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Cluny Brown (1946)
13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Classy Classic, 27 August 2004
Author: StevieGunder from Los Angeles, CA
The Lubitsch Touch is evident in this witty, intelligent film. Jennifer Jones shows a vivacity and humor she had never displayed before and would not again until her clever performance in "Beat The Devil". In one amazing scene where she cannot resist showing her wares as a Plumber (to the disdain of the other party guests) she gets to play a reaction to the debacle that is amazing in its combination of pathos and hilarity. Very interesting character actors including a very, very funny Una O'Connor (whose dialogue consists mainly of incessantly clearing her throat), the light as a feather and dead on playing of Margaret Bannerman, and also a chance to see Helen Walker. Charles Boyer plays with his customary light touch and is the anchor to this film, but finally it is Jennifer Jones' performance that takes one breath away and stays with you long after you've seen it.
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
JENNIFER JONES - COMEDIENNE, 1 July 2002
Author: Howard Morley (luke@morleys.demon.co.uk) from lONDON, ENGLAND
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This is a little known Jennifer Jones (JJ) film because it has to my knowledge, never been seen on UK television and I have never seen a video of this film in any store or video catalogue.I got mine by bidding on "E-Bay" winning the auction.Fortunatly my VCR takes both US NTSC & British PAL formats.Therefore viewers who have seen JJ play a variety of straight dramatic roles, will be pleasantly surprised by this tour de force comic role of her's.What a pity Selznick did not realise his wife had such comic potential in her later parts.Instead of casting her in say "A Farewell to Arms" (1957), he should have realised comic acting does not require an actress to be of a certain age and he could have put her in latter day Sandra Bullock type roles with great success.Comediennes can age graciously! Viewers who enjoy "Cluny Brown" should also see JJ's other comic role as Gwendolynn Chelm, the congenital liar, in John Huston's "Run With The Devil" (1954.
Ernst Lubitsch produced and directed this sparkling comedy satirising English Society, from the remote upper classes, to the fawning middle class to the working class who have to "know their place".Being English I do like a good laugh at my own expense.The reversed snobbery of the Housekeeper Mrs Maile (Sara Allgood) and the Butler Syrette at Carmel Manor, had me in stitches.
Charles Boyer playes a dissident intellectual Czech emigre (Adam Belinski), fleeing from Nazi persecution and who is living a hand to mouth existence in London because no-one understands or buys his arcane treatise on philosophy.He has the ability to think laterally and thinks if people want to feed squirrels to the nuts in Hyde Park instead of normally feeding nuts to the squirrels, "who are we to say no"? Jennifer Jones plays the title role with gusto as a plumber's niece who desperately wishes to follow her uncle's career, but Society frowns on such career moves for young ladies.Her uncle Ern (Billy Bevan) "rescues" her from a fate worse than death from the abode of the snobby Hilary Ames after she has fixed his blocked sink before an imminent party in honour of The Honourable Betty Cream (Helen Walker), (what we call in modern parlance a "Sloane Ranger" becuase of the proximity of Sloane Square in London to Knightsbridge/Chelsea - the traditional hunting ground of debutantes.
Cluny Brown is packed off by her uncle to Carmel Manor to be a humble maid and again meets Belinski.She is definitely not cut out to be a maid because she has trouble "knowing her place".She very nearly becomes betrothed to Wilson (Richard Haydn), the fawning, mother-fixated character who is the unimaginative local village chemist and who has no ambition whatsoever in life apart from doing exactly the same thing in the same place until the day he dies.I did however like his rendition of "Flow on Sweet Afton" on the harmonium!His mother (Una O'Conner) only communicates by coughing, certainly a novel method!Belinski is obviously enamoured of Cluny and tries to sabotage his rival by irritatingly ringing Wilson's shop bell then walking or hiding away "Outrageous!".The social gaffe comes at a tea party held by Wilson with his mother and friends who are gathered for an important and imminent announcement.Suddenly there is an ominous sound from the other room and it is evident the plumbing needs attention.The temptation is just too much for Cluny.She rolls up her sleeves and fixes Wilson's blocked sink in a "jiffy".Such a ,solicism cannot go unremarked and the party comes to an abrupt end.
When Belinski leaves to return to London Cluny rushes to the station to see him off.Before she knows what's happened, she too is on the train with him and has had her symbols of servitude thrown out of the carrige window by him.Belinski then talks of "Madame Belinski" and Cluny then realises he has just proposed "That's the same as Mrs isn't it?".Then Adam has an idea.Instead of writing non-selling philosophical works, he will write a murder mystery entitled "The Nightingale Murder" after a particularly noisy bird that kept him awake at Carmel Manor.The couple now reside in New York and the book is a great success.Evidently Cluny is now pregnant!To keep the family, Adam Belinski has obviously written a sequel "The Nightingale Returns".
I enjoyed every frame of this comedy.A Young Peter Lawford plays the heir Andrew Carmel whose idea of stopping Hitler is to write a letter to the London "Times"!His mother explains to her future daughter in law that "English gardens have to be planned three years ahead", so she knew where her future duty lay.C Aubrey Smith plays his usual Hollywood colonel role as friend of the Carmel family.Delightful.
