John Barrymore IS Svengali

[phil noir]

A couple of weeks ago, I watched - via youtube - John Barrymore's version of Trilby, renamed Svengali - obviously - in recognition of his star power and general magnetism. I enjoyed it so much. The sets and lighting have a kind of German Expressionist look. Interesting to see Marian Marsh as Trilby, although she - and the other actors - were decidedly eclipsed by the great Barrymore. Ben Hur vamp Carmel Myers had a small part as a woman over whom Svengali casts his mesmerizing spell.

I understand that the film was such a success that an imitation was quickly ordered, The Mad Genius. Well, there's nothing like spelling it out for an audience.

Has anyone else seen and enjoyed - or not - Svengali or its follow up?

[feaito]

I bought the DVD edition of "Svengali" a few years ago and I've enjoyed it already twice. It's a great eerie, mysterious film with John Barrymore in top form. The Expressionistic sets by Anton Grot are superb. I have not seen "The Mad Genius" though. Is it available at youtube?

[MissGoddess]

Svengali was the first movie of Barryomore's I ever saw when he was still at the height of his powers. I had already read the DuMaurier novel and thought the movie was right in transposing it expressionistically. In fact, it was one of the first movies where I paid attention to elemnts that I would later learn were "expressionist". Barrymore preferred doing roles like this where he could build a character from sketches, then make-up and costume as opposed to those he had to play straight and in contemporary dress. He loved exploring the "grotesque" which showed how daring he was as an actor in his prime.

I'm not sure but I think I've seen parts of Mad Genius, but I don't remember it as well.