Gaby

Basically for fans of Leslie Caron. A sweet, innocent ballerina working in England during WWII becomes a "loose" woman after she presumes that her "love-at-first-sight American G.I. fiance is dead. Prostitution is strongly hinted at, and she feels ashamed after he turns up "crippled" but quite alive. Beautifully filmed in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, which does add something to the movie. Quite unbelievable, but if you are a fan of Caron, you will enjoy this move as she has great "screen presence" and makes it an earnest performance that outshines the material. Certainly no "Gigi" or "Lili", to be sure.

The plot may be hackneyed (see previous review), but the performances ring true, and Leslie Caron is nothing less than sterling. Also, the dialogue in the script (written by veterans Sherwood and Behrman) holds up after these many years and sits better on my ears than many a television or even movie script today.

"Gaby" reminds me of the film Caron did later about the effects of war on ordinary people in London, "The L-shaped Room (1962)," in which she appears more sophisticated, also falling in love with an Englishman, but in which there is no committment on his part and no "happy ending." As the American serviceman, Kerr is a bit stiff in the beginning of this movie, but eventually grows into his role, and Caron is supple as a dancer in her timing and delivery, her English impeccably musical and her face still retaining the innocence and bit of "baby fat" that we cherish in her "American in Paris" debut. Because she had such thorough ballet training, people tend to remember her in the many musicals with ballet routines, but Caron was equally good, possibly even better, in pure drama, such as these two films. Of course, the director should be given credit for drawing out the genuine emotion in her performances, but she could also do comedy, with that great timing that she had (see her in "Last of the Blonde Bombshells" which she did at age seventy with Judi Dench.)

Caron has an authenticity and committment in her roles that comes across on screen for me the same way Audrey Hepburn does, and did from the very beginning, in her "Roman Holiday" debut. Not only were Caron and Hepburn real persons with inner lives (who not so incidentally had witnessed and survived WW II) when they were tapped by and discovered for the movies, they also didn't go through the technical hoops of acting training that the professionals of today bring to similar roles. Actresses of today tend to bring more training and "acting talent" to their roles, but less inner complexity, resulting in, for me, a less authentic performance, regardless of the high budget and publicity hoopla.

Supporting roles by Taina Elg, Cedric Hardwicke and Margallo Gillmore also do not let the movie down. Taina is better in "Gaby" than in the frivolous but enjoyable "Les Girls." And Hardwicke had such a distinguished career that one cannot imagine him consenting to play this very minor part if he didn't think the whole project worthwhile. In sum, highly recommended and requiring hankies for the vulnerable.

All and all this is not a bad movie, and Leslie Caron is truly one of those actresses whom you just can't help falling in love with, she has that magical presence that is the mark of a great actress, and even thou it's not one of her best her performance, her performance in this movie is definitely impeccable, but still this movie it's essentially a lightweight remake of the three times before filmed Waterloo Bridge, so even thou Leslie Caron is as always charming, I suggest a peek at Vivien Leigh as the delicate dancer Myra and Robert Taylor as Col./Capt. Roy Cronin in the 1940 release of Waterloo Bridge, a movie that is (even thou slightly forgotten) undoubtedly one of the best romantic movies ever made.

This film is a re-make of "Waterloo Bridge" which I saw many years ago. It was an atmospheric love story with sterling performances from Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor. The original play was by Robert E. Sherwood, also known for "The Petrified Forest".

This re-make fails on several counts. First of all there is almost no atmosphere. There is beautiful saturated color and cinemascope, neither of which add anything specific to the story. Furthermore, the sets in many scenes, especially at the end in the bombing, are so obviously fake you can almost imagine stagehands picking up the pieces for the next performance.

Second, no matter how hard she tries, Leslie Caron is not convincing as a prostitute. As a dancer, yes. When she abandons dance for prostitution we do not see a transition. She gives as a reason for her actions remorse over sending Greg away before their love was consummated. Now that he is dead, she wants to give others what she deprived him of. A rather shaky rationalization.

Third, no matter how hard he tries John Kerr is incapable of playing a grown-up. He is forever the boyish young man, awkward in speech and movement.

The film does not have a smooth trajectory. The individual scenes seem to be patched together.

The ending, likewise, is not convincing. He forgives her as if all she had done was to ruin the soufflé. They seem like two kids in love playing around with adult games.

The fault for all of this lies in the general concept of this particular re-make, which the producers obviously felt had to be more sugar-coated for the audience of the mid-fifties, unwilling, no doubt, to accept Leslie Caron as a bad girl. But in the end, nothing is gained by this strategy.

However, there is still some charm - almost unavoidable when Leslie Caron is the star - and some moments that show the promise of what might have been a very good movie.

During World War II, American paratrooper John Kerr (as Gregory "Greg" Wendell) arrives in London on a 48-hour pass. Making his way out to find female companionship, Mr. Kerr collides with pretty French ballerina Leslie Caron (as Gaby). He is smitten. She is not. After watching her dance, Mr. Kerr visits Ms. Caron backstage. She gradually becomes interested and they begin a whirlwind romance. They want to consummate, but are unable to get married due to their alien status. Caron decides to "save herself" (like they used to say) while he goes back into battle. Alas, he's reported dead. Feeling bad about not giving Kerr something to remember, Caron decides to give it up for other soldiers...

It turns out the news about Kerr wasn't exactly accurate...

"Gaby" has been criticized for sanitizing the opening status of Caron's character and altering the original ending of Robert E. Sherwood's play "Waterloo Bridge" (1930), which previously impressed film critics in versions starring Mae Clarke (1931) and Vivien Leigh (1940). However, the important alteration is in timing; note, the explicit exchange where Caron ends with, "Not a man, Greg…MEN!" The problem, this time, is that Caron shows little degradation during this period; she appears chic and confident, throughout. The different ending, while not as memorable, can be applauded for not punishing "Gaby" for her perceived "sinful" behavior. The revisions aren't as bad, as they seem...

Possibly restrained by the production values, director Curtis Bernhardt is unable to give the story enough intimacy...

Caron could have shown some interest in Kerr during their first encounters, and still been standoffish. They're supposed to be drawn to each other, as if they were destined to meet. This is touched upon in a scene hinting at reincarnation. The reincarnation mention may have also been included to support MGM's use of "Where or When" (by Rogers and Hart) as the film's theme. The timeless song is used well. Another revision is having Kerr sustain a symbolic wound; yet, it is another addition which doesn't fully take full advantage of the dramatic opportunities. Veteran stage actress Margalo Gillmore (as Helen Carrington) has a couple of outstanding scenes. In spite of all, the co-stars are a nice couple.

****** Gaby (5/9/56) Curtis Bernhardt ~ Leslie Caron, John Kerr, Taina Elg, Margalo Gillmore