Svengali

This 1954 British color version of SVENGALI has always gotten the short end of the stick in my opinion. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it's always compared to the legendary 1931 version with John Barrymore but it's like comparing apples and oranges. This version has gorgeous color photography, is well lit, contains atmospheric studio sets (it looks like John Huston's MOULIN ROUGE) and it puts the emphasis back on Trilby rather than Svengali. After all TRILBY is Du Maurier's original title.

Director Noel Langley, best known for his written adaptations of THE WIZARD OF OZ and Alastair Sim's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, gets a more ensemble effect from his actors which allows for more character development from the supporting players especially Billie's artist friends. Just as in the Barrymore version, a number of liberties have been taken with the original story (though different liberties) especially the ending but remember this was England in the mid 1950s so certain allowances needed to be made. Chances are that if Barrymore's version had not been a pre-Code vehicle, made before 1934 when the Production Code began to be enforced, then the results might have been the same.

Most of the criticism regarding this version has been leveled at Hildegard Neff (actually Knef) who makes no attempt to hide her German origins when Trilby is supposed to be Irish. Although it can be disconcerting at first, the further you get into the movie the more she seems like Trilby especially after she embarks on her singing career. BTW that's Elizabeth Schwarzkopf singing for Neff in the opera scenes. Donald Wolfit, no stranger to over the top performances, actually manages to somewhat underplay his role as Svengali. The role was intended for Robert Newton who would have been WAY over the top but his drinking got him dismissed and Wolfit stepped in.

Praise should be given to VCI for making this rare film available as part of their British film series. The source print is a little soft and the colors occasionally fade at the reel changes but overall it looks very good for a public domain copy. In the end it may not measure up to the John Barrymore film but it's way better than the modern update from 1983 with Peter O'Toole and Jodie Foster. Just so you can make your own comparisons, VCI has also included a decent version of the 1931 Barrymore version on this DVD

UPDATE 2024...Sadly the VCI copy is no longer around and the movie is not available for streaming so the only way to see it is to acquire a used copy...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

This is quite an unusual film in that certain scenes don't make a lot of sense - storylines are clumsily and swiftly manifested with no real development and thus there is no real tension when there needs to be, however, it is visually interesting and at times beautifully lit and shot with great and believable sets.

I'm not sure if the script or the editing is at fault but think that it's some of both in equal measure that leaves the viewer at times thinking "Why was that just said?" or "Why did that character just behave like that?" or "How much time has passed between the last scene and this scene?" or "Ok, so this now appears to be the main thread of the story, why was it so long in being made apparent and why was it developed so clumsily" etc. These questions arising really put in my mind the appalling (but awfully good fun) script, and (lack of) continuity of Tommy Wiseau's "The Room".

Apart from it's script and editing/continuity reminding me of "The Room" and the storyline being reminiscient of "The Red Shoes" - possessive control-freak older man, seeks to control young woman performing against the will of her lover, - "Svengali" also reminds me of another unusual film set in Paris and made in the 1950s called "Man On The Eiffel Tower". This film is also visually interesting and nicely art-directed but also suffers from (at times) an unintelligable script and very poor continuity.

The intention of "Svengali" is of course good but poor execution of basic story-telling damages the impact of the film substantially - but I still quite liked it!

Look out for the very young and beautiful, (uncredited - even though he has some lines), great Jeremy Brett in his first feature.

A better example of over-acting you will struggle to find in this overly theatrical adaptation of George Du Maurier's 1894 novel "Trilby". Hildegard Knef is a young, impressionable, girl who falls under the spell of the almost Rasputin-esque Donald Wolfit in the title role. He hypnotises her to rid her of pesky headaches, and give her the voice of an angel - and soon she becomes an international star of the opera. Robert Newton was originally slated for the lead, but I can't imagine he could have done better than Wolfit, who has the maniacal look (eyes, especially) and pithy dialogue down to a T. The support from Terence Morgan - as her much younger beau "Billee Bagot", Paul Rogers, David Kossoff and the truly wonderful singing of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf keep this entertaining enough, but the staging and style are just to limiting to let this version of a really menacing and evocative story soar.

SVENGALI is a British-made version of the classic story about the evil hypnotist who creates a famous singer out of a young and untalented girl. In essence this tale is Rasputin in the music world, and it's quite a fun and eventful storyline.

The main reason to enjoy this film is the performance of Donald Wolfit (BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE) in the title role. He seems to be channelling Bela Lugosi in both look and voice throughout the movie, and his hammy style of acting is a lot of fun; the other actors in the production feel flat by comparison.

The film as a whole isn't perfect - there's a little too much sappy romance going on, and events are never as exciting or dramatic as the producers would hope for - but the lush colours and costumes of the mid 1950s give this the look and feel of an early Hammer Horror outing. Hildegard Knef (later of Hammer's THE LOST CONTINENT) is fine as the youthful protégé, and it's fun to see Terence Morgan (CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB) before he got typecast as the bad guy.

Donald Wolfit gets my vote as Best Animated Cartoon character of 1955. He cracks his fingers before 'playing' the piano, just like Bugs Bunny!

I think this Svengali dies of overacting.

There is a special bonus in this film: an uncredited (and very young) Jeremy Brett appears as a very happy art student in two sequences. He has a few lines and some nice closeups, and even gets to sing along with Harry Secombe on "Alice Where Art Thou". A curious concept.

Hildegarde Knef is very beautiful and the film is nicely art directed, except when she wears the Dior gowns. And the 'art' is pure Fifties kitsch. Some of the dialogue is so hilarious you will be yelling along with it, ROCKY HORROR-SHOW style.