For 50 years, I'd been yearning to see this movie, reputedly a satire on the Barrymores. A satire it is not, and the only connection with the Barrymores is the character ineptly overplayed by Fredric March - but at least March keeps us awake. Everyone else sends us to sleep.
Director George Cukor's long, static takes don't help either.
I'm surprised that this movie received such excellent reviews, both from readers here at IMDb and from contemporary critics.
Admittedly, the movie did not take much money at the box-office, but as it was hardly what you would call a costly undertaking, it probably suffered only a small loss. Or maybe a small profit?
But I, for one, was very disappointed.
Director George Cukor's long, static takes don't help either.
I'm surprised that this movie received such excellent reviews, both from readers here at IMDb and from contemporary critics.
Admittedly, the movie did not take much money at the box-office, but as it was hardly what you would call a costly undertaking, it probably suffered only a small loss. Or maybe a small profit?
But I, for one, was very disappointed.