The Peterville Diamond

I rather enjoyed this movie. At first I balked at watching it because my screen guide described it as being "lackluster". Lackluster my nose! Nothing could be further from the truth. It's not lackluster at all. It's full of charm and wit and wacky moments. Some people complain that it's not very funny. Well, it's not supposed to be the Marx Brothers, folks. It's a caper movie with comedic elements mixed in along the way. And as such it's quite good.

I have to mention how beautifully lighted this movie is. It's delicious to look at. It was clearly lighted by an expert.

I'm not going to go over the plot, I detest doing that in my reviews. Impressions are what I like to give. And my overall impression of this movie was quite good. I might even add it into my collection. I might indeed.

When teri doesn't get much attention from her hard working husband, she decides to get him to pay more attention. Somehow. But when they are caught up in a robbery at the jewelry store, things get complicated. And they keep bumping into the thieves. Mistaken identities. Of people. And briefcases. And the president is coming for dinner! The first half of this just drags, but about halfway through, things pick right up. The farce gets a little more exciting with the thief and the chief of police in the same house. Stick with it... it gets so much better! Directed by walter forde. Based on the play from 1932, which had already been filmed as "jewel robbery". Anne crawford (plays teri) died so young at 35. This was the final film for oliver wakefield (the baron); he died young at 47. Donald stewart (mortimer) died at 55. Kind of a cursed cast.

TCM is currently showing a slew of "forgotten" Teddington Studios films (which repeat next Monday), and this one is a template for any intrigue comedy. Black and white never look better in such low-budget parameters.

Who will hook up with whom? Who will be arrested? What will become of the diamonds and other stones (they call them "rocks" for Americanism)?

One note: the absurdly large corsages worn by the women at the lapel is a trend I should like to see reappear.

Jewel thieves and a laconic damsel entwine. The film is never dull, and very fast paced. O, that films today would learn from such minor gems! I am enjoying this feature and look forward to other Teddington productions via Warner Bros.

Teri Mortimer (Anne Crawford) is tired of being neglected by her rich businessman husband Charlie (Donald Stewart). She feigns interest in the expensive Peterville Diamond, but he just writes a big check to keep her quiet. A jewel thief duo comes into the store and robs the place. Of course, they steal the Peterville Diamond. The diamond passes from one hand to another. Teri enjoyed her time with the suave thief Baron Redburn (Oliver Wakefield) and the attention of Charlie's new jealousy.

This is set up for a fun love triangle. It's a fun meet-cute with Teri and the thief. The constant double-dealing tries to be screwball fun, but it just muddies the waters. I want more time for Teri to banter with Redburn. I don't know if they could ever stay together especially considering the times. Maybe if Charlie is only a boyfriend.

Kudos to writers Gordon Wellesley and Brock Williams for supplying director Walter Forde with an unusually good comic screenplay. Yes, that's right -- I liked it. It reminded me of the Mozartean comic operas that go round and round in circles like a dog chasing its tail. After awhile you simply can't keep up with the implications of each of the plot's many twists and turns. But that's the verdict of the lazy spoon-fed audiences of today. The sharper audiences of Mozart's time had no trouble keeping up. What a refreshing bit of fun it was! The suave robber (in this case played scintillatingly by Oliver Wakefield) may be the cliché of clichés, but it's always a good time. The married woman (Anne Crawford) who gets caught up in the intrigue and displays second thoughts about her husband (the character goes back at least as far as Mrs. Ford in Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor") is here bestowed a decently delicious amount of ambiguity. Only the husband (Donald Stewart) seems a bit wooden. And the second tier characters are also as masterfully drawn as many in Shakespeare.

There are more famous Hollywood comedies of this type that get far more attention and aren't half as good as this little gem. My humble suggestion: Sit back and enjoy it!