I'm not surprised that Warners took a long time to put this one on DVD, even though the movie was extremely popular in its day. Alas, it's now mainly of curiosity value as it comes across as a filmed stage play, an impression reinforced by the fact that there is only ONE reverse shot in the entire movie! With this single exception, it's like a filmed stage play except for the fact that it is a very, very wide stage, large enough to accommodate some non-dialog scenes such as the tracking shots in the park. As for the dialog itself, it is generally put across in long, static takes. Despite all, Charles Laughton does deliver a performance of some depth and subtlety, while Maureen O'Sullivan makes her Henrietta a spirited foil. Unfortunately, March's endeavors as Browning are facile and superficial. Norma Shearer, alas, is equally inadequate, while a simpering Katherine Alexander provides some extremely wearisome and dated comic relief.
Review of The Barretts of Wimpole Street
