Sur le velours

Well, I have to start by saying that my hubby and I only watched maybe one-third of this movie before turning it off and switching to another TCM recording - and we are both bigtime George Brent and Kay Francis fans, especially when they are together! Kay looked lovely (in her lovely gowns), and George was charming (and I've always liked Warren William) but the plot was TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE! This is one of those films where you really have to "suspend disbelief."

Director Frank Borzage goes out of his romantic comfort zone where a pair of lovers is trying to survive in a dangerous, shattered world. Here the emotional damage is in the relationship itself as the husband is suffering from PTSD arising from survivor's guilt. And in dealing with this decidedly unromantic situation Borzage's dreaminess and airiness of tone just seems all wrong. Not only is it stupidly sexist in its eschewing all medical help...psychiatry was certainly available to affluent couples in 1935...and insisting on the wife's sole responsibility to effect the healing, but it seems to trivialize the very real horrors of this particular mental illness as George Brent goes through the first three fourths of the film with insouciant charm and a never ending line of banter that we're supposed to find, as Kay Francis playing his wife does, delightfully eccentric rather than disturbingly delusional. And when Francis finally leaves him and he suddenly, magically, and most unconvincingly decides to pull himself together and declare himself cured we're supposed to buy it 'cause the couple is sitting in a snowstorm, all snuggly, while the snowflakes and the annoyingly mushy score swirls around them. And you just want to grab Borzage by his sentimental shoulders and order him to watch some Cukor or Sirk to properly restore his balance of light to darkness. Give it a C plus.

PS...I'm guessing this is the first film to even hint at global warming even though they erroneously blame it on the gulf stream.

There's really nothing too special about LIVING ON VELVET to distinguish it from many other Warner melodramas of the '30s. The trio of stars--GEORGE BRENT, KAY FRANCIS and WARREN WILLIAM--are suitably cast in the leads and the script moves along at a brisk pace to tell the story of an adventurer (Brent) and a society woman (Francis) who fall in love but can't seem to save their failing marriage until he nearly loses his life in an accident. The plot is really as simple as that.

It's performed capably by the three stars with Warren Williams given little to do except to stand on the sidelines while Brent and Francis fall in love. Director Frank Borzage keeps the story moving swiftly after the first meeting of Kay Francis and George Brent at a party wherein they fall instantly in love. Nothing much happens except that their romance loses its luster when she decides to walk out on him, but soon returns for the happy ending.

It passes the time pleasantly, but don't expect too much. It's typical Warner Bros. romantic fare for Miss Francis and that's about it.

"Living on Velvet" is a passionate, though slightly incoherent Borzage melodrama starring Kay Francis and George Brent. I'm a fan of director Borzage and the always wavishing Kay Fwancis (she had trouble pronouncing the Rs), so I was very eager to see this one. I happened to watch "Living on Velvet" the other night together with another Borzage love story with Francis & Brent called "Stranded", also made in 1935 for Warner Brothers. Of the two films, "Living on Velvet" is the best and most uncompromising illustration of Borzage's lifelong preoccupation with spirituality and humanity. Francis is wonderful in the role of Amy Prentiss, the passionate, devoted wife of Terry Parker (Brent), a rather reckless pilot who miraculously survived a plane crash with his family. The most romantic & unforgettable moment is of course the scene in which Terry meets Amy, seriously looking each other for the first time, their charging eyes never even blinking. The scene is one of Borzage's greatest achievements. It illustrates his genuine commitment to his material; the couple is looking at love itself, something concrete and tangible. Our involvement and identification are heightened through the emotional intensity of the couple's passion. The capable supporting players include Warren William as Gibraltar, Terry's best friend, and Helen Lowell as Aunt Martha.

Kay Francis, George Brent, and Warren William star in this romantic love story directed by Frank Borzage. Living On Velvet is a typical tender romance that Borzage liked to direct. But he's done so much better with other films.

Warren William's character is too unreal. He and Kay Francis are an item until Brent appears in her life. Then William just steps aside and starts playing cupid. I don't see that in real life.

As for Brent he's a rich guy who likes to fly. That is until his parents and sister are killed in a crash that he walks away from. Then he becomes an irresponsible vagabond in need of a keeper. Francis decides to be said keeper. Why his salvation is so important we never do find out.

Living On Velvet has some plot similarities to another Borzage film Next Time We Love. It's sure not as good as The Mortal Storm or Three Comrades.

Nice, but not nearly as good as the aforementioned work.