The Great Garrick

Together with even more underrated, ONE MAN RIVER(1934), this is probably James Whale's most neglected classic, a witty, self- reflexive, consistently enjoyable 18th century period comedy on the life of egocentric English actor, David Garrick, played to perfection by Brian Aherne. Ernest Vadja's dialogue is clever and delightful, plus a haunting period photography by Ernest Haller. The film also boasts some wonderful cast that includes the lovely Olivia de Havilland, Edward Everett Horton, Lionel Atwill, Melville Cooper, Fritz Leiber, and Marie Wilson.

David Garrick's talent is well-known everywhere in Europe. The film opens in London where Garrick tells his audience that he has a new starring role coming up, guest starring in the production of "Don Juan" with the Comedie Francaise in Paris. While the crowd reacts the news with disdain, Garrick convinces his audience that he is leaving to teach the French. Meanwhile, at a country inn in France the members of the Comedie Francaise are furious about Garrick's insult, so they all conspire to embarras him and teach him "a lesson in acting." The real fun begins when the sly Garrick and his amiable old companion (Edward Everett Horton) figure out the hoax and play along the game.

A true Hollywood gem, there are moments in THE GREAT GARRICK that are quite remarkably hysterical, so funny that the film deserves to be ranked along with the great comedies of the period. Tragically, THE GREAT GARRICK was never released on video. At all cost, I suggest you get a copy and enjoy it. They don't make 'em like this anymore.

XVIII century. British actor David Garrick is giving his last performance in London before leaving to Paris invited by the Comédie Française staff. But when saying goodbye to his public they get angry with him for leaving and throw him vegetables so to calm they down he lies by saying he is going to Paris to teach French actors how to act. Only a theatre writer member of the Comédie Française is there and tells it to his fellows, who decide to give a lesson in acting to Garrick that he shall never forget. In order to do so they hire an inn where Garrick is going to stay for one night before arriving to Paris to pretend they are who they are not. But he has been previously advised by the theatre propmter, who happens to be his fan and a mysterious young beautiful stranger appears changing the whole plot a bit and providing an interesting final twist to the story... David Garrick was maybe the most renowed British actor. He had an incredible success better for introducing the "modern" way of acting, that was extremely Pompous and bombastic until then.

The film clearly benefits from an intelligent sophisticated well written script by Ernest Vajda full of witty dialogues, a non-stop timing and excellent performances from the whole cast. Add a perfect scenario with superbly done set designs fitting like a glove like the ones in Marie Antoinette's movie (Vadja's script too) and will obtain a great entertainment movie.

Brian Aherne -an underrated actor that could have been easily the British Errol Flynn- delivers an excellent comedienne performance as witty smug Garrick. Olivia de Havilland is perfect as the lady in distress (and she looks impressive in her first appearance wrapped in spectacular Milo Anderson coat) and the movie runs easily to spend a nice time watching. Highly recommended.

The Great Garrick (TGG) is the rare example of a witty literate satire that used the world of theater as the tale's important backdrop. Notwithstanding its considerable charm and appeal as an adult example of movie entertainment, TGG was commercially unsuccessful. TGG is the only film that director James Whale made at Warner Brothers, and it had the misfortune to be produced ahead of its time. For some more contemporary examples of this kind of movie that enjoyed substantial critical and popular success, cf. Singin' in the Rain, Scaramouche and Shakespeare in Love.

Whale employed several dark comedic and romantic touches in TGG that added to its overall enjoyment value. But what else would you expect from the genius who previously helmed The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man and The Bride of Frankenstein? Perhaps Whale was somewhat over the top at times in telling the Garrick story, but nobody could seriously argue that his humor didn't appropriately support the plot.

