Cluny Brown (1946) User Reviews

Squirrels to the nuts

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 29 June 2006]

"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.

Fun, fast, clever, and with a wonderful Jennifer Jones

[secondtake · 7/10 · 7 September 2018]

Cluny Brown (1946)

"It's never too late for a cat." And this is the essence of the movie, a supposed satire on British manners pre-WWII, but more likely just a bit of delightful nonsense. The star for me is the delectable Jennifer Jones who is more than just a pretty decoration-she gives her role as a uninhibitted working class woman a kind of Audrey Hepburn freshness. Before Audrey Hepburn.

Charles Boyer is no doubt the most esteemed star here, but he's his usual self with a bit of forced charm. Director Lubitsch makes the whole scene quite delicious, so it's the big view that makes the small pieces click. (And this is what he is famous for, setting the European scene with a subtle, sharp eye.) There is humor here (it's a comedy, yes) but there is a kind of elegand disdain that is something more than that.

And it's beautifully filmed, by young (great) cinematographer Joe LaShelle.

What holds it all back for me is the writing, which is a kind of forced comedy, creating situations that are "made" for comedy. An awkward confrontation, an improbable entry of one character into another character's world. There is whispering and disbelief and nonchalance all mixed together in a way that is, in fact, lighthearted, but isn't as funny or bright as you would want.

And so the movie zips on, quite fun and lighthearted but always (for me) missing some basic gut humor or even a more trenchant critique of its subject, the British upper class. I did, I have to admit, love the ending, which was perhaps inevitable, but which pulled of a clever telling of the future of the leading characters. Fun, well done! And Jones is sublime even when she's goofy.

It starts out moving at a glacial pace, but it does pick up...

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 26 February 2022]

... and the dialogue is just extraordinary.

Cluny Brown (Jennifer Jones) is a young English woman trying to find her place in life. She is quirky, outspoken, and she likes plumbing, mainly from watching her uncle be a plumber for years.

But she has to deal with the snobbery of all of the classes - the middle class represented in a village druggist, the servant class in the head servants in the house she works in, and the rich class. Since films of the time so often made fun of the rich, this one takes a different tack. The rich people are just agog over Czech intellectual and refugee Adam Belinski. They trip over themselves giving him money because it makes them feel like they are being a patron.

Cluny makes people uncomfortable because she does things that make her visible, when it seems that people want her to just disappear into the woodwork, to have no opinion or personality at all, including the village druggist who is considering marrying her. Belinski appreciates her fire and forwardness. He has a similar temperament, but because he is a man and an intellectual, nobody seems to mind the same behavior out of him.

I never cared for Peter Lawford in all of those collegiate MGM musical film roles, but here he is hilarious as the idealist son of a nobleman who is being treated badly by his steady girlfriend, Betty (Helen Walker), who refuses to give him clear signals as to where he stands.

Classy Classic

[StevieGunder · 27 August 2004]

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.

A masterpiece of comedy - or a big mouth nightingale under his window

[SimonJack · 10/10 · 10 December 2018]

This is a very clever, witty, wacky, screwball, satire comedy of people, place and manners. From its source to the script, acting and production, "Cluny Brown" is a masterpiece of film comedy. This is one of the cleverest, funniest and most entertaining movies I've ever seen. The script is witty, filled with hilarious dialog, and sprinkled with frequent clever sidesteps and detours. Such would normally make a film disjointed and hard to follow. But here the short distractions work beautifully to make it like a screwball comedy. All of this makes for a very funny, wacky and subtly satirical film.

The film begins in London in June of 1938. World War II had not yet begun. The book on which the film is based, was a 1944 novel of the same title. The world was deeply into the war when Margery Sharp wrote the novel, but the outcome was far from certain. Yet, the war was well over by the summer of 1946 when this film came out. Part of the spoofery of the film is of the ignorance about the world scene among some of the upper peerage of England.

Ernst Lubitsch directed some of the best political satire films, and this was the last movie he completed before his death in 1947 of a heart attack at age 55. Besides a great plot and excellent screenplay, this film has a marvelous cast. The acting is superb from the leads down to the smallest of roles. The supporting cast reads like a who's who of U.K. actors of the day.

The script is so chock-full of humor that this film needs a second, third and even fourth viewing. It gets better each time as one notices more of the short retorts, smart snippets and wacky lines. Many of the cast were worthy of Oscar nominations in 1946. But it was a year of many great films, most of which were serious fare in the aftermath of war. Still, "Cluny Brown" was a hit on both sides of the pond. Had it been made three or four years later, it surely would have captured some major awards.

