French director Julien Duvivier’s WWII Hollywood exile saw TALES OF MANHATTAN/’42 (his linked omnibus story of six tales/six A-list stars) followed by this lesser return engagement (three tales/ three A-list stars). But if cast & narrative are downsized, Duvivier was, if anything, even more impressive in sheer facility, with jaw-dropping mise-en-scène that goes from a multi-plane Mardi Gras to a vertiginous Big Top. A stupendous display of technical command that makes his famous (and famously goofy) ‘Blue Danube’ set piece in THE GREAT WALTZ/’38 look like a warmup. Robert Benchley drinks his way thru framing scenes that take us to ‘ugly’ dressmaker Betty Field, given a ‘mask of beauty’ that catches Robert Cummings’ eye. Then Thomas Mitchell’s fortuneteller refuses to tell wealthy sceptic Edward G. Robinson what he sees written in his palm. It’s MURDER! With Eddie G. fated not to play victim, but killer. Yikes! Finally, tightrope artiste Charles Boyer dreams he will fall during his act. Instead, he falls for Barbara Stanwyck, unaware she’s also up for a fall. Nothing in here quite equals Robinson’s laid-low Ivy League man or Charles Laughton’s pathetic classical musician in TALES, but no duds, either. And that stylish physical production. All aboard this omnibus!
DOUBLE-BILL: A drowning victim in the opening story is left unexplained. No surprise, since it was part of a dropped fourth segment. See how other hands expanded the brief footage shot for it by Duvivier in DESTINY/’44 with Gloria Jean & Alan Curtis (not seen here). OR: As mentioned above: TALES OF MANHATTAN.
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