TGG captures the lovely girlish-voiced Olivia De Havilland (then 21) somewhere near the peak of her youthful charm and beauty. She was only a year away from her breakout role as Maid Marian in The Adventures of Robin Hood. Her distinguished co-star, Brian Aherne, (then 35), was one of Hollywood's most underrated actors. He had the looks and appeal to be another Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power---but it was not meant to happen. Aherne's ripe spoof of the legendary (and reputedly hammy) stage actor David Garrick is quite nuanced and subtle---certainly it is fun to watch. And seventeen year old Lana Turner--still then a brunette and virtually lost in her period costume---appears here in just her third film and immediately following her breakthrough bit part in They Won't Forget. In TGG, Lana is pretty rather than sexy and delivers her three lines of dialogue in a totally satisfying manner.

TGG boasted an outstanding cast of supporting players including Melville Cooper (in probably his best screen role), Albert von Dekker (before he dropped the "von"), Marie Wilson (before her later My Friend Irma fame), Etienne Girardot (fresh from his earlier success as the madcap sticker planter in Twentieth Century), etc.

TGG is an intelligent, charming farcical film that represents James Whale in his prime as a witty and humorously sly storyteller. It is a shame that TGG is not better known. It awaits a fresh (and likely positive) reappraisal by a contemporary audience.

James Whale's "The Great Garrick" is perhaps the most overlooked classic of 1937, a year that also saw such classics as "Stage Door", "The Awful Truth", "Make Way for Tomorrow", "History is Made at Night", "Angel" and some others.

"Great Garrick" is a brazen but abundantly enthralling costume comedy on David Garrick, a Shakespearen ham actor and the most famous English actor of the 18th century. Garrick played a significant role in the development of English stage in this period which saw the rise of Shakespeare and other playwrights. Garrick had a reputation of enthralling his audiences on and off stage. Here in "Great Garrick", he is ingeniously played by Brian Aherne, a sadly underrated actor giving one of his most memorable performances. Aherne's co-stars include Olivia de Havilland as Garrick's love interest Germaine, Edward Everett Horton as Garrick's sidekick Tubby, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill, Lana Turner, and Luis Alberni.

Beautifully shot in stark black-and-white photography by Ernest Haller, "Great Garrick" is a nonstop laugh riot. The opening titles tell us, "David Garrick the actor was at the height of his fame. He was the idol of London and the tale we are now unfold is a romantic adventure that might have happened during the vividly gay career of the colourful Garrick". Garrick is just finishing playing "Hamlet" and makes a farewell curtain speech to the audience at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane. He has been invited to Paris by the Comédie Francaise, a famous French theatre which rivalled in fame London's Theatre Royal. To convince the audience he is not actually ditching them, he reads a blank letter telling them that he is going there to teach the French. In Paris, the actors of the Comédie Francaise hold an emergency meeting to discuss what they consider to be an insult. "Ridicule kills" says one of the actors. Thus, they perpetrate a series of hoaxes at an Adam and Eve inn near Paris where Garrick and his Tubby will be staying there before they arrive in Paris.

Some of the hoaxes are outrageously hammy and over-the-top, especially Luis Alberni's annoying Basset, but that doesn't really hurt the picture at all. There are genuine glories in "Great Garrick" and most important of all are Whale's inventive, stylized direction, Ernest Vajda's endlessly witty screenplay, and Aherne's quietly graceful incarnation of Garrick.

The film works as a companion piece to Whale's underrated 1936 musical "Show Boat" in that both films are entrancing and exuberant celebrations of the theatre. "Show Boat" concerns a group of traveling actors who are putting on a show; "Garrick" is bio-pic of a famous actor. Both films display the talent and versatility of a great director.

This was never intended as a high-status, big-budget film. Instead, it's a little film about an actor whose ego is even larger than the stage on which her performs! The Great Garrick is the sort of person who would have given himself the title "The Great" and this fictionalized movie portrays this real-life actor as a great big old fathead! He IS an excellent actor, but his arrogance puts off those around him. This movie concerns their trying to bring him down a peg or two and thereby teaching him a little humility. The acting, writing and pacing are excellent and for a little film it delivers quite a punch--with a really terrific conclusion.