THE GREAT GARRICK
US, 1937, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, Edward Everett Horton, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill, Marie Wilson, Lana Turner, Etienne Girardot.
Directed by James Whale.
For those who enjoy a spoof of history, of literature, of the theatre, for those enjoyed Shakespeare in Love or Anonymous and the parodies of the Shakespearean era and theatre, this will be a highly entertaining film.
The setting is the 18th century, London, and David Garrick as the actor of his day. The introduction to the film says this is what might have been. Garrick is acclaim for his performances of Hamlet but shocks his audience by saying that he has been invited to Paris by the Comedie Francaise and intends to go. The audience response is boos and the throwing of fruit and vegetables. He interprets this as a compliment and that patriotism means he must go to Paris – and the audience then endorsing this.
In the meantime, the members of the Comedie Franciase are not amused when they hear that Garrick has ridiculed them. The president, Melville Cooper, and playwright Beaumarchais, Lionel Atwill, encourage the cast against Garrick and they conceive a plot where they will occupy an inn before he comes to Paris and humiliate him.
The film as amusing as the members of the Comedie Franciase try to act as if they were country types in an inn, the president pretending to be the innkeeper, Beaumarchais as a guest, one of the actors wanting to be mad, and giggling maids including Marie Wilson and Lana Turner.
Garrick arrives with his assistant, Tubby, Edward Everett Horton, and immediately suspects there is something wrong. This is compounded when Germaine arrives, the young woman fleeing her home and an arranged marriage – played by Olivia de Havialland. Garrick assumes she is an actress and leads her on.
The actors go through quite a number of farces, Garrick leading on and then explaining why they gave such poor performances. The result is they do invite him to Paris and he is to appear in Don Juan, but melodramatically declines because of his treatment of Germaine – who is in the audience and the show and the romance go on.
The film was directed by British James Whale, making Journeys End in the United States and going on to make Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein as well as the first film version of Showboat. Bill Condon’s Gods and Monsters is a story about Whale in his retirement, where is played by Ian Mc Kellen.
1. David Garrick, London, the 18th century, Shakespearean theatre? Jealousy between London and Paris?
2. A Warner Brothers production, the 1930s, the story, the strong cast, the career of the director?
3. A historical romp, what might have happened, audiences suspending disbelief?
4. The film’s origins as a play, designs the played scenes, strong dialogue, sets? Drama, melodrama, farce, romance?
5. David Garrick, his British style, speaking, delivery? His ego? His reliance on Tubby? The scenes from Hamlet? The performance, histrionics, the audience, atmosphere, applause?
6. His speech, the invitation to Paris, the audience reaction, throwing fruit and vegetables, his taking this is a compliment, explaining how, for England’s sake, he must go to France?
7. The Comedie Francaise, its reputation, in France, across the Channel? Cross-channel jealousies? The meeting of the actors, the speeches, their rhetoric, high drama, condemnation of Garrick? The role of the president and his leadership? Beaumarchais and his writing, his interventions, a plot? The carry on at the meeting? The plan?
8. The Inn, taking it over, Picard as the innkeeper, the cast and their various roles, performance styles, contrived? The insults and the swordfights? The emotional triangle? The various devices to entrap Garrick?
9. Jean., the prompter, his interventions for Garrick, the cast ridiculing him, throwing him out? His visit to Garrick, his memories of acting with him, his admiration, his warning about the plot? Garrick not remembering, playing up to Jean?
10. Garrick arriving at the Inn, the manner of Picard, with Tubby? The entrance, the difference, the room, the behaviour of everyone? The giggling of the maids, the man wanting to be insane? The meals? Garrick and his suspicions?
11. Germaine, arriving, the romantic story, Garrick not believing it, thinking she was an actress? Giving her his room? The talks, the frog in the bed, her fears, the romance, leading her on, her inexperience, running away from home, the arranged marriage, her response to Garrick?
12. The farcical behaviour? Their being unmasked? Garrick and his explanation of why they failed in their performance, the waiter holding a tray, Picard and his bowing? Yet his thinking Germaine an actress?
13. The revelation that she was not? His bungling her away?
14. The cast, response to Garrick, admiration, inviting him to Paris, the performance of Don Juan, in costume, his not wanting to go on, his performance about his treatment of Germaine, going to make a speech, her being in the audience, his change of speech, falling in love, proposal? And the show going on?
15. Audience enjoying this kind of tongue-in cheek spoof of literary history?
