Amante Discreto

And I've always been faithful to this film in my fashion. Rather ignored and almost completely forgotten, with such a simple but eternal storyline it remains an excellent watch. The acting and production is slightly stilted as with early talkies, but it's the other-world moralities displayed by both departments most people would find difficult to assimilate.

The Fatal Attraction type plot has already been well outlined, this is one where the main characters definitely don't end smelling of roses. Henry Stephenson must have played kindly old gentlemen in dozens of films, here he's a kindly old cynical sleazebag - quite jarring it is! Also Colman for hoping to be impervious to female wiles, and Francis as his wife for childishly encouraging temptation - but she does get to say Divine! Halliwell Hobbes also froths too nastily as an outraged coroner.

If you've got the patience it's an absorbing melodrama, one I've seen maybe a dozen times over the years now with no loss of enjoyment, and with a salutary lesson for both sexes that's well worth learning but won't be.

London barrister Jim Warlock (Ronald Colman) is packing to leave his loving wife Clemency (Kay Francis). They discuss how he met Doris Emily Lea (Phyllis Barry) and the start of his troubles.

This pre-Code early talkie is a romantic melodrama mystery. I'm not always in love with these male characters who are 'ruined' by aggressive females. They feint innocence a little too easily and are rarely that at all. I do like the mystery of his downfall. At least, there is no boiled rabbit at the end of this "obsessed female" drama and he does accept some responsibility. I still don't like him, but I do accept his journey.

Suicide has always been an awkward subject for a city devoted to "a real Hollywood ending," but at least during the Great Depression, it could be touched upon. A respectable bourgeois (Ronald Colman) succumbs to the temptations of a pretty younger woman (Phyllis Barry) while his respectable wife (Kay Francis) is away. Although the young lady has presented herself as a femme du monde, it turns out that she's very clingy. When the missus returns home, our hero has several balls to juggle. Fine performances add to the suspense.

An odd film of both King Vidor's and Ronald Colman's, but Kay Francis is adorable and saves both the film and the story. The moment of truth arrives at the court when the successful careerist and London barrister is put to trial and has to explain himself, which he refuses to do, as his delicacy forbids him, as the reputation and honour of a deceased girl depends on it, and without it standing out clearly or being expressed, his loyalty and honouring the girl's memory makes him keep his silence, well aware that it will be judged to his disadvantage - he loses everything and has to find a new life in South Africa, while he could have saved himself and his marriage and career and everything by telling the truth about the girl. This is actually a typical Ronald Colman part - the extreme gentleman, who rather reasons decently and romantically than rationally. It is interesting although not a first rate movie but an odd gem indeed of no great lustre but of the greater worth for its inconspicuousness for both King Vidor and Ronald Colman.

King Vidor directed "Cynara," an early talkie starring Ronald Colman and Kay Francis, in 1932. The title is based on a poem by Ernest Dowson that contains the line: "I have been faithful to thee, Cynara, in my fashion."

Colman plays a barrister who is faithful to his wife of 7 years, Clemency (Francis) but succumbs to the carnal temptation of a young girl (Phyllis Barry) while his wife and her sister are in Venice.

As others commented, there are some lovely effects, including the film within a film, and a piece of paper that Colman rips up that dissolves into flying pigeons in Venice.

And there are very good performances by Colman, Francis and Barry, who has the difficult role of the young girl who, because of a mistake, is not considered quite respectable, and falls for Colman.

The problem I have with the story is that the Colman character is such a devoted husband in the beginning and so happy about being married 7 years. In practically the next scene, with the encouragement of his friend (Henry Stevenson) he has taken up with this girl. If some of that had been left out of the script, it would have been much more believable.

At any rate, well worth seeing for the director, the precode aspects, and the stars.