12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Jennifer Jones IS Cluny Brown, 12 December 2006
Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States
Boy, here's a movie that is just crying out for a DVD release for its fans....and one with English subtitles on it. I would buy it immediately if it ever becomes available.
The attraction is simply Jennifer Jones doing what she does best: play a beautiful, sweet and innocent girl....the kind "you want to take home to momma!"
It must be all Jones that makes me desire to see this on DVD because (1) there really isn't much of a story here, which leads to some dry spots; (2) Charles Boyer's french accent is too tough to understand many times; (3) there is the usual mistaken-identity story which was so popular (and usually stupid) in old movies; (4) the cinematography isn't much; (5) most of the humor is so corny, it's stupid.
Yet, despite all the negatives above, this film is one I want to see again because Jones - "Cluny Brown" - plays one of the most likable, old-fashioned nice characters I've ever seen on film. It is as pretty as she ever looked and you'd be hard-pressed to find a sweeter more innocent character. She is just a pleasure to watch.
Rarely have I seen one person elevate a so-so movie to this degree.
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Squirrels to the nuts, 29 June 2006
Author: blanche-2 from United States
"Cluny Brown" had quite an impact on me when I saw part of it as a child. I'm sure my feelings had to do with the luminous beauty of Jennifer Jones and wanting to be just like her when I grew up. Jones has the title role of an imaginative young woman who, being the niece of a plumber, doesn't mind picking up a hammer herself once in a while and having a good whack at the pipes. It gets her into some trouble at the apartment of Hilary Ames (Reginald Sinclair) when she arrives before a party to clear out his sink before his guests arrive. There she meets Adam Belinski, a Czech academician who's on the run from Hitler. Well, that's who the very earnest Andrew Carmel (Peter Lawford) assumes he is...Belinski never actually says.
When her uncle finds Cluny drunk and on the couch at the Ames apartment, he puts her into service. She winds up working at the Carmel country estate, where Belinski comes to stay. Attracted to her, he sets about aggravating the local pharmacist, Mr. Wilson (Richard Haydn) who is courting Cluny, and getting involved with Andrew's romance with Betty Cream (Helen Walker).
This is a very sweet, light comedy from Lubitsch that touches on not only the class system in England but the attitude of the upper class toward the impending war. As in the Fox film "This Above All," the upper class in "Cluny Brown" seems annoyed by the mere thought of war and hope the nonsense will just go away. As for Cluny, born to her class, she's expected to work and behave a certain way, though it isn't really her nature.
The performances are all very good, with Boyer a delight as Belinski, a character perhaps modeled on the Czech freedom fighter Jan Mazurek - though he basically doesn't act in danger or worried and manages to hit Andrew up for money. One is never really sure throughout the film what he's up to. Richard Haydn is hilarious as Cluny's suitor Mr. Wilson, one of the best scenes taking place when he plays the harmonium for her and she all but swoons. As his mother, all Una O'Connor does is cough, but that's all she needs to do. Playing opposite boyish Peter Lawford, Helen Walker seemed too old for the part of Betty. The other supporting players are all excellent, including Sara Allgood, Reginald Owen, and Margaret Bannerman.
David O. Selznick saw Jennifer Jones in his outer office, and it was love at first sight. It's easy to see why. She is radiant and spirited as Cluny, her vivid imagination shining through her eyes and smile. A wonderful presence - gentle, vulnerable, and guileless.
"Cluny Brown" isn't at the top of Lubitsch's best - it's uneven and doesn't have enough of a plot. It's entertaining nonetheless, and the ending is pure joy.
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Sweet, feel-good movie, 15 December 2006
Author: debdo33 from Louisiana
I loved this movie. Charles Boyer is always such a smooth actor. Im a sucker for a French accent. It was simple movie with a simple plot. Jennifer Jones was cute in the movie but not the best acting I've seen her do. I really liked her character though. I've watched this movie about 15 times and I cant really explain why, except that it makes me feel good. This is the kind of movie you want to watch if its a rainy, cold day outside and you can curl up with a cup of cocoa. The cocoa will warm your insides and the movie Cluny Brown will warm your heart. I will always treasure this sweet simple romantic comedy. Keep in mind that this is a very old movie and the purpose was for entertainment back then, not detailed plot twists. I think that this movie is worth watching, but don't stop after the first 15 minutes, it does get better. Just watch it!!!Trust me!!
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
My Favorite Lubitsch Movie, 3 November 2005
Author: David (Handlinghandel) from NY, NY
I would put "Desire" ahead of this. He directed some of it. But of movies for which Lubitsch got sole directories credit, this charming tale is my favorite.
Charles Boyer is delightful. Richard Haydn is hilarious as the stuffy pharmacist who woos the title character.
And as the title character, Jennifer Jones is lovely and very funny, in just the subtle way the script calls for. She was again to show her comic skills in "Beat The Devil." There she is an outright scream. Based on just these two performances, she must be counted as one of screen history's most adroit comediennes -- though her career generally took her in very different directions.