As Cluny, Jennifer Jones shows her aptitude for comedy as well as drama. She was nominated for an Oscar in another film of 1946, the Western drama, "Duel in the Sun." She won an Oscar and Golden Globe for "The Song of Bernadette" in 1943. Jones clearly is one of the great actresses of the silver screen.

Cluny's fixation for plumbing is matched by Adam Belinski's observance of the squirrels and nuts in Hyde Park. Charles Boyer is at his comedic best as the Czech writer who fled his native Budapest ahead of the Nazis.

Each one of the rest of the cast who play English lords, ladies, servants and tradesmen, is ideal in his or her role. Reginald Owen is hilarious as Sir Henry Carmel. Margaret Bannerman has a role much like one that Billie Burke often played. She is something of a dingbat with moments of clarity. Peter Lawford is very funny as Andrew Carmel, and Helen Walker is a scream as Betty Cream. The pretentious Andrew can't stand the pretentious Cream, but he pines for her constantly. Richard Haydn is howlingly funny as the snobbish chemist (we Yanks would call him a druggist), Jonathan Wilson. Una O'Connor was never funnier, without saying a single word. The servants of the Carmels are a hoot, and Reginald Gardiner, Billy Bevan and all the rest provide shots of humor.

Author Margery Sharp (1905-1991) was a sort of Jane Austen of the 20th century. With more than two dozen novels and many short stories and plays to her credit, she was well known. A number of her stories have been put on film. "Julia Misbehaves" of 1948 is another great comedy with Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, and Cesar Romero.

Here are some favorite lines from this film. For more great dialog, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the movie.

Hilary Ames, "If plumbing's going to make a go of it in this country, the plumbers jolly well better get into the spirit of the thing."

Andrew Carmel, "Good heavens." Betty Cream, "What's the matter?" Andrew, "It's Belinski." ... Betty, "Is he a gangster?" Andrew, "Don't be an idiot, Betty. He's a Czech."

Sir Henry Carmel, "You mean to tell me young girls go in for plumbing nowadays?... When I was a young man, we never even discussed plumbing. As a matter of fact, we didn't have any."

Lady Alice Carmel, "If England must produce Belinskis, why we will produce Belinskis. Britain has never failed. Now have your tea, dear."

Andrew Carmel, "Oh, you can't call a man broke just because he hasn't any money."

Lady Alice Carmel, "So many foreigners do have foreign names, don't they?"

Syrette, "What do you expect? Maid without references, and a foreigner who isn't even in the diplomatic service."

Cluny Brown, "Poor little sheep. It hasn't much future, has it? Just mutton." Jonathan Wilson, "And where would England be without it? If I was a sheep, I should be proud to serve the empire."

Jonathan Wilson, "Mother doesn't waste words on flattery. If she speaks, it's to correct faults."

Adam Belinski, "No, Sir Henry. I know Hitler." Sir Henry Carmel, "Oh, yes, he's written a book, hasn't he?... What's it called? Oh, yes, "My Camp." Belinski, "Yes, it's a kind of outdoor book. The old German idea of sport. Not your kind of sport.

Syrette, "I shall never forget the day she dusted the left eye out of Sir Henry's moose."

Cluny Brown, "You know, Mr. Belinski, men just don't marry plumbers."

Cluny Brown, "He told me what he thought of me. Some of it was in Latin."

JENNIFER JONES - COMEDIENNE

[m0rphy · 9/10 · 1 July 2002]

***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.

The Plumber's Daughter

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 25 May 2015]

Ernest Lubitsch used the charms and abilities of his leads Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones to get some maximum performances out of them and make his next to last film Cluny Brown a great success. I've not heard that Lubitsch had to contend with Jennifer's husband and Svengali David O. Selznick on the set, but it's a safe bet they clashed because Selznick could not help interjecting himself where his wife was concerned.

Jones is the daughter of English plumber Billy Bevan and the most interesting thing is that in this English setting her non-English speech pattern is perfectly acceptable even against Bevan's cockney accent. Jones was also perfectly acceptable in another English part in Love Letters and certainly got no criticism. The camera always loved Jennifer Jones and in parts like Cluny Brown as the girl next door she lit up the screen.

Boyer as often as not played a whole lot of European types not necessarily French. Here he's a Czech refugee over in the United Kingdom fleeing from Mr. Hitler. The film is set in Neville Chamberlain Great Britain and Boyer is one of many bringing unpleasant news to the British public.

