Madame Butterfly

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.

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.

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.

Madame Butterfly (1932)

** (out of 4)

Liutenant B.F. Pinkerton (Cary Grant) and Lt. Barton (Charles Ruggles) are on leave in Japan when they decide to have some fun during the night. This leads them to a party with a few maiden's only to have Pinkerton quickly fall for Cho-Cho San (Sylvia Sidney) who is about to become a Geisha. Before long the two are married but shame is about to strike Cho-Cho.

MADAME BUTTERFLY was based on the David Belasco play and it was a huge hit, which made sense for Paramount to then turn it into a motion picture. Sadly, this film here is pretty darn boring from start to finish and there's really very little in it to recommend. There are all sorts of problems with this film ranging from the direction to the casting and I'd even argue that the story just doesn't translate very well to the screen here.

The biggest problem is the fact that they've got an all white cast doing these Japanese roles. Look, I understand that this was just common practice back in the day and I really don't blame the filmmakers and I'm certainly not going to go on some sort of political rant. With that said, there isn't even an attempt to make these white actors even sound Japanese. I love Sideny but she was just wrong for this role here. She might hit the dramatic notes just fine but the lack of an accent just doesn't help matters. With everyone speaking pretty much English it just makes the film seem all the more cheap.

Even Grant isn't all that good here. His charm is on 100% but the character is just rather bland as are the supporting players. Speaking of bland, director Marion Gering doesn't do a thing with the picture. Visually it's quite boring and I'd argue that the story itself drags out so badly that by the hour mark you're just ready for it to be over. MADAME BUTTERFLY has been filmed several times since but this 1932 version is just flat.

John Luther Long wrote the short story that Belasco turned into a successful stage play, and Puccini an opera he tinkered ith for three years and five versions. Long described himself near the end of his life as "a sentimentalist and a feminist." He based the tale on one his sister, a missionary in Japan, had told him. There's no doubt it qualifies as sentimental and feminist!

Like most of Sylvia Sidney's roles in this period, the audience waits for the moment when she breaks down in inconsolable tears over the unworthy B.F. Pinkerton. Gary Cooper had been proposed to play the role. Cooper was too important, and Cary Grant was young, very good-looking, and wouldn't cost the production much in the part; given how much set designer Wiard Ihnen and costume designer Travis Banton were spending, it was a good choice. Grant isn't called to be on screen for that long, and isn't called on to do much in the way of acting; Berton Churchill as the American consulate, offers a far more nuanced performance in about four minutes of screen time.

It's clear why this movie disappeared for decades. With suicide, bigamy and miscegenation in the mix, there was no way to re-release it under the Production Code. Alas, if it's not one thing, it's another; nowadays, its use of yellowface renders it equally problematic. Nonetheless, looking at it through the character's broken English, it's another of Miss Sidney's fine performances in a heartbreaking story, one that convinces me that sentimentality and feminism is a good thing.... at least by late 19th century standards. And the visuals are superb.