The only part of "Cluny Brown" that makes me uncomfortable is the insertion of jokes about Nazism in a comedy. Yes, "To Be Or Not To Be" is built around that but "Cluny Brown" is a softer movie. It is a sort of drawing room comedy with some racy undertones. The plumbing: OK, it was and still is unusual for a woman to be a plumber. But this is about sex and class. (In a way, it is a slighter "Rules of the Game.") I don't care for the meanness in much of Lubitsch. Certainly he was a beautiful craftsman. But no matter how often I watch "Trouble In Paradise," I can't seem to like it.
"Cluny Brown" is filled with enormously likable characters. Buffoons too, but they aren't evil. It's one-of-a-kind -- and it's very funny and enormously charming.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Today, I just fell in Love with Clunny Brown !, 28 November 2007
Author: ifasmilecanhelp from Geneva Switzerland
what a sweet and charming movie, so cute, so gentle, a delicious cup of fresh air!
Just "knowing her" by name, I fell in Love with exquisite Clunny Brown, I name Jennifer Jones.
Lovely, pretty, how she acts is exactly what is needed for he part. She is Clunny Brown !
And Charles Boyer, yeah, wonderful, has the right tone too.
What about that bloody temporary "lover", Reginald Gardiner, if I'm not wrong ? just perfect !
I had that definitive smile all along, and still have it now...
and would you believe I enjoyed every minute of Cluny Brown ?
All the characters are pushed to their limits, frank and strong caricatures of different members of our human society...
May be you might feel it's too precious and not realistic, but who cares ? Am I here to watch the news ? NO WAY !
And do not forget once it was like that, for real, and actually if it takes different shapes, it's still the same...
So, great acting from all, I bow once more, and write : Hats off to Mr Lubitsch ! He's one of the true master of comedy !
Some reviewers seem to have small complains about the plot, why not ? yes, it is quiet thin, but for myself I don't mind as long as it has all this kind of charm...
Me ? You people I tell you, I'd rather watch plenty ones with a thin storyline played like this one, (finaly leaving me with a smile going up to my ears) rather ones with more elaborated plot, well played too, which let me a bad taste because they are too dark and hopeless...
Yes, the undertone is frivolous, about deep and sad topics
but personally, if not always, I believe it's a good way of healing human soul...
It's not Life, it's Cinema, I like to dream and smile !!!
They don't do like them anymore (or so seldom...) whispers an aging fox !
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Lubitsch "Lite", 3 April 2003
Author: Greg Couture from Portland, Oregon
Have seen this more than once on TV (though not for quite a few years now) and I'd be first in line if Fox Classics were to issue it on video. It's a slight bit of fluff, given the full Twentieth gloss, and elevated to sublimely sly tongue-in-cheek humor, courtesy of Herr Lubitsch. Everyone in the cast is in top form (Thank goodness David O. Selznick was willing to loan his treasure, Jennifer Jones, to Fox...She's a delight in this one!) Standouts are Sara Allgood as the mansion's oh-so-proper head housekeeper and Richard Haydn as the hilariously stuffy Mr. Wilson, Cluny's would-be suitor. The final shot of Jennifer falling in a dead faint (due to her impending, but not yet obvious maternity) seen through a 5th Avenue bookstore window, is one of the best curtains in screen annals!
2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A Satisfactory End to Lubitsch's Career, 13 January 2008
Author: Cherian from United States
I enjoyed Cluny Brown. I don't think this film is one of Lubitsch's best. But in my opinion, this film can be considered as a satisfactory end to Lubitsch's Career. Lubitsch gave us wonderful films like Design for Living, Ninotchka, The Shop around the Corner, To be or not to be, and other wonderful films.
After To be or not to be, Lubitsch had health problems. Lubitsch tried to make a great film after To be or not to be. I consider this film as last pure Lubitsch film.
Its wonderful to see Charles Boyer in a Lubitsch film. His performance was great in this film. Jennifer Jones and others were great too.
I read a review recently on Cluny Brown. I read an interesting information from the review. Here it is - "This subtle comedy satirizes English social distinctions by showing two free spirits from different classes drawn to each other." I found that information very interesting. Charles Boyer's character doesn't really belong anywhere. He is a totally free spirit. But he is a character who is very happy and his attitude impresses other people. And he finally makes Cluny Brown a totally free spirit.
I highly recommend this film for any Lubitsch admirers.
A Bit talky But Amiable Comedy, 23 June 2008
Author: Hal-900 from WA, USA
Lubitsch's touch goes something like this: two characters are discussing Hitler's Book 'Mein Kampf.' One person says, "It's an outdoor book. What is it called? Oh yes, Mein Camp." The joke is played is such an unassuming manner that if you are not listening carefully, you may miss it. That's how "Cluny Brown" operates most of the time and that's why it is so charmingly funny. Lubitsch's main target is politics and the silly differences between the social classes in the 1930s England. The script is sharp. The acting is top notch. Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones are excellent in the leading roles. Underrated Helen Walker nearly steals the film as self-absorbed socialite. Even Peter Lawford shines in a secondary role. The wordless ending is a beautiful example of Lubitsch's great visual style, and the power of cinema.
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