coolbluegreen

Except for the weird, Eastern European Jewish accent the actor who read as Blumenfeld used. It was all wrong. Blumenfeld was a Jewish man from Berlin. He didn't sound like some altercocker from Orchard Street. I found that ignorant and even antisemitic. That said, I really enjoyed the rest of the fascinating film about this amazing man.

One of the most powerful parts of this deeply moving film comes at the end AFTER the credits. Make sure you sit through the credits so you don't miss it. It would be a shame to miss it. I am not sure why the film makers put it there; perhaps it's a comment on patience. I think it's more likely that they KNEW people would be so awed by this film and so in love with its music (the music is so beautiful) that they would not leave their seats; they knew they would sit there until the credits were over. Anyway, I feel so strongly about people not missing this part that I am posting about it. That glorious music plays throughout the credits, so it should be no difficulty to sit through them and wait for the important last message.

This is a delightful movie. I wish someone would digitally remaster it somehow, though. I have it on DVD, but it shows its age with blips and skips. The volume varies, too. The important thing is, despite that, this is one enjoyable film. It has everything -- adventure, humor, romance, history. I love it. Merle Oberon is at her most devastatingly beautiful here. Her character is being painted by Romney in her first scene and it just doesn't seem possible that one woman could be so beautiful -- but she is. Some other foolish reviewer, Ingenlode Wordmith, said Merle Oberon was no raving beauty by today's standards. That reviewer should seek help from an optometrist quickly. I recommend this movie highly. It has a perfect balance of comedy, suspense, and drama. None, and I mean none, of the remakes comes close to touching this version.