Ronald Colman

[JackFavell]

Ferchu - I have never even heard of The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo....I thought I had seen all of Ronald Colman's films! It sounds like a good idea for a story and Colman always comes off well, for me anyway. I am going to look around and see if I can find this one here.

[feaito]

Hi Wendy, It's owned by Fox so It should be aired by the FMChannel. It's amusing!

[JackFavell]

I don't get FMC, unfortunately. I will look for a copy to buy.

[JackFavell]

[feaito]

Hi Wendy I posted that very same picture on facebook yesterday. What a coincidence! As far as I know the film hasn't been released on DVD, but I recorded it a couple of years ago from a Cable TV Channel. Sadly for English Speakers, it has fixed Spanish subtitles, which tend to be an annoyance for some. If you don't mind subtitles I could share it with you. PM me

[JackFavell]

Oh, that's too funny! I saw this photo while looking for the movie, and I thought, "what a perfect photo of Ronald Colman." It shows all of his appeal.

[moira finnie]

Ferdinad Gottschalk plays another of those weird characters....This makes for much better entertainment than most of the garbage being released nowadays.

I have always wondered about this troll-like actor too, Fernando. While he creeped me out most of the time, I think he took some nothing roles and injected just the right note of toadiness tinged with malice into his characters, who were often slightly prurient right hand men to the likes of Garbo and Ruth Chatterton in Grand Hotel and Female.

Above: Gottschalk at the far right (looking like a lizard with indigestion) in Tonight or Never (1931), one of the attempts of silent siren Gloria Swanson (in the middle J. Carrol Naish at the microphone) to find her niche in talkies. From the looks of things Ferdinand was as skeptical as '30s audiences about the wisdom of this move by Gloria.

Gottschalk always looked as though he should live under a bridge or a mushroom cap! From a bit of research, it was revealed that at the turn of the century the British-born actor was a character lead in America, working on stage in plays with the likes of John Drew, Ellen Terry and Laurette Taylor. He apparently specialized in comedic roles, not surprisingly, though the movies seemed to take him more seriously. I have always wondered who the heck this guy was since he has an air of authority, even when playing a tiny part as a hotel clerk or a fawning (and probably devious) banker in Depression era movies, but it turns out when we saw him--usually cast as some annoyingly efficient right hand nag, we were viewing an actor in his last days, (It astounds me to realize that he was born in 1858 and was still appearing in films and plays up until 1938). Perhaps he was far from the period when he was at his best, but his distinctive face and manner brought variety and texture to a medium that might have been bland without his wizened, worldly presence.

Above: Gottschalk in one of his last movies, The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938). He looks as though he wishes he were elsewhere, doesn't he?

[feaito]

Great piece on Gottschalk Moira, and as usual, you nail it! "troll-like", "toadiness tinged with malice" (what a swell and accurate description of his characters!).

In my opinion he always adds spice to the films in which he is featured....He's especially memorable in "Female" (1933)

Have you seen "Long Lost Father" (1934) with John Barrymore and Helen Chandler? I remember listening to the audio of a scene in which he reads a will and it was quite hilarious.

I also recall his appearances in (Colman's) "Clive of India", De Mille's "The Sign of the Cross" and "Cleopatra", "Les Misérables", "The Gay Deception", "Folies Bergère de Paris", "Upper World"....I have to see "Tonight or Never" soon.

[moira finnie]

"....I have to see "Tonight or Never" soon.

I have never seen it either, though to be honest, I never liked Gloria Swanson much--except for Sunset Boulevard. She always seemed to try too hard for me. Maybe I haven't seen the right movies?

Thanks for reminding me of Ferdinand Gottschalk in a toga when he played a decadent Roman in The Sign of the Cross. What a mental image.

[feaito]

I'll have to revisit "The Sign of the Cross" and "Cleopatra" soon, both guilty pleasures!

I agree re. "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), it's one of the greatest films ever and it improves with each viewing. Gloria is fabulous here.

As for Gloria Swanson's films I haven't seen many of her talkies (I believe that only "Indiscreet" which is poor) but of her Silents I can wholeheartedly recommend "Sadie Thompson" (1928), "Queen Kelly" (1929), "Male and Female" (1919) and "Stage Struck" (1925). She's also fine in "Beyond the Rocks" (1922) opposite Valentino.

[moira finnie]

I think it is just that Gloria and I don't mix, Fernando. I have seen all but Stage Struck (1925), and she still doesn't come across for me. I even saw her in Airport 1975 and I couldn't understand her enduring appeal!


Btw, Frances Dee fans might enjoy seeing the rarely screened If I Were King (1938), in which Ronald Colman plays Francois Villon. He is wonderful in the roguish part, with Basil Rathbone having a field day as Louis XI. This film has a good script from Preston Sturges too. The film can be seen in its entirety on youtube, beginning here:

[youtube][/youtube]

[JackFavell]

Oh that Ferdinand Gottschalk piece was beautiful, Moira! I absolutely love posts like this... I always think of Gottschalk in connection with Grand Hotel and Female.

I am drooling over the "If I were King" photo... Thanks for posting the link to you tube. I'm drowning in movies I want to watch but never can get to!

[feaito]

I saw "If I Were King" in 2000 I think...I remember I was visiting my in-laws in Sunnyvale, CA and that my sister-in-law boorrowed the VHS from the Local Library....an engrossing film indeed...Frances Dee was such a doll.

[Ann Harding]

OOOoooh I had not noticed that my old Colman thread has been resurrected! The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte-Carlo is indeed a very light piece of fluff, a minor Colman. But If I Were King is well worth investigating because of Preston Sturges' lovely witty script. The cinematography by Theodor Sparkhul is also a pleasure to behold.

[JackFavell]

Gosh, will you look at that man! Whew! I like my Colman on the roguish side.

I have a stack of Colman movies to watch including If I Were King and The Light That Failed. I just have to find the time to do it, and I need to get rid of my family for a day in order to hog the TV.