- Actors: Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, Hurd Hatfield, Francis Lederer, Judith Anderson
- Directors: Jean Renoir
- Format: Black & White, Full Screen, Mono, PAL
- Language English
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Classification: 15
- Studio: 4 Front
- VHS Release Date: 15 Jan 1999
- Run Time: 84 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- ASIN: B00004RXJX
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 13,225 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:DVD
Chambermaid Paulette Goddard (Celestine) and the feeble, irritating Irene Ryan (Louise) arrive at the stately home in which they are to serve. They first meet the rather unpleasant valet, Frances Lederer (Joseph) before being introduced to Reginald Owen (Captain Lanlaire) and his wife Judith Anderson (Madame Lanlaire), who have an ill son, Hurd Hatfield (George). It becomes clear that it is Goddard's role to make his life better. Can she succeed....?
Paulette Goddard, Frances Lederer and Judith Anderson carry the film in terms of having a good cast but I'm afraid that's it. The film suffers by having too many buffoons - virtually everybody else. While Reginald Owen is OK as a bumbling old man, one is enough for any film. Unfortunately, we are also given Burgess Meredith as an extremely annoying old codger of a neighbour - he must be the most annoying character EVER. He constantly jumps and bounces around just like all old people do - you get my drift? He is so unconvincing that it's embarrassing. He is meant to be a likable, cheeky chappy. He isn't. Frances Lederer has a great moment with him towards the end of the film. Marvelous!
Frances Lederer keeps the tension ticking and is very watchable as the valet with something sinister going on in his head. The plot is good and keeps us watching as to how things will pan out for Goddard. Time to check the silverware.
Paulette Goddard, Frances Lederer and Judith Anderson carry the film in terms of having a good cast but I'm afraid that's it. The film suffers by having too many buffoons - virtually everybody else. While Reginald Owen is OK as a bumbling old man, one is enough for any film. Unfortunately, we are also given Burgess Meredith as an extremely annoying old codger of a neighbour - he must be the most annoying character EVER. He constantly jumps and bounces around just like all old people do - you get my drift? He is so unconvincing that it's embarrassing. He is meant to be a likable, cheeky chappy. He isn't. Frances Lederer has a great moment with him towards the end of the film. Marvelous!
Frances Lederer keeps the tension ticking and is very watchable as the valet with something sinister going on in his head. The plot is good and keeps us watching as to how things will pan out for Goddard. Time to check the silverware.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A social satire that is Renoir's best American film
17 Feb 2001
A mystery to audiences because its equivocal moralism when it premiered in 1946, "The Diary of a Chambermaid" is now considered one of Jean Renoir's key works for unlocking his contemplation of the many facets of human nature. This film is a faithful adaptation of the spirit of Octave Mirbeau's novel, exhibiting decidedly French sensibilities because of its expatriate director, cinematographer (Lucien Andriot) and composer (Michel Michelet). For that matter the novel had been a play written by Andre Heuse, Andre de Lorde and Thielly Nores, although actor Burgess Meredith had a hand in writing the screenplay.
This film is most reminiscent of his examination of the dark, sinister and ugly side of life as in "La Bete Humaine" and "La Chienne," that manages to be both a social satire and a perverse tragedy. Renoir's moralistic tone comes through, even with the surface levity of the characters, portrayed by an international cast. Celestine (Paulette Goddard) the chambermaid has a new job in the country estate of the Lanlaires (Reginald Owen and Judith Anderson), where she hopes to use her beauty to seduce a wealthy man. Three men from three different social classes with three different perspectives on the world vie for her attention: Young Georges Lanlaire (Reginald), who has come back home; one of the neighbors, the ex-officer Captain Mauger (Burgess Meredith); and the Lanlaires' depraved valet Joseph (Francis Lederer in the film's most memorable performance).
"The Diary of a Chambermaid" is filled with disquieting moments, such as when Mauger crushes his pet squirrel to death or Joseph kills a goose with a long needle, while Madame Lanlaire frets possessively over the family silver. Meanwhile, Celestine's doomed love life continues on the path to degradation. This is clearly the best of Renoir's efforts in America, although it does benefit from being considered in context with the larger body of his work. Final Note: look for Irene "Granny" Ryan as fairly young "Louise."
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
ECCENTRIC FUN.
27 Jan 2002
A much-praised and criticised film. Goddard is an enterprising young chambermaid who wants nothing more than to wed a rich man. As love would have it, a penniless valet becomes enamoured of her; he tries to win her the only way he can....France's great director, Jean Renoir (son of the immortal impressionist painter Augustus) was known for his realism in his French films. This picture, however, done during the director's Hollywood years reeks of artificiality. Upon its release in 1946, it met with disapproval with the studio system, and it was shunned by his French patrons. Perhaps egotistically, but most likely, they insisted that his best work was done in France, which is probably true. However, Renoir was unique and his humanism and morality breaks through here; a brilliantly oddball film which blends the serious and the comic. Francis Lederer is menacing as Joseph, Burgess Merideth is amusing as the eccentric Captain Mauger and Irene "Granny" Ryan has a memorable cameo as Louise, the timid maid.
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