After Bevan rescues Jones from Boyer and Reginald Gardiner Jones is placed as a maid at a country estate where she meets Boyer again. There should be some class barriers, but Boyer breaks them down and Jones is more than agreeable.

Lots of agreeable Lubitsch touches and a minimum of Selznick interference make Cluny Brown still a treat after over 60 years.

A short review of the movie Cluny Brown

[ashkakaylee · 10/10 · 20 January 2011]

For years I had searched for this movie in the vain hope of ever finding it. Till last night I found it on Youtube. My sincere thanks to the person who uploaded it and gave me the chance at last to see this little treasure.

I'm curious to know how today's movie going audience brought up on a combination of action adventure and mindless idiocy would come to this movie. Its so far out of what's being made to today as to be from a totally different world. And yet I would like to think that people would love it for what it is, a charming piece of old world cinema.

It is possible that this movie could be made today. Though I'm not sure who would be able to play all the parts with the sincerity the cast do in the movie without going over the top. Especially I wonder who could play a character like Cluny with the charm and depth that Jennifer Jones brings to it.

Jennifer Jones's Cluny is one of the most captivating characters I've ever met on screen. So engaging, so charming, so innocent.

Jennifer Jones acting is sublime. I couldn't help but watch the different expressions on her face through each emotion she was going through. Good facial expression is always for a me a good sign that the actress is immersed fully in the part.

Charles Boyer's Adam Belinski must be the kind of man women dream about meeting but probably never will. Handsome, french accent, worldly wise, kind, gentle, understanding. He is of cause the perfect man for Cluny as against the boring Wilson played with great verve by Richard Haydn. I hated the character, lol. But I thought Haydn's performance quite brilliant too.

The rest of the cast do a fine job too. And the ending is perfect.

Lubitsch's final completed film

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 8 February 2022]

Just the fact that Cluny Brown was Ernst Lubtisch's final film before his unfortunate demise at just 55 makes it worth checking out. It's an amusing satire on the upper crust in England, and Jennifer Jones as a plumber turned maid is charming in the title role. The rest of the cast are reasonably good as well, with Helen Walker (as the rich girl) getting in a few moments of her own, and the delightful Sara Allgood and Ernest Cossart (as the head housekeeper and butler) nearly stealing the show.

It's not a film I could truly love however, as there wasn't a lot of spice to the banter between characters, and the humor was too muted for my taste. It felt uneven in several ways, with the Nazi references feeling clunky and too easy, and the simple story dragging at times. Most of all, I just didn't feel the chemistry between Jennifer Jones and Charles Boyer, making the love that snuck up on them (but not the viewer) not one that swept me along with it.

Sweet, feel-good movie

[debdo33 · 9/10 · 15 December 2006]

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!!

Not dressed for plumbing

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 19 September 2018]

'Cluny Brown' had a good deal going for it. The big draw is the cast, it is hard to resist a cast that includes Charles Boyer, Jennifer Jones, Helen Walker, Reginald Owen, Una O'Connor and Richard Haydn. Am also a fan of Ernst Lubitsch, responsible for many great films ('Trouble in Paradise' and 'The Shop Around the Corner' being favourites) and with a very distinctive style.

Mostly 'Cluny Brown', interesting for being Lubitsch's last completed film, works. It is not one of Lubitsch's best by any stretch, with uneven stretches, but even when Lubitsch was not at his best he fared much better than many directors at their worst and there are directors who could only dream of being on his level at his very finest. 'Cluny Brown' is good fun and charming, as well as hardly being a waste of the fine talent in front of and behind the camera.

Admittedly the story is disposable, there really isn't much of one and it can get silly and muddled in the more eventful parts. Peter Lawford did seem somewhat bland compared to the rest of the cast.

While most of the humour is fine, that referencing Nazism felt heavy-handed and not particularly tasteful. Compared to the light-hearted tone of the film in general, it did jar.

However, 'Cluny Brown' is beautifully filmed and designed. Lubitsch brings enough of his distinctive directing style and "Lubitsch" touch expertly. The music is like the film itself, lively and elegant. A few stumbles aside, 'Cluny Brown' sparkles in the comedy, with the satire having bite and punch with enough subtlety in the mix. The romantic element is sweet and charming and the whole film goes at a sprightly pace.

