Le retour de l'étranger

MGM usually made glossy films about society swells, but this one is a picturesque film about rural America set in the - at that time - present day. 85 year old Grandpa Storr (Lionel Barrymore) learns that his granddaughter by his eldest child, Louise (Miriam Hopkins) is coming to the farm for a visit from New York City. Although the two have never met before, they quickly connect. Storr has two of his children living with him - his milquetoast attorney son (Grant Mitchell) and his wife, and his controlling daughter Beatrice (Beulah Bondi).

Louise meets and falls in love with Grandpa Storr's married neighbor, Guy Crane (Franchot Tone). Guy went away to college and was changed by that experience, but went ahead and married his childhood sweetheart Nettie, mainly because they had already planned it. But Guy still has an interest in the bigger things in life such as art and literature - this is where he and Louise connect - while Nettie has never been off the farm. Nettie is a true friend to Louise, and this is what makes the whole situation more complicated, because neither Guy nor Louise could ever see themselves hurting the guileless Nettie.

And then, suddenly, Grandpa Storr becomes senile, believing that the Civil War is still going on, and his daughter Beatrice is itching to commit him so she can take over his farm and his funds.

The film never states WHERE it is located, but I would guess Pennsylvania, especially if Grandpa Storr has actual memories of Civil War battles occurring nearby. This is a very good understated performance by Hopkins, who so often played overwrought characters and women living on the edge of society. Beulah Bondi is terrific as a greedy shrew who keeps reminding Louise that she is a "scandal" because of her attention to Guy and the fact that she is separated from her husband. Stuart Erwin is the faithful but often drunken hired hand.

This film really excels at showing the rural lifestyle in the early 20th century - the dances, the harvesting, the neighbors helping each other out, the big dinners, and the beautiful countryside, exquisitely directed by King Vidor. For some reason - maybe rights problems - this is seldom shown on Turner Classic Movies in spite of being an MGM property. I highly recommend it if you ever get a chance to see it. Do note that there is about a minute missing from the end of some prints. It was common for precode era films to be rereleased with some scenes cut, but the scene missing is really nothing that would have been objected to by the censors.

Lionel Barrymore is wonderful as 85-year-old Grandpa Storr, crotchety old patriarch who's spent his life running the old family farm. Miriam Hopkins is equally enchanting as the granddaughter who arrives from the city to stay.

Hopkins and Barrymore are just delightful as they strike up a fast friendship. "You know, I have a feeling you aren't quite as bad as you're painted," Hopkins offers in a charming early scene where the pair get acquainted sitting on a porch swing. "Who said I was bad?" Barrymore growls back—with a mischievous smirk and slightly raised eyebrow.

Stuart Erwin is excellent as Grandpa's devoted if melancholy farm hand. And Franchot Tone is just right as the educated neighbor farmer, loyal to his family and farm although he is powerfully attracted by Hopkins' charm and sophistication and misses the university where he really should be teaching.

Funny and poignant, the picture is full of endearing moments and simple yet memorable episodes. The threshing day lunch, for example—when a farmer at the crowded dinner table asks Hopkins for one more piece of pie, the result is hilarious and unforgettable.

Louise Storr (Miriam Hopkins) has recently divorced and she's decided to leave the big city to visit her Grandpa Storr (Lionel Barrymore) in the country. There she has a lovely time and reconnects with family...but she also ends up finding solace in the arms of a nice neighbor, Guy Crane (Franchot Tone). The only trouble is that Guy is already married to Nettie...though he and his wife seem to have little in common...far less than he and Louise.

Despite the underlying conflict in this film is marital infidelity, this isn't exactly the overall tone of the film...nor is it a film endorsing this (like some Pre-Code films did). It's much more a nice slice of life sort of film and the sexual tension between Guy and Louise is just a part of this. However, this also makes it an example of the sorts of topics that you might have found in the Pre- Code days (up until mid-1934) where adultery was discussed in movies...and after it was rarely mentioned at all and when it was, it was severely punished.

Overall, this is a very nice, meandering sort of picture. Very well acted and well worth your time. Barrymore, as usual, steals the show but the rest are also quite good.

Miriam Hopkins couldn't get more likable than she is in The Stranger's Return. She's just delightful as a city girl who visits her grandfather's farm. Eighty-five-year-old Lionel Barrymore (only fifty-five at the time) is the head of the family, much to the chagrin of his children and in-laws. Beulah Bondi, Grant Mitchell, and Aileen Carlyle are all anxiously awaiting his demise so they can inherit the farm. When Miriam breezes in, they're wary of her, especially since she gets along so well with Lionel.

What I love about this movie is it's not the typical "city slicker" movie. It's funny but not silly, and it doesn't make fun of anyone. Yes, Stuart Erwin is the constantly drunk farm hand, but he doesn't harm anyone and only likes a good time. Yes, Beulah is mean-spirited, but she's not stereotypical. And Miriam truly learns to love her grandfather and his way of life. She's not looking for escapism or a brief thrill. She listens to his wisdom and applies it to her own life, taking the time to think about the consequences of her actions.

Which leads her to Franchot Tone. He owns the neighboring farm. He's handsome, kind, funny, intelligent enough to have been offered a teaching position, responsible enough to turn it down and run his family farm, and genuinely has a good heart. How can you help falling in love with a man like that? Oh, there is one more thing about Franchot: he's married. Chances are you've never heard of this movie, but if you can find a copy, watch it. It's very good. It's not stylized like some old flicks, and it's very true to life.

A delicate film, plenty of little marvellous details. I do not know why we cannot watch this film more times on television, because it is, in my opinion, the best film that King Vidor ever filmed. And I could watch it again and again.