Topaze

Topaze (1933)

** (out of 4)

Extremely weird film about a nice and honest school teacher (John Barrymore) who gets fired from his job after failing a 12-year-old boy but soon gets a job but unknowingly starts ripping off the public with fake sparkling water. The majority of the film deals with the nice guy Barrymore being taken advantage of by bad people and being forced to do bad things without knowing it. That's all good and fine but I'm not sure if this was suppose to make me laugh or not. It's listed as a comedy in every guide book but not once did it make me laugh so on that level the film certainly didn't work for me. The movie kept me entertained from start to finish but all of that is due to Barrymore who delivers a terrific performance. I'm slowly going through Barrymore's filmography and I've mainly watched his wacky, over the top film but here he actually stays within the mild mannered character and doesn't resort to any of that weirdness. He is totally believable as his character and delivers something very fresh. Myrna Loy is his assistant but doesn't get much to do.

TOPAZE (1933) is a funny movie. It is also a dramatic tale of how corrupt the writers (Ben Hecht/Benn Levy) find the capitalists to be. The capitalist in question is the Baron Philippe de La Tour (Reginald Mason) who is carrying on an affair with a girl called Coco (Myrna Loy). There is no compunction involved, and they carry on as if married. Only they're not.

The Baron La Tour wants to sell bottled water but his "scientific backing" bails on him because the water is not what is advertised. With the help of his paramour Coco, Baron Le Tour finds another scientist in the form of his son's recently fired schoolmaster, Professor Auguste A. Topaze. Unwitting and somewhat naïve, Topaze lends his name to the water which henceforth bears his name, Sparkling Topaze.

Dr. Topaze eventually discovers that, by gosh, he's being used. What he does is the perfect answer to capitalism, because it is done like a true capitalist.

The "evil capitalist" argument has never died, in this era when corporations and oil companies and big pharmaceuticals, etc., are blamed for the sundry world ills, so the story is not really dated. Barrymore is brilliant, owning the role, and Myrna Loy is dazzling. Mason is quite good as the Baron, Jobyna Howland delightful as his wife, and Jackie Searl is a joy as their son, Charlemagne de La Tour, who is something of the nemesis of Dr. Topaze.

This movie is a gem.

Yes, indeed. Barrymore at his best. Charming story about a French schoolmaster who is unwittingly embroiled in a controversy that forces him to face truth, honesty and integrity outside of his classroom walls.

Barrymore and a fresh-faced Myrna Loy are the stand-outs in this engrossing part melodrama, part comedy. And I mean comedy in the most strictest, serious forms. Full of pathos and irony.

The final scenes of comeuppance and the balancing of justice have been done over and over in many movies since and probably before, but never so deliciously biting as in this simple but strong story.

Recommended without reservations.

John Barrymore offers a brilliant performance as a French school teacher who is honest but soon learns the crooked ways from the business world and then uses them to his advantage. This movie is based on Marcel Pagnol's play about a mousy French school teacher and the last RKO studio's triumph with producer David Selznick.

The Broadway show was a very successful and ran 215 showings in 1930. The story is about a French school teacher who's a rather old fashioned simpleton. His reputation is high enough for wealthy industrialist to use his good name on a soft drink of lesser quality. Selznick was not too keen on the satirical content of the book but thought John Barrymore would be the best man to play the lead role of the movie. With the assistance of screen writer Ben Hecht and a superb team of supporting stars that includes; Myrna Loy, Reginald Mason, Jackie Searl and Jobyna Howland, the story was turned into a delightful parody on the screen.

One of the controversial plots of the movie is that Myrna Loy plays the part of Coco, a kept woman of married man Baron Philippe De La Tour (Reginald Mason). This movie was released in the pre-code era of 1933 without a hitch, but when the studio re-released in 1936, it was rejected by the industry censor because the promiscuous relationship in the movie, "without compensating moral values," said the censor board. Surprisingly this movie is also considered as the best American movie of 1933 by the National Board of Review. In spite of all these controversies, the movie is outstanding and the story is absolutely offbeat. I am sure everyone will enjoy this classic.

John Barrymore is "Topaze" in this 1933 film based on a French play. The film also stars a young and beautiful Myrna Loy. Professor Topaze is a very morally grounded teacher who is always honest, and when a student does bad work, he's marked down for it. Unfortunately for Professor Topaze, the mother of one of the students manages to have him fired. Bloody but unbowed, Topaze has been recommended for a tutoring job and goes to an apartment to see about it. Little does he know, the father of the boy, Baron Philippe de la Tour, is the one who had him recommended and now no longer wants him. de la Tour is at the home of Coco, his mistress (Loy) which Topaze doesn't pick up on until much later. de la Tour is selling bottled water - except it's from a tap - and his main endorser has just walked out. Who can he get to endorse his water? In walks Professor Topaze, who has a background in science. Without realizing what's going on, Topaze throws himself into the work of developing a fabulous water.

The only thing about this film that's of any interest, to me anyway, is the performance of John Barrymore as a bearded, badly put together, innocent professor who lives in another world. In one scene, he's given some liquor; not being a drinker (now that's real acting) he downs it in one swallow. To watch the liquor take its effect is very funny, as Topaze makes a joke and then laughs, his voice cracking. He crosses his legs. He starts staring at Myrna Loy.

Loy is lovely, but she has what is strictly an ingénue role and not much to do. Jobyna Howland is the Baronness de la Tour, and she's a scream.

Definitely worth seeing for the performances.