L'honorable Monsieur Sans-Gêne

I cannot praise THE RAKES PROGRESS too highly. It has a witty script, extremely fine performances, a good William Alwyn score (including the famous Calypso he wrote for the film), good-looking sets by Norman Arnold and handsome cinematography by Wilkie Cooper. It told a good story as well.

Yes, Rex Harrison was quite a bounder. At the time of the film's release some critics were disappointed in how the character's life suddenly changed at the film's end - a valid objection which, had the script inserted at least one "transitional" episode, might have made it more believable. However I find this a minor point, having taken great pleasure in such a beautifully made production. It gave Harrison a good opportunity to widen his acting range considerably. Hitherto only light comedy roles were offered him but in RAKE'S PROGRESS we see some serious sly villainy. It was this performance that took him to Hollywood, by the way. A special bouquet to Lilli Palmer for another sensitive, touching performance. She was, without doubt,one of the finest actresses on the screen.

Highly recommended.

aka The Rake's Progress is fun to watch and enjoy.

The movie relates the story of a British Playboy, Vivian Kenway (Rex Harrison), in flashback, from the opening scenes of the film.

The first flashback takes us to a young aristocratic boy in London on Armistice Night, 1918. The young boy, talks to two soldiers who are happy that he will have to fight in a war. One of the soldiers gives the boy a talisman from his cap and the boy keeps it.

From there, the film moves forward and we see Vivan at Oxford in 1931. He is a prankster there about to be "sent down." Once he is "sent down" from Oxford, his family must find useful employment for a young man with his station in life.

But where?--How about a coffee plantation in South America? Vivian does well there, but since Brits don't drink coffee and the price of coffee is too low to make a profit, he must try another line of work.

Try again— How about a job with Vivan's old friend from Oxford, Sandy Duncan (Griffith Jones)? While it is true, he has an affair with Sandy's wife, it turns out that she is not such a virtuous woman either. So, even though Sandy and Vivian have a huge fist fight on the lift at one of the London fine establishments, Sandy has to admit that she was no big loss.

Next try— How about getting into the race car racket by driving at Brooklands? Well, that just ultimately leads to more problems.

With Rex Harrison playing an aristocratic bounder who thinks he can do about anything for enjoyment, money, or sex, this playboy thing just goes on and on. Doesn't it?............

Lili Palmer, who was Rex Harrison's 2nd of 6 wives, at the time the movie was made, also has an important role in this movie. I like Lili's cuteness. She sort of reminds me of a German version of Leslie Caron.

The Rake's Progress (as this film is known in England) tells the story of a spoiled, rich public school boy who cannot settle in peace time but finds his role during the war by sacrificing himself for the war effort. The name of the film was changed for US audiences, according to Director Gilliatt, because 'the distributors thought the original one might lead audiences to expect something about gardening'!!

Your enjoyment of this movie will depend on your reaction to Rex Harrison in the lead role of Vivian. If you see him as a fun loving bounder, you'll have fun. If, on the other hand you find him an annoying, faithless, womanising bastard then you'll find 124 minutes verrrrry long.

I started off in the first camp, particularly during the scenes when he is based in a coffee plantation in Latin America and the amusing conversations with his elderly aunt. However the charm soon wears off as he cuckolds an old university friend, uses a beautiful jewish refugee to pay off his debts and causes his own father's death in a drink driving accident.

Does he find redemption in the end? Well, this depends on your interpretation of the final scenes. If you buy the moral that he has now found his place then the film has some meaning. I found the redemptive ending tacked on - reminiscent of the way Hawkes was forced to insert the criticism of gangsters in Scarface.

There are some good performances, particularly from Godfrey Tearle as Vivian's father and Margaret Johnson as the Secretary. Rex acts as Rex just like in Blithe Spirit, Doctor Doolittle, My Fair Lady etc....

If you've nothing better to do on a wet Sunday afternoon, give this film a look and post your views.

Notorious (1945) by Sidney Gilliat is a great black and white romance, Rex Harrison and Lilli Palmer's performance as the stars of this film really blew me away. The camera work was excellent along with the lighting techniques used.

Personally I dislike black and white films, however this film had a very modern approach to it and that was able to keep me interested throughout the length of the film. (I would still prefer to see this movie in color!)

Overall, this is a great film and I would recommend it to anyone who likes black and white romances.

Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliiat utilised Rex Harrison's roguish charm to good effect in the rather lightweight 'Constant Husband' in 1955. Here we are ten years earlier with what is probably their best film and certainly one of Harrison's best performances. His plays Vivian Kenway, a man who is not exactly a jackpot of admirable character traits being a dissolute wastrel and spendthrift. Unlike the Rake in Hogarth's engravings of 1735 he does not descend into madness although at one stage it looks as if he might but redeems himself as a war hero. Although throughout most of the film Kenway's behaviour is reprehensible one cannot bring oneself to dislike him which is surely a testament to Harrison's portrayal. One has a sneaking admiration for his devil-may-care, something will turn up attitude and as for his success with women, it takes two to tango. The three principal women in his life are very contrasted.'It' plus 'It' equals 'chemistry' and that between Harrison and his then wife, the superlative Lilli Palmer, is there for all to see. Margaret Johnston is splendid and no one does 'flighty' quite as well as Jean Kent. Mention must be made of Godfrey Tearle's beautifully understated and moving performance as Kenway Senior. Needless to say some supposedly amoral scenes were trimmed for American audiences. The assertion by Gilliat that the film's title was changed to 'The Notorious Gentleman' so that Americans would not mistake it for a picture about gardening sounds too absurd to be true but I see no reason to doubt him! Kenway's character is essentially a microcosm of the type that thrived in the 1930's for whom the outbreak of war proved a death knell. This super film not only entertains but also captures an era. Rex Harrison's personal life was 'dramatic' to say the least and although one should not make a habit of confusing an actor with the parts he plays, it is interesting that Alexander Walker entitled his biography of Harrison 'Fatal Charm'!