"Café Metropole" is a very good 1937 comedy romance with top stars of the day. Besides Loretta Young, Tyrone Power and Adolphe Menjou in the leads, a solid cast of supporting actors provide good grist for this film. Among them are Charles Winninger, Gregory Ratoff, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Christian Rub, Leonid Kinskey and Helen Westley.
For the handsome leading male that he was, Tyrone Power didn't make many comedies, probably for good reason. His role as Alexander Brown, aka Alexis, had potential for some very good comedy, especially with his constant switching from accent to his normal voice. Yet, Power seems serious in several scenes with Young that otherwise are light and funny. One can't help but imagine any of several other actors who would have brought some sparkle and more laughter and smiles to this role - William Powell, Melvyn Douglas, Fred MacMurray, Cary Grant or Ray Milland, for example.
Winninger has a pretty meaty role, still in early sound years of his wonderful career as a mostly comedy actor. But the accolades of this film belong to Adolphe Menjou and Loretta Young. Young is her often ebullient self in comedy and romance films, and she lights up every scene in which she appears as Laura Ridgeway. Behind her natural sweetness, Laura is no dummy. And, not that there are dark scenes, but the slightly serious drama parts of the film center around Menjou's Monsieur Victor.
Victor is a real shyster, but a character with mixed personas of a villain, a kind-hearted fellow, a manipulator and con artist. The comedy bridges all of these personas at intervals. But make no mistake about it - no matter how it seems on the surface, everything he does is for Victor. He can handle any situation and is a principal employer of the disenfranchised nobility of Eastern Europe, including Russians. This is a very fun and funny film with snappy and very witty lines scattered throughout. Victor's vanity is hilarious in some of the dialog, while Margaret Ridgeway gets in some good zingers on her brother and Laura's dad, Joseph.
The ending is very funny, and close to screwball comedy. Here are some favorite lines.
Alexis, as the tipsy Alexander Brown, "Victor, you are unquestionably the greatest man in Paris." Monsieur Victor, "I have never denied it, sir."
Alexis, as Alexander Brown, "Do you know anything about that great American institution called taxes?" Monsieur Victor,, "I've been taxing Americans for a long time."
Joseph Ridgeway, "I have but one rule about titles. If they're charming, they're fakes. If they're genuine, they're stupid." Laura Ridgeway, "There he goes again."
Joseph Ridgeway, "The only genuine title that I ever met was that baron that married Frank Crawford's daughter. And he was the dumbest, stupidest, most boring dope that it's ever been my misfortune to shake hands with."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Is this fellow a Russian too?" Monsieur Victor, "Oh yes sir, sir." Margaret Ridgeway, "Then why isn't he driving a taxi?"
Margaret Ridgeway, "Sounds like a royal pickup to me."
Monsieur Victor, bowing, "Your highness, get up! She's consented to dance with you." Alexis, "Who asked her?" Victor, kicking Alexis' foot under the table, "You did -- with an accent."
Alexis, "My accent, she comes and goes, comes and goes, comes and goes."
Laura, "And dogs, do you like dogs?" Alexis, "Oh, yes. Yes, I, I love the Russian wolfhound."
Monsieur Victor, "There are times, Maxl, when I leave myself breathless with admiration." Maxl Schinner, "You leave me breathless, Victor, but not with admiration."
Laura Ridgeway, "By accident of birth, you were born a commoner. All right. By another accident of birth, he was born a prince. And so, you look down on him. Now, I ask you, is that fair?"
Paul, the real Prince Alexis Paneiff, "Victor, Victor! How could you fail to recognize the one who used to tip you in one evening enough money to pay my salary as a waiter for the entire year?" Monsieur Victor, "I can only beg pardon of your serene highness for the one blunder of my life." Paul, "Granted."
Paul, the real Prince Alexis Paneiff, "Why, I'd rather have my blood changed to borscht."
Paul, to Victor, "You I can forgive, because you are such an unmitigated scoundrel -- you might have been a member of my own family."
Alexis, "You can never tell about the Russians". Laura, "Tell what?" Alexis, "You can never tell anything."
Laura, "Well, there's something on your conscience. Have you killed someone?" Alexis, "No. No, that is the trouble. I should like to kill someone."
Margaret Ridgeway, "I consider his remarks unpatriotic. Our own clean-cut young American boys are just as anxious to marry money as the foreigners are."
Monsieur Victor, to Alexis, "That's the trouble with a flawless plan - there's always a flaw in it. In this case there are two - your conscience and my luck."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Get my coat, get my hat, get my sister." Page boy, "Yes, sir."
Margaret Ridgeway, translating the note to the police at Le Havre, "Arrest man posing as Joseph Ridgway aboard Normandie boat train. He is using a stolen passport and credentials. Suspected of being the notorious Smarty Pants Dugan, confidence man."
Margaret, "Well, I guess they got us at last, Smarty Pants." Joseph Ridgeeway, "Shut up!" Policeman, "Smarty Pants? Oh, so you are Smarty Pants."