A large part of 'Cluny Brown's' appeal is the cast. Charles Boyer is delightful while Jennifer Jones radiates on screen and has a lot of spirit. The support is excellent, especially from Reginald Owen and a particularly hilarious Richard Haydn.

Overall, uneven but a very pleasant and fun film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

One of Jennifer Jones' best roles.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 December 2011]

I am frankly shocked that I haven't seen this film, as I thought I'd seen about everything that Ernst Lubitsch directed in the States-- and many of his German films as well. But, oddly, I'd overlooked this one.

Before I talk about the film in detail, I have a few comments about the cast. Casting Charles Boyer with Jennifer Jones is really odd and you just don't normally think of them together--but the film managed to handle this odd combination well. Additionally, the film has some excellent supporting character actors--Reginald Owen, Reginald Gardiner, C. Aubry Smith and Richard Haydn. And, while I am not a huge fan of Una O'Connor (she overacts horribly in some films), here she is great...as she says nothing! As far as Jennifer Jones goes, she is usually one of my least favorite actresses. I think it's because her lover (and later, husband), David O. Selznick, really mismanaged her career and placed her in some roles which were terrible for her. In "Duel in the Sun", she played a half-breed she-devil--and played it to the hilt. Coming from a woman who excelled in sweet roles (such as "Cluny Brown", "Song of Bernadette", "Since You Went Away" and "Love Letters"), playing such an unwholesome and sleazy character didn't work at all and came off as silly. Several of her other films were clear misfires due to casting her WAY against type (such as in "Beat the Devil" and "Ruby Gentry" and "Indiscretion of An American Wife"). Here, fortunately, Jones is at her very best--as a very sweet and ditsy sort of character you can't help but like. And, everyone she meets seems to like her in this sweet little comedy.

The film begins with a stopped up sink. Reginald Owen and Charles Boyer are about to have a dinner party and are relieved when they think that the plumber has arrived--but it's NOT the plumber but the plumber's niece, Cluny (Jones) who shows. She isn't a plumber at all, but seems to enjoy fixing plumbing as a hobby. And, since her uncle is busy, she thought she'd come and give it a try. She very quickly fixes it, but they have her stay because she is so vivacious and sweet that they don't want her to go. And, after a couple drinks she REALLY opens up and shows a cute side of her that is fun to watch. Obviously, Boyer is taken with her--but can't do much about it, as he's a homeless refugee from the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia.

A bit later, a rich idealist (Peter Lawford) meets Boyer and it turns out the Boyer is a famous professor and political refugee. So, wanting to help a guy down on his luck, Lawford invites him to stay at his family estate in the country. When Boyer arrives, he's thrilled to see that Jones has just been hired as a servant there--and spends as much time as he can with her. And, by the way, she's a terrible maid--but she's so nice, they can't stand to fire her.

Sadly for Boyer, Jones is inexplicably taken with one of the most boring men in human history (Haydn). And, she somehow likes the idea of possibly becoming this dullard's wife. But what about poor Boyer? He's homeless and is secretly in love with Cluny--and the likelihood he'll ever win over Cluny is remote. And, even if he does, how can he possibly afford to marry? And, Haydn and his weird mother (O'Connor) are bound to choke the life and charm out of poor Cluny as they want her to be more proper and 'adult'--something no sane person would want from her! I could say more but think it's best you just see this charming film for yourself.

Utterly charming from start to finish. I do so wish Jones had made more films like this and the lovely Lubitsch touch is more than enough to make this film a treat to watch. MY only quibble, and it's a tiny one, is that the scene in New York following the train ride at the end was NOT necessary. I think having the film end a tiny bit sooner would have been a bit better--just a bit.

"Squirrels to the nuts"...

[AAdaSC · 7/10 · 20 May 2010]

Cluny Brown (Jennifer Jones) is sent to a country estate to act as a maid. However, she'd rather be a plumber. She strikes up an alliance with Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer) while finding love with shopkeeper Mr Wilson (Richard Haydn). Is this really the life for Cluny.....?

