One of those films I'm in a phase of watching over and over... I have very good taste in films, so I'm surprised at how appealing I find "Behind That Curtain." Now it happens that I like Gilbert Emery--that's how I found the film--and I don't mind at all that he speaks soooo slowly. Presumably it was the director who dictated the drawn-out sentences and melodrama. But I'm swayed by the charm and beauty of Lois Moran and Warner Baxter... and somehow I really enjoy the love scene in the tent... except for Moran's "...it..... must..... be...... goodbye tomorrow" and "it.... must.... be.... only.... a memory...". They do have some good acting moments, like when they have tea in India.
The things that bother me are story details, such as Charlie Chan saying he's got all the doors covered at the theater and somehow missing Durand getting in, or how Pornick is so stupid as to sign his letter to Eve, or how Durand is so short-sighted as to not realize he Chinese slippers would point straight to him. And when Sir Frederick is questioning Pornick, I keep wishing he would get angry and say, "Are you sure you were there at all? There obviously was a shot, because Galt is dead, but you didn't hear it? So where were you?"
Also, the camerawork is, in some moments, very beautiful. After Sir Frederick says, "Remember, I represent Scotland Yard," there's a set-up that's like a gorgeous still photo with the two constables framing the doorway. Then there are the shots of the caravan in the desert, predating "Lawrence of Arabia" by 30+ years. I think the editor messed up a bit on some of those desert scenes, though, cutting them short where they were just getting gorgeous.
It's not a "dreadful" film by a long shot, and obviously enough people have been interested in it to write all these reviews! They're all good actors... maybe Lois isn't the best, but I like her in this. We don't often get a chance to see actors go overboard, but it seemed appropriate for her in this role. She's radiant.
The things that bother me are story details, such as Charlie Chan saying he's got all the doors covered at the theater and somehow missing Durand getting in, or how Pornick is so stupid as to sign his letter to Eve, or how Durand is so short-sighted as to not realize he Chinese slippers would point straight to him. And when Sir Frederick is questioning Pornick, I keep wishing he would get angry and say, "Are you sure you were there at all? There obviously was a shot, because Galt is dead, but you didn't hear it? So where were you?"
Also, the camerawork is, in some moments, very beautiful. After Sir Frederick says, "Remember, I represent Scotland Yard," there's a set-up that's like a gorgeous still photo with the two constables framing the doorway. Then there are the shots of the caravan in the desert, predating "Lawrence of Arabia" by 30+ years. I think the editor messed up a bit on some of those desert scenes, though, cutting them short where they were just getting gorgeous.
It's not a "dreadful" film by a long shot, and obviously enough people have been interested in it to write all these reviews! They're all good actors... maybe Lois isn't the best, but I like her in this. We don't often get a chance to see actors go overboard, but it seemed appropriate for her in this role. She's radiant.
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