Madame Butterfly

Don't go looking for much Puccini in this adaptation of the rather sad tale of "Madame Butterfly". Sylvia Sidney picks up the fan as the young geisha girl who encounters American sailor "Pinkerton" (Cary Grant) after the war. Rather cynically, his pal "Barton" (Charles Ruggles) informs him that he can pretty much have his way with the girl so long as he "marries" her beforehand and then she automatically becomes divorced afterwards when he gets on with his life Stateside. "Pinkerton" isn't quite so nasty, but when assured that "Cho-Cho San" will also just get on with things too, then a night of fun and fancy ensues. His departing comments to the girl hearten/mislead her by saying he will be back before the robin builds it's next nest. Well a visit to the US consul after his sailing makes matters works for the girl as he tells her that happens in the US every three years. He meant well! It's around then that he returns to Japan with a new bride (Shiela Terry) with both completely oblivious to the fact that there is now also a child - "Suzuki". "Pinkerton" does want to go and see her but he is unaware that she has waited patiently for his return and, well, the story takes quite a tragic turn when truths are told. This is not the liveliest presentation of this story with the staccato accents not really helping; Grant doesn't really impose himself and the pacing is distinctly ponderous. That said, Sidney delivers a solid performance as a woman who readily elicits feelings of sympathy and pity as her life becomes subsumed in a dream of faux-expectations centred on a selfish and thoughtless man. It's all watchable enough, just not really that great.

A straightforward, non-musical adaptation of Giacomo Puccini's immortal opera, this early version of the classic story is based solely on David Belasco's original play. In other words, there is no actual opera present (although some of Puccini's magnificent score is used as underscore) and the film plays out completely as straight drama. The screenplay does not make any considerable attempt to disguise its stage-bound origins, although the Russian-born director Marion Gering (who helmed many pictures for star Sylvia Sidney) does a competent job of approximating the look and feeling of war-era Japan. This was decades before on-location filming became a standard practice, and the film's art design and set decoration manages to perform the difficult task of disguising the Paramount lot as such another distinct country within comparatively meager resources.

The luminous Sylvia Sydney takes a significant gamble in attempting to play the young Japanese girl Cho-Cho San (in fact, such casting would undoubtedly be seen as politically incorrect today), however, the Bronx-born actress is more than up to the challenge and delivers quite a totally convincing performance. The character of Cho-Cho is so incredibly passive and naïve that she often comes dangerously close to becoming an artificial caricature, yet Sydney portrays the role with such genuine pathos and non-cloying sweetness that she comes across as tragic rather than foolish. Her accent also always sounds credible, and she even manages to believably look Japanese with the assist of limited stage makeup. I was terribly impressed wither her overall performance.

A young Cary Grant ably plays the object of Cho-Cho's tragic love, and he looks breathtakingly handsome in his Navy uniform. The bulk of the movie consists of Sydney and Grant playing off one another, although Charles Ruggles is likable as Grant's fellow Lieutenant. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Shelia Terry's "other woman" character is portrayed as being sympathetic and understanding, when she would have surely been written and acted as a one-dimensional monster by most filmmakers of the era. None of the characters in the "Japanese" supporting cast (nearly all of whom are American-born actors playing Japanese) are fleshed out enough to stand out, although Edmund Breese is convincing as Cho-Cho's stereotypically disapproving grandfather.

If the film has a primary shortcoming, it is that the entire premise feels a little flat when performed as a straight drama. Although it is well-written and reasonably paced, the drama simply does not soar to the appropriate level of intensity without the accompanying swell of the opera. There is still much to recommend, however, in this very touching picture, primarily the terrific performance of Sydney, which is worth watching totally on its own merit. I really do wish this film would be properly released on home video, as it deserves to be seen.

it is a shame that movies like this one don't get much attention!.. Cary Grand is playing a role of an American Lieutenant who marries a Japanese woman who wanted to be a geisha. it's a tragic romantic story, about loyalty and how some cultures don't understand other cultures. it's a classic movie.. short and no unnecessary scenes. all the scenes are related to the plot. i liked it a lot, enjoyed watching it, and Cary Grant was so young!. it made me learn something about the Japanese culture: how they are very loyal, accept other cultures, and maybe adopt them as well. how they are honorable, and live to be good people and be honored till the end. the plot is well developed, and the action of the movie happens fast.

I spied a photo I'd not seen before, went on a google search, Et voilà: Cary Grant as Pinkerton! What a thrill! Like found treasure in nana's attic. An adaptation of the original play, a few years pre-opera and Japan open to west still fairly new, was relevant for its time, although, a little different from the Puccini. In some ways, however, the story makes more sense. Sorry Giac!

Sylvia Sydney is incredible. She's more convincing as the embodiment of Cho Cho San, than most actors of the era, who seemed largely to be playing as if to audience than camera. (Not that I'm knocking it, the 30s and silent are my favs. Just sayin'. Psst it's the scenes and costumes. Moving Art.)

This version of Madame Butterfly absolutely worthwhile! If for the performance of Sydney and her costumes alone. Okay, and Grant's pretty face. One warning for opera lovers though: Other reviews point to Puccini's "incidental" music throughout. I may be wrong, but I only heard the overture at the opening credits and the main aria at the end. Everything in the middle not Puccini as far as I can tell. I say, still worth it.

Heaven knows what possessed Paramount to cast Sylvia Sydney in this in the first place, unless it was a desire to find a novel context for her to suffer in. Given that they did, it's actually been done with taste and elegance, Puccini is used quite well as incidental music on the soundtrack, and Miss Sidney is as moving as she always is (we can imagine only too well what a western woman wronged so grievously would have done with the dagger she reaches purposefully for at the conclusion).

Those outraged at the casting of a Jewish/American actress as a geisha should also take note of the fact that All-American cad Pinkerton is played by a Bristolian.