Der letzte Akkord

I have to say that I wasn’t all that looking forward to this romantic melodrama – in view of the fact that it bore the triple threat of classical music, travelogue aspects and a syrupy leading lady in June Allyson! However, director Sirk’s typically glossy handling smooths over much that is icky within this type of film; furthermore, male lead Rossano Brazzi is well-cast as the brooding conductor with a mad wife (Marianne Koch, from A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS [1964]!) – looked after by sympathetic aristocratic relative Francoise Rosay – who tries to console himself with ingénue Allyson (she’s unaware of this set-up, while being herself pursued by doctor/childhood friend Keith Andes). Actually, it’s this element – redolent of “Jane Eyre” – which gives the film its substance; interestingly, while Koch’s character only really emerges during the second half, she’s given a couple of powerful/moving confrontation scenes with Allyson (who even saves her from suicide at one point).

INTERLUDE (a remake, as were a number of Sirk’s famed Ross Hunter collaborations, of the Oscar-winning WHEN TOMORROW COMES [1939] – based on a story by, of all people, thriller expert James M. Cain!) doesn’t wholly escape cliché, however: while initially gruff towards the heroine, Brazzi then tells Allyson he had noticed her immediately and, to make amends, takes the girl sightseeing (the film naturally makes the most of its attractive European locations) and, later, after a romantic picnic is disrupted by a thunderstorm, the couple get to spend the night in a cottage of his conveniently situated nearby. Other resistible ingredients are Jane Wyatt’s mercifully brief appearance as Allyson’s eccentric superior at work (a library within the American Embassy in Monaco), the way most patrons are seen gushing at Brazzi’s talent (he’s merely a conductor, for cryin’ out loud, not a composer or a musical performer!) and, of course, the obligatory title song. By the way, this old-fashioned plot would turn up on the screen yet again – in Britain but under the same title – in 1968 and that version has the benefit of an intriguing cast (Oskar Werner, Donald Sutherland, John Cleese and Derek Jacobi)!

June Allyson made a career in Hollywood by being the girl next door. She wasn't the lovely girl next door, she was the pug face even the most unremarkable and unattractive could relate to.

She was an awful singer and a mediocre actress. The studios over groomed her. When her career started waning, she married producer Dick Powell which brought her another ten years of work. In Interlude she plays her tired girl next door schtick at the age of 39.

This film was made during the height of the fear of television eating into film ticket sales. Hence the glossy photography and stunning German locations. The script and cast are its drawbacks.

A pretty Girl Takes a Job in overseas and meets the charming psychiatrist Morley Dwyer, who isn't from germany either.

Sehr wears a white dress, almost like a bride. So He has the Impression, she ist looking for a 'husband'. And she meets one: Tonio Fisher, a conductor, is soon quite involved, when she met him - she went to see the ego-oriented fellow in his/their place - an old fashioned but impressive landhouse. There she meets his family too. As it turns out - after a stormy night - he is alredy engaged. But the lady in his side seems not happy. In fact, she s about to fight for her future too. Perhaps it' s difficult to just let go, even of there is some other interests, a woman ist left Into (or should I say: left alone?) But it's perhaps the Background, he needs for being the artist...

A propos of "when tomorrow comes" ,of which "interlude" is the remake: This is not one of Stahl's best works.The movie lacks a center of gravity. Melodrama interferes with social topics(unions,strikes,meetings)and even a deluge,complete with a night in a temple.Besides,the Madeleine character appears too late and is hardly credible.She suffers from mental illness since she lost her child.And the unfortunate heroine tells her so:"you win because you're helpless". Charles Boyer plays the usual Latin lover,and Irene Dunne,the impossible love ,as she did in Fannie Hurst's famous tear-jerker. The ending is ambiguous:in his 1957 remake,the by now usual Sirk remake has a more definitive conclusion. All in all,watchable,because of the cast ,but not a great Stahl.

A propos of "interlude" : Generally Sirk used to work wonders with his remakes of John M Stahl: "magnificent obsession" and 'imitation of life" (in spite of some reservations for the latter) were ,in several respects ,superior to the thirties works ;"interlude" ,on the other hand ,is less interesting than the original,which was not a masterpiece either.Gone are the social concern,the hurricane and the flood -replaced by a little storm- We're left with an old maid (June Allyson whose performance is mediocre and no romantic at all )two suitors (an Italian buck and a handsome American physician ),plus a depressive woman ,which makes some of the final scenes look like an updated Jane Eyre .It's extraordinary that this bland soap opera should precede ,in Sirk 's filmography ,his absolute masterpiece " a time to love and a time to die" which cannot be praised too highly: one finds it hard to believe that the two movies were made by the same director.

French users will notice the presence of Françoise Rosay as the housekeeper.

June varies from her girl next door image, as she plays Helen Banning, a young woman from Philadelphia who travels to Munich not for romance, but for her career and then gets romantically involved with two men, one of them married!

You don't know who to sympathize with more, as all the members of this quadrangle bring out your compassion. There's Helen, whose head is telling her she'd be better off with Dr. Morley Dwyer (Keith Andes), also from Philly and also in Munich form his career, while her heart is pulling her toward Tonio Fischer (Rossano Brazzi), a famous composer whose wife is mentally ill. There's Tonio, who lives with memories of his once happy marriage, yet wants to grab some present happiness for himself. You also feel for Morley, who's fallen for Helen and tries to make her see reason, doesn't want to give up yet may have to admit defeat. And there's Reni Fischer (Marianne Koch), aware of her illness in her lucid moments and suffering because of it, still very much in love with the husband she doesn't want to lose.

This is a no-win situation if ever there was one, as there's no way someone isn't going to get hurt.

I won't give anything away, except to say that, had this movie been made in Pre-Code days, it might have ended differently.