Broken Lullaby
| Broken Lullaby | |
|---|---|
 Original poster | |
| Directed by | Ernst Lubitsch |
| Produced by | Ernst Lubitsch |
| Written by |
Samson Raphaelson Ernest Vajda Based on a play by Maurice Rostand |
| Starring |
Lionel Barrymore Nancy Carroll Phillips Holmes |
| Music by | W. Franke Harling |
| Cinematography | Victor Milner |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 76 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Broken Lullaby (1932) is an American drama film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson and Ernest Vajda is based on the 1930 play L'homme que j'ai tué by Maurice Rostand and its 1931 English-language adaptation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley.
Plot
Haunted by the memory of Walter Holderlin, a soldier he killed during World War I, French musician Paul Renard (Holmes) confesses to a priest, who grants him absolution. Using the address on a letter he found on the dead man's body, Paul then travels to Germany to find his family.
Because anti-French sentiment continues to permeate Germany, Dr. Holderlin (Barrymore) initially refuses to welcome Paul into his home, but changes his mind when his son's fiancée Elsa identifies him as the man who has been leaving flowers on Walter's grave. Rather than reveal the real connection between them, Paul tells the Holderlin family he was a friend of their son, who attended the same musical conservatory he did.
Although the hostile townspeople and local gossips disapprove, the Holderlins befriend Paul, who finds himself falling in love with Elsa (Carroll). When she shows Paul her former fiancé's bedroom, he becomes distraught and tells her the truth. She convinces him not to confess to Walter's parents, who have embraced him as their second son, and Paul agrees to forego easing his conscience and stays with his adopted family. Dr. Holderlin presents Walter's violin to Paul, who plays it while Elsa accompanies him on the piano.
Production
The film's original title, The Man I Killed, was changed to The Fifth Commandment to avoid giving "wrong impressions in the minds of the public about the character of the story." It ultimately was released as Broken Lullaby.[1]
The film was presented at the Venice International Film Festival.[2]
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Czechoslovakia banned the film due to its "pacifistic theme." [1]
The film was screened at the 2006 San Sebastián International Film Festival as part of an Ernst Lubitsch retrospective.[3]
Cast (in credits order)
- Lionel Barrymore as Dr H. Holderlin
- Nancy Carroll as Fraulein Elsa, Walter's Fiancee
- Phillips Holmes as Paul Renard
- Louise Carter as Frau Holderlin
- Lucien Littlefield as Herr Walter Schultz
- Tom Douglas as Walter Holderlin, German Soldier Killed By Paul
- Zasu Pitts as Anna, Holderlin's Maid
- Frank Sheridan as Priest
- George Bickel as Herr Bresslauer, Dress Shop Owner
- Emma Dunn as Frau Miller
- Reginald Pasch as Fritz's Father
- Rodney McLennan as War Veteran
Critical reception
Mordaunt Hall of the New York Times called the film "further evidence of Mr. Lubitsch's genius, for, while it is tearful, its story is unfurled in a poetic fashion, with an unexcelled performance by Lionel Barrymore and fine acting by Phillips Holmes and Nancy Carroll." He added, "Each sequence is fashioned with sincerity and great care. The different scenes are all photographed with admirable artistry . . . The magic of the Lubitsch mind is not only reflected in the artistry of the production and the direction, but also in the habiliments of the players and their make-up." [4]
Pauline Kael called Phillips Holmes "unspeakably handsome but an even more unspeakable actor," thought Nancy Carroll was "miserably miscast," and added, "Lubitsch can't entirely escape his own talent, and the film is beautifully crafted, but he mistook drab, sentimental hokum for ironic, poetic tragedy." [5]
Time Out London said, "The acting is overwrought; the dialogue is uniformly on-the-nose. Yet 'purity' is the word that comes to mind: The movie is a nakedly sincere ode to the power of sympathy, and it's not to be missed." [6]
DVD release
The film has been released for the Region 2 market. It is in fullscreen format and has an audio track in English and subtitles in English and Spanish.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Turner Classic Movies.Though it was screened on 27th Sept 1932 in London as The Man I Killed, https://debsdiaries.wordpress.com/
- ↑ Broken Lullaby at MSN.com
- ↑ Alternative Film Guide
- ↑ New York Times review
- ↑ Kael, Pauline, 5001 Nights at the Movies. New York: Macmillan 1991. ISBN 0-8050-1367-9, p. 107
- ↑ Time Out London review
External links
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