Tudo por Amor

None of us should pretend that THE TRESPASSER isn't now, 82 years after its time, incredibly creaky. It is. But it's also, for a 1929 talkie, darned well made, with any number of clever cinematic touches and, unlike most 1929 dramas, a well-done musical score. Just contrast it with the other big 1929 woman's picture, the arid and primitive MADAME X, made a few months earlier. Obviously a number of modern viewers won't make the necessary allowances, as some of the other reviews here show. It isn't always easy to view an early talkie sympathetically, especially when The Marx Bros. aren't involved. But if TRESPASSER is trite in many ways, and relies on at least one outlandish coincidence, it should be seen, still, as a phenomenally astute way to introduce one of the biggest silent stars to sound film. It's fascinating to watch Swanson feeling her way into the talkies. Sometimes she's perfectly naturalistic, other times she declaims like an old-school stage star, and sometimes her silent-movie roots show very clearly with some too- grand gestures. In her best sound film performances, MUSIC IN THE AIR and, of course, SUNSET BOULEVARD, she used aspects of the old over-the- top silent style to great effect; here, not playing a grandiose diva, she can seem more self-conscious about the whole thing. But, more than anything else, she's an first-rate trouper, working hard to give an adoring public every bit of its money's worth. And she obviously worked very well with director/writer Edmund Goulding, who she helped (and also with Laura Hope Crews) to put together this autobiographically-tinged soap opera. (Gloria as the mistress of a tycoon? See the very first frames of the credits : "Joseph P. Kennedy Presents...") And though her singing isn't necessarily presented in a subtle way, it's terrific. Audiences in 1929 were bowled over to find out that she could sing as well (or even better) than she could talk, and it's easy to see why. Note, too, that she clears her throat before starting "Love, Your Spell is Everywhere," proving that she was doing it live on the set. Her performance of Toselli's Serenade is lovely too, especially the way Goulding has her singing off camera before entering, still singing, in a drop-dead gown. It's just too bad that both performances are somewhat truncated, unlike the commercial recordings she made of them. We shouldn't expect THE TRESPASSER to be seen, today, as anything other than a museum piece. Too many of its dramatics are too unsubtle or rudimentary for it to work without some necessary caveats. But as an antique, and a small, authentic piece of film (and political!) history, it's extremely engaging, as crafted by an intelligent and resourceful director for a still-brilliant, one-of-a-kind star.

This film essentially begins in Chicago with a young man by the name of "Jack Merrick" (Robert Ames) and a woman named "Marion Donnell" (Gloria Swanson) deciding to get married that very night and spend their honeymoon at a nice hotel overlooking Lake Michigan. Unfortunately, not long afterward, Jack's extremely wealthy father "John Merrick Sr." (William Holden) soon learns of their elopement and angrily rushes over and to convince Jack to have the marriage annulled. Although Jack reluctantly agrees, he does so only because of the negative publicity the elopement might have in the press and tries to reassure Marion that they will soon be married again in a more formal setting. Needless to say, Marion is not at all happy with this new development and leaves Jack that very day. The scene then shifts to 18 months later with Marion on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to her trying to working so hard and trying to support a young child who was born 9 months after she broke up with Jack. To make matters even worse, the newspapers have just printed an article describing the marriage of Jack to an equally wealthy young woman named "Catherine 'Flip' Carson" (Kay Hammond) which depresses her even more. What she doesn't realize, however, is that she will one day meet Jack again and its then that she will eventually have to make the most difficult decisions in her life. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this turned out to be a better film than I initially expected due in large part to the acting of Gloria Swanson who was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. Admittedly, as with most early sound movies made during this time, the overall film quality wasn't that great and some allowances might have to be made for that. Be that as it may, I thought that this was an entertaining movie and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Swanson looks divine, so she's a lot more believable when pampered by her wealthy boss/lover than down on her luck as a single mum refusing to rely on her even wealthier ex-husband, who is completely unaware they've had a child together. Corny doesn't begin to describe The Trespasser, and the ending is laughable, but Swanson is always worth watching.

Gloria Swanson is Beautiful absolutely stunning in this motion picture. The film is a historical gem as we get a glimpse of life in the late 1920s and the fashion and scenery of the time period. The film itself isnt all over the place like other talkies of the time and the acting is alright all the actors did a good job in making it believable to the audience that is the charachter they're playing. Its a shame Swansons career did not to go as well in the 30s but made somewhat of a come back in billy wilders sunset blvd (1950). The copy I saw on Yout was scratchy and the film didnt seem like it was preserved quite well. Nevertheless the story line was entertaining to see the whole movie in its intiniry.

This film was a delight and incredibly watchable. I highly recommend watching this film, which I believe ranks alongside such films as "Stella Dallas" and "Now Voyager." This is definitely of the Woman's Picture genre and a film that you are certain to enjoy.

I know this review is about "The Trespasser;" however, I must first write a few words about "Sunset Boulevard" to frame my discussion.

Like many fans of Gloria Swanson, I have always blurred the lines of reality between Gloria Swanson the actress and her portrayal of the fictitious character, Norma Desmond, from "Sunset Boulevard." I first viewed "Sunset Boulevard" as a teenager growing up in the 1970s. I was one of those viewers who really rooted for Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and wanted her to succeed in her "return" to motion pictures.

It is sad that Gloria Swanson was not able to appear in films of such caliber as "The Trespasser" after making "Sunset Boulevard." With my personal background viewership in mind, I found "The Trespasser" (1929) to be incredibly riveting, which is not always the case when viewing movies of this deep vintage.

Gloria Swanson's caliber of performance comes very close to matching her work in "Sunset Boulevard." I have not viewed much of her work that occurred between "The Trespasser" and "Sunset Boulevard," but have read that this interim work was of lesser quality.

I think that Gloria Swanson required a strong director who could bring out a good performance. Underneath any performance, there must be emotional substance to flesh out the dialogue (Method Acting). Otherwise, the words ring hollow and forced.

I think that the timing of this production provided Gloria Swanson with the perfect emotional storm to bring some method acting to her role in "The Trespasser." She desperately needed a hit film that would get her out of financial debt from the never to be finished "Queen Kelly".

I think that her underlying financial angst gave emotional depth to her performance. She seems to be at her best when her character is also in the midst of intense emotional desperation.

I hope you enjoy watching Gloria Swanson succeed in "The Trespasser" as much as I did. Norma Desmond would be proud.