run by Sybil Thorndyke and her oafish husbands who has designs on the young woman.One evening Wontner is dining privately with his new mistress,conveniently opposite the cafe.His ex is attacked by Sybils husband but escapes from the room into which Wontner and his amour can see quite clearly.Thorndyke realising what happened picks up a gun and shots her husband and then claims that the young woman fired the gun.The young woman is brought up in court and one contrivance follows another.Wotner is the presiding judge and Hugh Williams,husband of the amour,is the prosecutor.Wontner believes he can influence the jury to bring in a not guilty verdict.Williams wife begs to be allowed to give evidence but Wontner wont allow it.So the jury find the woman guilty and Wontner stands up and admits all.End of career and end of film.The acting is poor.Wontner is fairly impassive,Thorndyke quite sinister and theatrical and Williams goes right over the top.There was one reaction shot at the climax when the audience burst out laughing.Technically imperfect.The sound editor has not covered the splices properly so there are constant clickings on the sound track.Also during the woman's evidence at the trial you can clearly hear the sound of the camera.Very interesting to view this film for the first time.