Ill-fated Diana Barrymore had already been portrayed as a fictional character by Lana Turner in 'The Bad and the Beautiful' and it seemed, on paper anyway, a good idea to film her autobiography which had been ghosted by writer Gerold Frank. Although Mr. Frank's character appears in the film he did not get to be involved in the completed script which seems a pity. It is a loose adaptation which has of necessity been toned down in keeping with the sensibilities of the time but still packs a punch.
It is a film of two halves and the first is dominated by Errol Flynn as John Barrymore and his charisma is such that even after his character has shuffled off, his presence pervades the rest of the film. Flynn has avoided surface imitation and simply played the tragic Barrymore as he knew him and his great performance no doubt stems from the fact that he really cared for Barrymore and is trying his best to do him justice. Ironically Flynn's not too dissimilar lifestye led to his own death a year later. For those who actually care, Flynn recites the first few lines of the famous speech from Act 111 of 'Henry V', a character that Barrymore never played. Although there are two credited cinematographers, the marvellous scene of the shipboard revellers in silhouette that is the film's highlight, would seem to be the work of Nicholas Musuraca.
Originally turned down by director Michael Curtiz as being 'too sordid', it has been ably directed by Art Napoleon with a splendid score by Ernest Gold. There are some truly excellent scenes between Flynn and daughter Diana of Dorothy Malone whilst her three husbands are played by Efrem Zimbalist Jnr, Ray Danton( a truly loathsome character) and Ed Kemmer. Neva Patterson gives her customarily sharp-edged performance as Diana's mother. Miss Malone, fresh from her success in 'Written on the Wind', is first class in a demanding role that requires a wide range of emotions.
One's perception of a film is often influenced by the reputation that precedes it and despite the drubbing by the critics and dismal showing at the box office it is not, for this viewer at any rate, as bad as we are led to believe. Perhaps it was just too close to home in an industry renowned for addiction and damaged lives. Anthony Hopkins who beat his own battle with the booze, once observed that 'actors are miserable creatures and the famous ones are conspicuously miserable'.
It is a film of two halves and the first is dominated by Errol Flynn as John Barrymore and his charisma is such that even after his character has shuffled off, his presence pervades the rest of the film. Flynn has avoided surface imitation and simply played the tragic Barrymore as he knew him and his great performance no doubt stems from the fact that he really cared for Barrymore and is trying his best to do him justice. Ironically Flynn's not too dissimilar lifestye led to his own death a year later. For those who actually care, Flynn recites the first few lines of the famous speech from Act 111 of 'Henry V', a character that Barrymore never played. Although there are two credited cinematographers, the marvellous scene of the shipboard revellers in silhouette that is the film's highlight, would seem to be the work of Nicholas Musuraca.
Originally turned down by director Michael Curtiz as being 'too sordid', it has been ably directed by Art Napoleon with a splendid score by Ernest Gold. There are some truly excellent scenes between Flynn and daughter Diana of Dorothy Malone whilst her three husbands are played by Efrem Zimbalist Jnr, Ray Danton( a truly loathsome character) and Ed Kemmer. Neva Patterson gives her customarily sharp-edged performance as Diana's mother. Miss Malone, fresh from her success in 'Written on the Wind', is first class in a demanding role that requires a wide range of emotions.
One's perception of a film is often influenced by the reputation that precedes it and despite the drubbing by the critics and dismal showing at the box office it is not, for this viewer at any rate, as bad as we are led to believe. Perhaps it was just too close to home in an industry renowned for addiction and damaged lives. Anthony Hopkins who beat his own battle with the booze, once observed that 'actors are miserable creatures and the famous ones are conspicuously miserable'.
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