Arsène Lupin (1932)

Director:

Jack Conway

Writers:

Lenore J. Coffee (dialogue)
Francis de Croisset (play)

Release Date:

5 March 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery

Plot:

A charming and very daring thief known as Arsene Lupin is terrorizing the wealthy of Paris, he even goes so far as to threaten the Mona Lisa...

Plot Keywords:

Arsene Lupin | Detective | Louvre Museum | Mona Lisa | Paris France

Cast

John Barrymore	...	Duke of Chamerace / Arsène Lupin
Lionel Barrymore	...	Det. Guerchard
Karen Morley	...	Sonia, aka Sophie Krellberg
John Miljan	...	Prefect of Police
Tully Marshall	...	Gaston Gourney-Martin
Henry Armetta	...	Sheriff's man
George Davis	...	Sheriff's man
John Davidson	...	Gourney-Martin's Butler
James T. Mack	...	Laurent (as James Mack)
Mary Jane Irving	...	Marie

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Filming Locations:

Colorado Street Bridge, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Goofs:

Factual errors: Lupin steals the Mona Lisa by wrapping the canvas around his umbrella. The Mona Lisa is painted on a wood panel.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Biography: The Barrymores" (2004)

Lionel out-hams brother John in old-fashioned jewel thief story...

JOHN BARRYMORE actually underplays the role of ARSENE LUPIN in this early talkie that features his brother LIONEL BARRYMORE as a crusty detective seeking to solve a series of jewel robberies. John Barrymore is the elegant man suspected of being the famed jewel thief and he plays it with a surprising amount of charm and skill, rather than the overacting he often displayed in later films.

KAREN MORLEY is the attractive blonde who is supposed to be helping Lionel get the goods on the thief--but, unfortunately, she's no help at all when she falls hopelessly in love with the charming scoundrel.

So much about the film, where much of the action takes place on a country estate with wealthy people in attendance, reminds me of the David Niven/Olivia de Havilland film about the Scotland Yard thief RAFFLES. Barrymore plays the role with the same effortless charm that Niven adapted for his Raffles, the man who kept authorities baffled with a string of jewel robberies.

TCM is showing a good print of the film and while some of the dialog leaves a lot to be desired, it's a good example of an early sound film that still holds up today. Interior sets of the country estate are expensively mounted and it's obvious this was designed as a major film, not a programmer, despite the slight story.

Lionel hams it up considerably throughout, but John is more effective in his underplayed role.