This film is funny. Charles Boyer and Jennifer Jones are two likable lead characters, but it is Richard Haydn who steals the comedy limelight. He is one of those characters that are so awful that they become fascinating. Watch how he proudly shows Jones a map of his life with his birthplace and his place of work heavily marked up, and the scene where he plays his harmonium with a sudden change of pace that is totally unsuitable for the moment. He also makes speeches in Latin. He is basically funny whenever he is on screen. Jones has funny moments as well - watch how she enthusiastically bashes various pipes with a hammer in the name of plumbing while continuing to make conversation. If there is a downside, it is in the character of Andrew (Peter Lawford) who seems to be unpleasant. Lawford doesn't seem to be able to do comedy. Betty (Helen Walker) is also unpleasant but she does at least manage to portray a comical character. Mrs Wilson (Una O'Connor) is just on the wrong side of annoying - she never speaks, she just clears her throat and it becomes tiresome. In contrast, the supporting characters of housekeeper Mrs Maille (Sara Allgood) and the butler Syrette (Ernest Cossart) are very funny in their desire to be nothing but servants.

It's a funny film that is worth keeping to watch again.

Cluny Brown-"Plunges" Due to Writing **

[edwagreen · 4/10 · 6 April 2011]

Jennifer Jones as a plumber's niece who is reduced to being a scullery maid. She lands in the same home with playboy Peter Lawford's parents. Charles Boyer plays a Czechoslovakian hiding out from the Nazis as it's 1938. The picture could have had so many themes but instead it is greatly reduced due to the unbearable writing.

The story jumps from Lawford being with playgirl Bette Cream, their supposed break-up followed by an announcement that they're marrying. Lawford's parents are supposed to be of royalty but instead they act more like imbeciles until the bedroom scene between mom and Ms. Cream.

What excitement could have been generated with Boyer fleeing from the Nazis. This is just mildly glossed over while he looks at with loving eyes Miss Jones (Cluny) who acts almost as she did as the young Miss Dove 9 years later.

Richard Haydn, 19 years before being the impresario in "The Sound of Music" comes across like Peter Sellers. I now think that Seller's intonation was based on Haydn. The latter's mother Una O'Connor never speaks but is constantly clearing her throat. As usual, Sara Allgood, as the head housekeeper is given little to do other than possibly becoming romantically involved with the head butler in this farce.

The ending is too predictable. Chalk this up to fine actors being victimized by an impossible script.

Lubitsch "Lite"

[gregcouture · 3 April 2003]

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!

Today, I just fell in Love with Clunny Brown !

[ifasmilecanhelp · 10/10 · 28 November 2007]

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 !

A film is never really good unless the camera is an eyes in the head of a poet Orson Welles

Lubitsch strikes British society!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 8/10 · 18 December 2017]

Another gem from unsurpassed Ernst Lubitsch, yours movies enchant everyone, this a fine sample how to make a pleasant movie using a smart conversation, he employs methapors to get the target, this turn he strikes all british way of life, handling every single manners and behavior which every members of social strata in British islands, unfortunatelly this time the story didn't fit any sex appeal as he wisely used in previous ones, still it has a Lubitsh's touch indeed!!

Resume:

First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5

a Lubitsch picture with a slight Lubitsch touch

[vostf · 6/10 · 7 February 2001]

You feel the Lubitsch touch many times along the movie but it doesn't work very well. There are funny situations, funny dialogues but it never takes the shape of some wild comedies Lubitsch directed before.

What's lacking?

A good plot. There was a good idea but the movie gets stuck in an english manor.

Charles Boyer plays a character who doesn't deserve the leading role. This Czech writer is a scrounger and quite a smooth-tongued coward.

Jennifer Jones plays ingénue Cluny Brown, a girl with a naive aspiration for 'her place'.

So different, so close. Well there was a development in The Shop Around the Corner. Here the development is flat and the happy pair has little to arouse emotion.

Too many funny situations are based on the english composure. That's a bit light for a whole comedy. But Lubitsch gave us comedies with lots of laughs and fun which largely make up for that minor ultimate opus.

Jennifer Jones IS Cluny Brown

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 12 December 2006]

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.

"Men just don't marry plumbers!" - Cluny Brown tries to find her place

[PudgyPandaMan · 7/10 · 14 January 2009]

This was an okay way to spend a cold January afternoon. I wouldn't rate it up there with my favorites,but it has some redeeming qualities.

First, it stars a delightful actress, Jennifer Jones. She has such a natural beauty and charm to her, and her acting seems so genuine. Not to mention, she is quite beautiful, has stunning eyes and prominent cheekbones. Quite a face. MY main fault of her performance is her British accent doesn't quite work the majority of the time, then suddenly reappears briefly.

Charles Boyer is the other star. At times, his french accent is quite heavy. But as you adjust to it, his voice has a very pleasant and melodious tone to it.

