This is is a rather creaky, flawed effort, that reminds me a little of Jamaica Inn. And yes, this is George Arliss's last film, and he is indeed getting on. But he hadn't lost that unique Arliss delivery -- exuberant I'd call it -- that's so delicious to watch. And he had that angular look that lent itself to so many vivid characters, from Disraeli to Rothschild to Richelieu. He had a gaze that added the dimension of guile, even to his heroic characters, and also made him a great villain, as he was in The Green Goddess and finally (or as another reviewer says, eventually) in Dr. Syn.
Every glimpse of the great Arliss is a treat, and you should grab anything you see him in, because his vehicles are very hard to find. And that includes this one. If for no other reason, see it to see the man who discovered Bette Davis.
Every glimpse of the great Arliss is a treat, and you should grab anything you see him in, because his vehicles are very hard to find. And that includes this one. If for no other reason, see it to see the man who discovered Bette Davis.