Policeman, "But not you, madam." Margaret, "I'm his moll. Where he goes, I go - American gangster talk."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Maggie, let me tell you something. If you were a man, I'd punch you right I the puss."
For the handsome leading male that he was, Tyrone Power didn't make many comedies, probably for good reason. His role as Alexander Brown, aka Alexis, had potential for some very good comedy, especially with his constant switching from accent to his normal voice. Yet, Power seems serious in several scenes with Young that otherwise are light and funny. One can't help but imagine any of several other actors who would have brought some sparkle and more laughter and smiles to this role - William Powell, Melvyn Douglas, Fred MacMurray, Cary Grant or Ray Milland, for example.
Winninger has a pretty meaty role, still in early sound years of his wonderful career as a mostly comedy actor. But the accolades of this film belong to Adolphe Menjou and Loretta Young. Young is her often ebullient self in comedy and romance films, and she lights up every scene in which she appears as Laura Ridgeway. Behind her natural sweetness, Laura is no dummy. And, not that there are dark scenes, but the slightly serious drama parts of the film center around Menjou's Monsieur Victor.
Victor is a real shyster, but a character with mixed personas of a villain, a kind-hearted fellow, a manipulator and con artist. The comedy bridges all of these personas at intervals. But make no mistake about it - no matter how it seems on the surface, everything he does is for Victor. He can handle any situation and is a principal employer of the disenfranchised nobility of Eastern Europe, including Russians. This is a very fun and funny film with snappy and very witty lines scattered throughout. Victor's vanity is hilarious in some of the dialog, while Margaret Ridgeway gets in some good zingers on her brother and Laura's dad, Joseph.
The ending is very funny, and close to screwball comedy. Here are some favorite lines.
Alexis, as the tipsy Alexander Brown, "Victor, you are unquestionably the greatest man in Paris." Monsieur Victor, "I have never denied it, sir."
Alexis, as Alexander Brown, "Do you know anything about that great American institution called taxes?" Monsieur Victor,, "I've been taxing Americans for a long time."
Joseph Ridgeway, "I have but one rule about titles. If they're charming, they're fakes. If they're genuine, they're stupid." Laura Ridgeway, "There he goes again."
Joseph Ridgeway, "The only genuine title that I ever met was that baron that married Frank Crawford's daughter. And he was the dumbest, stupidest, most boring dope that it's ever been my misfortune to shake hands with."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Is this fellow a Russian too?" Monsieur Victor, "Oh yes sir, sir." Margaret Ridgeway, "Then why isn't he driving a taxi?"
Margaret Ridgeway, "Sounds like a royal pickup to me."
Monsieur Victor, bowing, "Your highness, get up! She's consented to dance with you." Alexis, "Who asked her?" Victor, kicking Alexis' foot under the table, "You did -- with an accent."
Alexis, "My accent, she comes and goes, comes and goes, comes and goes."
Laura, "And dogs, do you like dogs?" Alexis, "Oh, yes. Yes, I, I love the Russian wolfhound."
Monsieur Victor, "There are times, Maxl, when I leave myself breathless with admiration." Maxl Schinner, "You leave me breathless, Victor, but not with admiration."
Laura Ridgeway, "By accident of birth, you were born a commoner. All right. By another accident of birth, he was born a prince. And so, you look down on him. Now, I ask you, is that fair?"
Paul, the real Prince Alexis Paneiff, "Victor, Victor! How could you fail to recognize the one who used to tip you in one evening enough money to pay my salary as a waiter for the entire year?" Monsieur Victor, "I can only beg pardon of your serene highness for the one blunder of my life." Paul, "Granted."
Paul, the real Prince Alexis Paneiff, "Why, I'd rather have my blood changed to borscht."
Paul, to Victor, "You I can forgive, because you are such an unmitigated scoundrel -- you might have been a member of my own family."
Alexis, "You can never tell about the Russians". Laura, "Tell what?" Alexis, "You can never tell anything."
Laura, "Well, there's something on your conscience. Have you killed someone?" Alexis, "No. No, that is the trouble. I should like to kill someone."
Margaret Ridgeway, "I consider his remarks unpatriotic. Our own clean-cut young American boys are just as anxious to marry money as the foreigners are."
Monsieur Victor, to Alexis, "That's the trouble with a flawless plan - there's always a flaw in it. In this case there are two - your conscience and my luck."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Get my coat, get my hat, get my sister." Page boy, "Yes, sir."
Margaret Ridgeway, translating the note to the police at Le Havre, "Arrest man posing as Joseph Ridgway aboard Normandie boat train. He is using a stolen passport and credentials. Suspected of being the notorious Smarty Pants Dugan, confidence man."
Margaret, "Well, I guess they got us at last, Smarty Pants." Joseph Ridgeeway, "Shut up!" Policeman, "Smarty Pants? Oh, so you are Smarty Pants."
Policeman, "But not you, madam." Margaret, "I'm his moll. Where he goes, I go - American gangster talk."
Joseph Ridgeway, "Maggie, let me tell you something. If you were a man, I'd punch you right I the puss."