Woman to Woman

There were a few really fabulous films made in 1929 but most were dreadful. This is not one of the worst but it's still one of the dreadful ones. Only if you like cringingly sentimental Victorian melodrama made by people who don't know how to make pictures should you brave this one.

To be fair, this was Victor Saville's first full talkie and only the fifth film he'd ever directed so he was still finding his feet - Gainsborough's head of production had clearly not fully developed any directorial skills yet. To learn the ropes, he'd set up yet another company where he'd produce and direct talkies in collaboration with the equally ambitious Tiffany-Stahl company over in America.

Unfortunately for all concerned, T-S's sound recording system was RCA Photophone. Like Warner's Vitaphone, this was a cumbersome sound on disc system which meant that the film's dialogue had to be delivered at a glacial pace giving the film a horribly stilted feel. The sound on disc system also didn't allow for any editing or re-takes so once it was shot, that's what you got.

So this picture isn't terrible simply because of poor direction and poor acting - although the direction and the acting were exceptionally poor! Curiously however the first half hour of this, the scenes set in France aren't too bad - in fact I'd go as far as saying, quite impressive and even engaging. I was actually thinking: Hey, this is quite good for 1929. Were this just my review of the first half hour I'd say that Betty Compson is lovely and I can understand why George Barraud would fall head over heels for her. I'd say that the picture cleverly shows how his feelings develop and loads the screen with tension for the inevitable catastrophe.

Unfortunately you get the impression that Mr Saville went back home to England half way through this picture because once the story has moved on to London, that lively style of delivery, that interesting and imaginative camerawork and that empathy with the characters completely vanishes. It feels like a different film all together - a really bad one! Everyone suddenly starts speaking like they've some horrible disease and Betty Compson forgets she's meant to be doing a French accent.

If you can overlook the awfulness of the production (of the last 2/3 anyway) what is quite interesting is to note that whereas in the original wrote just after the war, soldier David was already married and playing away from home with Lola whereas in this film, such immorality could never be shown - certainly not with a British officer. It's also fascinating to see that the whole crux of the sad denouement relies on the almost impossible to accept today fact that the future of a child born out of wedlock could be so awful that you'd sacrifice your life to avoid it! I'd imagine crowds would have burned down London and hanged Ramsay MacDonald had the original story been filmed! (Or does the example of that beloved Prime Minister disprove this?)

It's weird how in the late twenties a handful of silent movie stars and theatre luvvies suddenly made it big in to the talkies - they were for a few years at the top of the tree, but within a couple of years they were history. Those big new superstars of 1929 of that transition stage between 1929 and 1931 when some great movies were made but most filmmakers were just learning on the job, just vanished. Even the sexiest, cutest and prettiest woman in the world, Alice White who came from nowhere to be absolutely massive in 1931 but was virtually forgotten by 1933. Unlike the divine Alice, Betty Compson was a big silent star - one of those who became a superstar of the talkies. She was perfect for them but as the talkies of 1929 evolved into the talkies of 1931, as they became films we'd recognise as films today, she just couldn't adapt. Most (but not all) of the moving pictures made before about 1931 were essentially silent films with sound. It wasn't really the advent of sound which somersaulted filmmaking, like life in general, the massive social changes in the early 30s were the main driver....... but back to this film - I think I'd prefer George Barraud's amnesia than remember this.

Painfully sincere and very, very dull relic that pulls at the heartstrings with all the subtlety of a hammer to the forehead. Everybody acts with stiff and slow exaggeration, while Victor Savile's direction possesses neither flair nor imagination. Awful stuff.

In 1929 many of the British film producers,such as Michael Balcon and C.M.Woolf had the idea that talking pictures were just a fad and were therefore left rather with egg on their faces when the public demanded talkies.As the industry had not constructed sound stages the only alternative was to go to Hollywood to hire the facilities there.This happened with Herbert Wilcox,George Pearson,and in this case Victor Saville.He decided top remake the 1923 silent with Betty Compson who was just approaching the peak of her career.Compson is a true delight and clearly adapted well to the demands of sound.This cannot be said of other members of the cast who sound extremely stilted by comparison.The film is a 4 hankie weepy which was of a type that was popular at the time.Nevertheless worth a viewing.

Betty Compson stars in this talkie remake of the 1923 silent version she also starred in.

Compson plays a famous French cabaret star during World War I. She meets an English officer (George Barraud) and they plan to marry but he is whisked away to the front and never sees her again. He is wounded and suffers from amnesia. Years go by.

Next we see Barraud unhappily married to his brittle wife (Juliette Compton) who is a rapacious social climber. She refuses to have children. But she has imported a famous French singer for her society charity ball. Of course it's Compson who has trudged on with her career despite having a bad heart. Barraud sits and watches her act without much interest until she sings a certain song and his memory floods back. He then discovers she has had a child.

Will they reconcile and be happy with their child? Will the wife give up the husband and social position? Compson is terrific as the entertainer. She's believable on stage and also as the tragic heroine. Barraud is solid as the hapless man caught between the two women. Compton excels at playing the sharp and angular ice queen. The songs are forgettable but this is worth catching.

Betty Compson starred in an amazing nine films in 1929.

Betty Compson plays Lola, a French cabaret singer during WWI. She and a British officer, David, are in love and plan on marrying. However, before the wedding can occur, David is called to the front and is injured--losing his memory of this lady. Time passes. David is back in England and has a successful life in many ways, though his new wife (NOT the singer!) is cold and not particularly likable. Later, Lola sees David and realizes he's alive. What's next? See the film.

I really like the 1942 film "Random Harvest". In fact, I liked it so much I read James Hilton's novel (1941). However, today when I watched "Woman to Woman" I was surprised--so much of this 1929 film (a remake of a 1923 silent) seems like "Random Harvest". However, they are different enough that you might just want to see both.

As far as "Woman to Woman" goes, it's a film you best watch understanding the limitations of the early talking pictured. For example, Betty Compson's French accent isn't great--and it comes and goes throughout the movie. This isn't unusual for the time--nor are the rather crappy dance numbers. And, some of the acting and dialog is stilted. For 1929 it's not unusual--compared to films made just a year or two later, it looks very old fashioned and cheap. Try not to judge it too harshly. Because of this, I'd give it an 8 compared to other films of the day but only a 6 overall (and this might be a bit generous). Worth seeing but for folks willing to cut it some slack.