All opera lovers will have no trouble recognising WHEN A MAN LOVES as Abbe Prevost's novel "Manon Lescaut". Massenet set it in opera form as "Manon", Puccini as "Manon Lescaut", and both took about as many liberties as did the screen writers for this film. Those of you who viewed TCM's recent showing probably noticed an oddity in the screen credits. No mention whatever was made of Abbe Prevost! Considering they didn't have to pay anyone for the rights, you would think they could at least have given the old Abbe one credit line. Those "genius" producers, though, hated to give anyone credit in the "good old days" of movie making. Up and coming Myrna Loy has a minor role, for example, but nary a credit.
TCM deserves credit for finally bringing this gem out into the open. With any luck, it may even show up as a DVD one of these days. It is very well acted and photographed. Silent screen acting mannerisms are frequently annoying when seen today, but that kind of thing is mercifully absent in WHEN A MAN LOVES. The film, like Puccini's "Manon Lescaut", takes us all the way to Louisiana. If you haven't seen the film yet and don't know the story, STOP HERE, or I may be about to spoil the surprise ending.
Old Abbe Prevost, like Hollywood in the bad old days of the Production Code, evidently thought folks who had led dissolute lives ought to die for their sins. His "Manon" dies in her lover's arms somewhere in the Louisana swamps. Warner's, though, gives them a chance to row off to freedom when their convict ship is taken over by mutineers. They don't exactly disappear into the sunset, more like a fog bank, but maybe sunny days are at last ahead for the unfortunate lovers.
TCM deserves credit for finally bringing this gem out into the open. With any luck, it may even show up as a DVD one of these days. It is very well acted and photographed. Silent screen acting mannerisms are frequently annoying when seen today, but that kind of thing is mercifully absent in WHEN A MAN LOVES. The film, like Puccini's "Manon Lescaut", takes us all the way to Louisiana. If you haven't seen the film yet and don't know the story, STOP HERE, or I may be about to spoil the surprise ending.
Old Abbe Prevost, like Hollywood in the bad old days of the Production Code, evidently thought folks who had led dissolute lives ought to die for their sins. His "Manon" dies in her lover's arms somewhere in the Louisana swamps. Warner's, though, gives them a chance to row off to freedom when their convict ship is taken over by mutineers. They don't exactly disappear into the sunset, more like a fog bank, but maybe sunny days are at last ahead for the unfortunate lovers.