La baronessa e il maggiordomo

A charming movie, in particular for those whose film tastes are simple, requiring clean, wholesome entertainment, certainly something rare on the screen in the 21st Century. Powell was Powell, articulate, debonair, and likable. But this was my first view of Annabella; what a lovely creature; more accurately, stunningly beautiful, at least to me. The cast did well depicting the almost unbelievable etiquette that those of us born in or after WW II just do not understand. I guess this was the objective in the simplistic plots of the time--to bring only a sense of peace and pleasure to audiences in a time (WW II) when such peace and pleasures were thought to probably never exist again. I cannot find a lot of information on Annabella, but she apparently had a long and distinguished film career. Too bad I didn't know about her in my youth. The film is certainly another 'feather in the hat' of a time in films that many of us remember and enjoyed.

It is rare that I come upon a classic film I like this much. Comedy, drama, a charming story, all well produced and satisfying. I am not a fan of screwball comedies or slapstick, and a lot of times that's what people think of when they think of classic comedy, which is a shame. Much of the comedy in this film could be used today. William Powell is brilliant as ever. Annabella is stunning. Henry Stephenson is charming. He reminds me of a friendly C. Aubrey Smith. And they were in fact cast together in Little Lord Fountleroy (which, if you haven't seen, is an excellent forgotten classic). I can't recommend this film highly enough. Someone has uploaded it to youtube recently, which is where I watched it.

To introduce French film star Annabella to American audiences, 20th Century Fox got a European type product as a fitting vehicle for her. And to play the butler who goes to Parliament, Darryl Zanuck obtained the services of William Powell from MGM.

Like that other favorite butler role that Powell essayed in My Man Godfrey, Powell is a butler with a social conscience, a fact he keeps hidden from his employers Henry Stephenson, Helen Westley and their daughter Annabella. How he kept secret the fact that his left wing party has nominated him for a seat in the Hungarian Parliament is beyond me. Nevertheless on election eve the family learns that Stephenson will be returned as Prime Minister and Powell will be occupying a seat on the back bench.

The Baroness And The Butler is the kind of film that would have been made in any number of European countries, a delightful bit of Frou-Frou that definitely did not have any relation to Hungary in 1938 with Admiral Miklos Horthy running things as a fascist learning military dictator. Those parliamentary elections have about as much relevance as those that were still going on in Nazi Germany where Reichstag elections were dutifully held with only one party being allowed to participate.

Still Powell and Annabella are nothing less than charming and capable players and they pull this film through and you can actually enjoy it if you'll completely suspend disbelief. Of course Powell and Annabella are in love, but she's unhappily married to a philandering Joseph Schildkraut. And Schildkraut like Captain O'Shea in Ireland is going to make the scandal make his career. As usual Schildkraut is letter perfect playing the part of an unscrupulous schemer, characteristics he patented at the height of his career.

If you're a fan of the stars you'll enjoy The Baroness And The Butler.

The great William Powell is perfect as the local Jeeves for a bigwig in Hungarian politics. He was the sort of character who was admired in 1938 but was hated when Nigel Hawthorne played Malvolio in "Twelfth Night."

He's also secretly run for, and won, a seat in Parliament in the Party opposed to his master's. He retains his role as the butler, will his new position cause a rift in the family?

Playing opposite Powell was Anbabella, who did not become the new Garbo (if they needed a new Garbo her shoes would be filled by Ingrid Bergman who, unfortunately, isn't in this movie).

Powell is superb, as usual. But the story is ludicrous.

This is a most delightful movie in every sense. And one that deserves to be known far better than it is. The story of a conscientious butler who works for the Prime Minister of his country, Hungry, but, unknown to his employer, has political aspirations of his own.

This is a wonderfully witty script that never flags. And such a fine cast. William Powell is irrepressible as ever as the caring butler who however isn't afraid to speak his mind in parliament when leading his party in opposition to his employer played by Henry Stevenson, whose wry amusement when Powell's character criticises him in front of everybody in Parliament is hilarious.

But the real revelation here is Annabella, who is simply sparkling as the Baroness, who is also the Prime Minister's daughter. Not only is she very beautiful but also a fine actress. Annabella is so vibrant and expressive in this part that she is just a joy to watch in every scene she plays, especially in those with Powell. They had great chemistry. And it would have been nice to see more of them together.

It seems like Zanuck tried to wreck Annabella's career when she became involved with Tyrone Power. What a sad mistake on Zanuck's part as one can clearly see from this movie that Annabella had a style and panache that would surely have made her a great star. This movie is excellent entertainment and well worth seeing.