The Silver Screen Oasis

Yesterday I saw "Lucky Partners" an interesting film directed by Lewis Milestone, which has mixed reviews on the net...I enjoyed it, I liked Ronald Colman's perfomance of the non-conformist artist, his chemistry with Ginger Rogers and I also liked Ginger's portrayal and her look -she looks superb as a brunette!!. The flaws are in the script (IMO) and perhaps in the direction, because the film began excellently...the opening sequences are of great impact and the premise of the story is good (based upon Sacha Guitry's "Bonne Chance!")....Towards the end things begin to get a little bit confused and the film falters, notwithstanding the joys of the trial scene...Still, a very worthwhile film and a beautiful print! Ginger and Ronald make a wonderful couple. Jack Carson, Spring Byington, Harry Davenport et al have supporting roles.

I agree Lucky Partners has a faulty script. It's a shame because the original Guitry picture Bonne Chance (1936) is snappy, full of verve and far more assured than the remake. I guess censorship didn't help, but that's not the only problem. It needed to be a bit more fluff; it feels ponderous in its direction. Milestone is perhaps not the right person for such a comedy...

Good points Christine

When we were in Normandy we visited Arromanches were the temporary harbours were built after D-Day, we visited the museum there and were able to watch a 20 minute documentary, produced for the war effort about the construction of these harbours and we are so sure it was Romald Colman narrating but the imdb says nothing about this in his credits. Does anyone know if it was him? The documentary didn't even warrant a title and the women at the museum had never heard of Ronald colman.

charliechaplinfan wrote:When we were in Normandy we visited Arromanches were the temporary harbours were built after D-Day, we visited the museum there and were able to watch a 20 minute documentary, produced for the war effort about the construction of these harbours and we are so sure it was Romald Colman narrating but the imdb says nothing about this in his credits. Does anyone know if it was him? The documentary didn't even warrant a title and the women at the museum had never heard of Ronald colman.

I was there in 1994; during the 50th Anniversary of D-Day and you are right CCF it was indeed Ronald Colman narrating it because a member of my tour group recognized his voice and I was shocked to hear that. Being Hard of Hearing, I asked her is that true ... and she said "Yes" ... Here in 2011, and still the women in the museum had never heard of him ... its amazing to hear that Allison. I just can't believe what I was reading here. In short ... 17 years later ... they still hadn't verify who actually did the narration of the construction of temporary harbors - they are called "Mulberries" yet. Thanks for sharing this ... I'm truly shocked to read this.

I'm glad you've confirmed it for us, Kingme. As it was Gold Beach, a 'British beach' it was very fitting to have the most English of voices narrating.

I still have doubts that Colman could have done such a narration in 1944. He was in the US and didn't come back to Europe until 1948. I checked the Arromanches Museum web page, it says that the 15 min documentary was produced by the British Admiralty:

a film produced by the British Admiralty traces the design,transport, construction and operation of Mulberry Harbour B. The narration is available Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish.

I checked the Imperial War Museum records. But I couldn't identify for sure which film it was. It might be a compilation. I am pretty sure Colman couldn't have done it at such a time. And if the documentary is a later compilation, it's even less likely that Colman could have participated. He was living in California and died in 1958. Besides, in the exhaustive Bio-Bibliography published by Greenwood Press there no mention of such a documentary. He only narrated an American doc on the Globe Theatre in 1953.

Ann Harding,

I'm a little by your post. Its baffled me ... both Allison and I had the same experiences and I even consulted my trip diary and I even wrote down Ronald Colman ... and even asked the lady is this same Ronald Colman who did the Prisoner of Zenda back in 1937? - She said "Yes" in a very firm tone. Can you share some more on this ... I even spent 90 minutes in the internet yesterday and today trying to confirm this ... and without any success/luck at all.

I would love have to share more information on this ... if you can help me and Allison here ... I would be grateful if you did.

If you shared more information ... it would put a on my face :!:

I will be very patience about it, Kingme :!:

It is quite baffling, it's not something he would have hidden doing, perhaps it's been long forgotten. I looked on the website too and can't find any mention of who narrated the film. I've sent an email to the museum to see if we can get a definitve answer. I do know with other actors these documentaries are usually listed in their imdb credits. Hopefully, we'll get our answer.

I watched Lost Horizon last night. That was the Coleman role that clinched my fandom. There's a moment when he's leaving Shangri-la with his brother when he looks back at the settlement. The sadness that plays across his face is monumental. I wonder what he could have been thinking about to get him in the right frame of mind for that take.

He's the 'A List' of the 'A list' in my book. I need to get more of his films in my collection.

Lost Horizon is a perfect role for Colman, he's always good when events sweep into something larger than himself. He has a bit of a yearning, old world quality, something that harkens back to an earlier time. In this case, they stood that on it's ear - yearning for a better, kinder future.

I think Colman always had that sadness, it's what makes him fascinating, that kind of older-but-wiser nuance to his performances. As far as I can tell, he always had it... it's there in Raffles and though I haven't seen many of his silents much to compare, I suspect it is there though maybe not as apparent.

To me, the difinitive Colman is the one of Prisoner of Zenda. I can always enjoy this film for his humor and his romanticism. Plus that wistful, paradise lost theme again... lately I've been watching him more as the king...it's really quite a performance in it's own right.

"Lost Horizon" (1937) was the first film of Ronald Colman I ever saw. And I could well say it's my favorite film of his -and of any actor-, for many, many reasons. The Shangri-La premise is amazing...I wish such place existed, because I'd leave immediately for there.

Shangri-la is only on screen, sadly.... at least we can appreciate it there when we want to.

My favorite Colman performance remains Sydney Carton in Tale of Two Cities, he's just nails Dicken's character for me, without the ending becoming too cloying or over sentimental. I'm also partial to Colman without a moustache, I wish he'd have starred more without it but I think I'm probably in the minority here.

I think Jacks nailed it again..as usual...describing that wistful, slightly sad aura of his. Even when he was 'happy', there was a part of him that was reserved, or yearning..

I love Lost Horizon, and all the others mentioned, but my own personal favorite of his movies is Random Harvest. Is it hokey? perhaps a little. Have to suspend belief? maybe. But when he stands at the gate of the cottage and says, "Paula"....wow.