Maurice Leblanc’s principled jewel thief, rarely out of circulation in French cinemas, came to Hollywood in 1932 as John Barrymore’s M-G-M debut against older brother Lionel’s detective/nemesis. The two less motivated by stolen jewels (and the Mona Lisa!) than by a disparity in salaries. The film serving as holding place till better things came along. (Just around the corner GRAND HOTEL/’32.) After this ho-hum affair, a six-year wait before M-G-M tried again, reduced to a B+ budget with fading director George Fitzmaurice (Paris born, here offering no je ne sais quoi) and ‘featured players’ rather than ‘stars’ in Melvin Douglas's gentlemen thief and Warren William's detective. (William, often second choice to John Barrymore, here getting the Lionel role.) Now a reformed crook, Lupin is back in action to steal a fabulous emerald from unofficial fiancé Virginia Bruce, but only to protect her from imminent danger.
No M-G-M sequel this time, but a whole new studio, 1944 Universal with accent agui lost and new discovery Charles Korvin in. Hungarian rather than French, with a cavernous sink-hole on his cleft chin, he’s out to steal a fabulous emerald from romantic interest Ella Raines, but only to protect her from imminent danger. (Where do they come up with these ideas?) Faceless Ford Beebe directs and gets a neat look in the first reel from lensing legend Hal Mohr before sinking into Universal criminal procedural tropes, broad comic antagonist, cardboard glamor, England in for France, a disjointed plot & messy action. So much for LUPIN in America.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: A fresh take on Arsène Lupin, only loosely inspired by the original books, in French tv series LUPIN/’21 (not seen here), with Omar Sy as a justice-seeking jewel thief.
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