Review of Trouble in Paradise (1932) by Elephant S — 14 Jul 2004

[color=dimgray]One of the things I love so much about movies (and there are many) is the afct that pretty much everyone loves movies - or at least A movie. Therefore, I frequently find myself talking about movies with family, friends, tricks, coworkers, etc. and a question that often arises is "Who is your favorite director?" For a long time, I had an easy answer: a tie between Billy Wilder and Hitch. And the I discovered Ernst Lubitsch and his famed ?Lubitsch Touch.? Now isn?t the time for me to go into his biography or filmography, you can go to imdb and look that stuff up yourself. It is the time for me to write how much I love [i]Trouble in Paradise[/i] (Paramount), especially in my brand new Criterion DVD ? the best presents are the ones you buy for yourself.[/color].

[color=dimgray]There is nothing wrong with this movie. Do you have any idea how wonderful it is to write that sentence and know what you mean it? The story, the script (by Samson Raphaelson) , the acting, the comedy, the romance all blend together seamlessly into a perfect example of a pre-code romantic comedy. Hell even the editing is genius without becoming distracting.[/color].

[color=dimgray]The plot goes something like this: Herbert Marshall and Miriam Hopkins meet at the Grand in Venice. He soon learns that she is impersonating a countess, she learns that he is not really a baron, and the audience learns that they?re both thieves, Marshall having just robbed Edward Everett Horton, the gentleman staying in room 253, 5, 7 and 9 (his room number becomes a delicious verbal running gag). Marshall and Hopkins join up together and Marshall gets hired as the very wealthy Kay Francis?s secretary. He, in turn, hires Hopkins as his secretary while they plan to rob Francis blind. Meanwhile, Francis is courted by Horton and Charlie Ruggles, while falling for Marshall. And hilarity ensues.[/color].

[color=dimgray]The catch here is that hilarity [i]actually[/i] ensues. This is where the Lubitsch Touch comes in to play. His genius lies in his pacing. The film clips along at a brisk 82 minutes, and not a second is wasted. How many movies have you seen that included some pointless, unfunny, out-of-character ?bit? that some jerk thought would bring in the 18-25 crowd? On second thought, don?t count. That would distract you from reading my review. There is no fat on this movie, and yet I was left feeling utterly satisfied - this is as much a credit to Raphaelson's script as it is to Lubitsch. The crafting of an exceptionally effective comedy is incredibly complex, but Lubitsch found a way to master it again and again ([i]Ninotchka, The Shop Around the Corner, To Be or Not to Be[/i]?) and he does it here. I?ve tried for years to figure out his genius, but I think doing so would spoil the fun of his pictures.[/color].

[color=dimgray]The cast is uniformly excellent. I first saw Miriam Hopkins in Lubitsch?s [i]Design for Living[/i] and fell in love. But I have yet to come up with a satisfactory description of her appeal, except to say that she has It and reminds me of my friend Rebecca. I guess you could call it a ladylike scrappiness, if the term didn?t sound so ridiculous. Herbert Marshall has enough dash to rival those Frenchmen Boyer and Chevalier. Kay Francis manages to avoid the ingénue blandness that plagued most of her MGM films, with the notable exception of [i]Mary Stevens, MD[/i]. Edward Everett Horton is always a welcome presence in a picture, especially when he?s being ?took.? And now a word about Robert Grieg (Francis?s butler). He?s not the focus of a single scene, after all he?s the butler. But he?s brilliant just walking down the stair muttering to himself about catching Francis in Marshall?s room. Credit the actor for the performance. Credit the director for keeping it subtle. (A modern comedy would have given the same character a snappy come-back. Also, he?d be gay.) And maybe this is the heart of the Lubitsch Touch. Knowing just how much is enough and how easily it can become way too much.[/color].