The film is mainly poking fun at stuffy British aristocracy and their class system. While this is billed as a comedy, I never really found it too funny. There are some cute moments. My favorite was Ms. Jones adaptation of a Persian cat. No doubt this drove all the fellas crazy! We've all heard of the Lubitsch touch (for the director), but I'm not quite sure it was apparent here - as say it was in "Shop around the corner". Although there are amusing characters here, there's not quite the depth and detail. I also found it move a little slow at times.

This ran on TCM Christmas Eve 2008. Robert Osborne said the movie was quite a success in its day and still has quite a cult following, although it is not very well known now. With that remark, I was surprised there were only 12 comments and some 600 votes on IMDb. It seems quite obscure.

There are some good supporting performances here. My favorite was Col. Graham played by C. Aubrey Smith but he appeared only briefly. The snobby and dim witted couple, Mr. and Mrs. Carmel, played by Reginald Owen and Margaret Bannerman were also amusing to watch. I also think Richard Haydn turned in a superb performance as the chemist/pharmacist Mr. Wilson. His voice sounds quite like a cartoon character (reminds of Mr. Peabody).

My Favorite Lubitsch Movie

[Handlinghandel · 8/10 · 3 November 2005]

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.

Cluny Brown review

[JoeytheBrit · 7/10 · 26 April 2020]

Modest but enjoyable comedy which doesn't suffer too much from showing little of it's director's famed 'touch.' Jones is surprisingly good, as is Bowyer, but it's character actor Richard Haydn as Cluny's stuffy beau and Una O'Connor as his perpetually throat-clearing mother who steal the picture.

Lubitsch is moving to America

[Dr_Coulardeau · 8/10 · 16 March 2009]

That's a funny comedy that takes England as the target of its humor, the England of 1938 and what's more the aristocracy and their twisted class relations with their servants. It is humorous by the way it shows how an Eastern European can easily trap the aristocrats in 1938 with the sound of Prague, some good manners and a little bit of anti-nazism. That Adam Belinski is able to charm these English aristocrats, especially the son who wants to go and fight against Hitler, and his parents who do not even ask a question, or hardly. That Czech refugee is able to live on that noble family for a while before leaving for America along with the maid who arrived the same day as him and he had met in London before. The comedy is funny because that girl, who is not an aristocrat, far from it, does all the mistakes you can imagine English etiquette is going to frown upon severely. She pretends to be a plumber and she repairs some toilet or washstand in a jiffy in front of a middle-class family, their guests and the pharmacist who was getting enamored. The result is the departure of all the guests, after the departure of the pharmacist's mother, and then she is practically rejected. She does not know what class differences are. She will of course be captured by the Czech refugee and taken to America where he is going to become a popular writer and she will finally be away from silly class distinctions. It is funnily absurd and the Lord and his Lady are just passé and old-fashioned, quaint is probably the word if we want to remain nice. Lubitsch takes great pleasure at showing how silly such class-distinctions are. The whole comedy is more humorous than really funny and that humor always remains polite, even at times mundane, though in the light American way.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, CEGID

Kooky and offbeat

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 20 June 2023]

Jennifer Jones in a comedy? It almost seems like an oxymoron, but she did make a couple of lighter films in her career. In Cluny Brown, she's a kooky maid who falls in love with an offbeat author, Charles Boyer. Jonesy isn't really a parlor maid, but no one in the movie knows it. She's actually quite wealthy, but to punish her for crossing social boundaries, her uncle forces her to live among the lower class and work for a living. She turns the tables on him by enjoying it, making friends, and falling in love.

It's almost embarrassing to admit, but the storyline of this lighthearted flick was almost too complicated. There are lots of secrets, lots of plotting behind people's backs, and an odd sense of humor that you have to get into the groove of right away if you want to laugh. Cluny Brown won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you want to see what the two normally dramatic actors can do with a lighter (albeit strange) script, you can check it out.

Boring: Cluny should have remained a plumber

[debo-mills · 3/10 · 21 January 2009]

I thought this movie started out well: funny and unusual, with the main character of a female plumber in London. I was anticipating lots of funny situations as Cluny plied her trade around the city. But Cluny is quickly moved into the boring typical role of housemaid in a stuffy English manor, and nothing much of interest happens after that. Within days she becomes engaged to the local chemist (I found it unbelievable that such a beautiful woman would settle for the unattractive, dull chemist as a suitor: surely men from miles around (of every class!) would have been beating a path to Cluny's door!).

Good performances from Jennifer Jones (although her British accent wasn't very strong) and Charles Boyer, however.