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First UK DVD release of this 1944 drama from RKO Pictures. It s a tale of power and passions when a Russian siren (Linda Darnell), who wants the finer things in life, sinks her hooks into a judge (George Sanders), a decadent aristocrat (Edward Everett Horton) and an estate superintendent (Hugo Haas), with surprising results. Fine direction by master auteur Douglas Sirk and an Oscar-nominated score highlight this adaptation of the Anton Chekhov drama The Shooting Party . Oscar nominated in 1945 for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Extra features include: Theatrical Trailer
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Count Volsky (Edward Everett Horton) submits a book to be published at the publishing house owned by a former acquaintance, Nadena (Anna Lee). It is an account of the life of his friend and Nadena's one-time boyfriend, Judge Fedor (George Sanders) and it takes place over the summer months. Nadeena reads the manuscript and the story unfolds in flashback as we are introduced to a peasant girl, Olga (Linda Darnell). We follow her journey to obtain wealth and power and the lovers that she cheats in order to obtain her goals. The account is written by Fedor and he does not know that his friend Volsky has sold it for money. How will he react....especially given the contents.....?
The film is set in Russia where there is a definite class split. We see Olga climb her way to the top at the expense of those who fall in love with her. Then, there is a dramatic twist - a murder. Who is the killer? The cast are good - Horton is funny, Sanders is both suave and desperate, Darnell is ruthless while Sig Ruman is particularly good as Kuzma, Darnell's husband. The film is a love story that is particularly tense and dramatic at the end. There is a terrible substitute for the word "lightning" that is repeated a few times in the film, an attempt to draw in the viewer to sympathize with those that utter it. It fails. If anyone said "heavenly electricity" to me, I'd tell them to talk properly. Nevertheless, it's a good film and worth seeing again.
The film is set in Russia where there is a definite class split. We see Olga climb her way to the top at the expense of those who fall in love with her. Then, there is a dramatic twist - a murder. Who is the killer? The cast are good - Horton is funny, Sanders is both suave and desperate, Darnell is ruthless while Sig Ruman is particularly good as Kuzma, Darnell's husband. The film is a love story that is particularly tense and dramatic at the end. There is a terrible substitute for the word "lightning" that is repeated a few times in the film, an attempt to draw in the viewer to sympathize with those that utter it. It fails. If anyone said "heavenly electricity" to me, I'd tell them to talk properly. Nevertheless, it's a good film and worth seeing again.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
offbeat but interesting small movie.
28 Feb 2010
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This looks like a low budget version of a classic Russian story. But it has the advantage of a fine cast, interesting story, and assured direction. George Sanders, as ever, is outstanding, and Linda Darnell in her vixen mode, is quite good.
16 of 27 people found the following review helpful
CONSIDER THE FILM NOT THE DIRECTOR
24 Sep 2009
Format:DVD
Literary adaptations are a dangerous thing. Fortunately, the action takes place in 1918, then 1911.
A drama needs a strong photography, here provided by the great Eugene Schuftan, uncredited because he was not an union member
(Archie Stout not a cinematographer to forget is credited. Now we need a good transfer and VCI is usually to be trusted.
SIRK had escaped the indignity of such shooting titles as STRANGE CONFESSION and GOODBYE MY LOVE.
This is really his film, he wrote the dialogue, with twin credit under the pseudonym of MICHAEL O'HARA, but we are not in a classroom and must forget about the other films because that early (12/1943-1/1944) second US film stands on its own legs.
In 1918, Kharkov, an impoverished aristocrat, EDWARD EVERETT HORTON, tries to have a manuscript published by the newspaper now owned by
ANNA LEE,and confesses that the manuscript was written by GEORGE SANDERS seven years earlier.
Back to 1911 SANDERS, local magistrate, engaged to LEE, desires the ambitious LINDA DARNELL, equally loved by the rich HORTON. DARNELL is soon murdered, after some romantic interludes.
CHARLES HAAS ,overseer of HORTON's estate is sent to Siberia.
And the murderer is: I won't tell you. LEE reads it and takes measures.
It's a brilliantly written and directed drama. Not a flamboyant melodrama which would be inappropriate and would weaken he characters.It only lacks more money.
DARNELL and SANDERS are very good.
We are still waiting for the 3 great SIRK pictures: SHOCKPROOF (Columbia), THE FIRST LEGION (U-A) and THUNDER ON THE HILL (Universal).
SIRK has become a dead idol (better than a living idol, nobody expects the French Inquisition) and it blurs the pleasure of his films.
Everything is now sacred: you can't put down any of his films without getting insulted.
He was a true professional who wouldn't have approved of that cultural fanaticism.
A drama needs a strong photography, here provided by the great Eugene Schuftan, uncredited because he was not an union member
(Archie Stout not a cinematographer to forget is credited. Now we need a good transfer and VCI is usually to be trusted.
SIRK had escaped the indignity of such shooting titles as STRANGE CONFESSION and GOODBYE MY LOVE.
This is really his film, he wrote the dialogue, with twin credit under the pseudonym of MICHAEL O'HARA, but we are not in a classroom and must forget about the other films because that early (12/1943-1/1944) second US film stands on its own legs.
In 1918, Kharkov, an impoverished aristocrat, EDWARD EVERETT HORTON, tries to have a manuscript published by the newspaper now owned by
ANNA LEE,and confesses that the manuscript was written by GEORGE SANDERS seven years earlier.
Back to 1911 SANDERS, local magistrate, engaged to LEE, desires the ambitious LINDA DARNELL, equally loved by the rich HORTON. DARNELL is soon murdered, after some romantic interludes.
CHARLES HAAS ,overseer of HORTON's estate is sent to Siberia.
And the murderer is: I won't tell you. LEE reads it and takes measures.
It's a brilliantly written and directed drama. Not a flamboyant melodrama which would be inappropriate and would weaken he characters.It only lacks more money.
DARNELL and SANDERS are very good.
We are still waiting for the 3 great SIRK pictures: SHOCKPROOF (Columbia), THE FIRST LEGION (U-A) and THUNDER ON THE HILL (Universal).
SIRK has become a dead idol (better than a living idol, nobody expects the French Inquisition) and it blurs the pleasure of his films.
Everything is now sacred: you can't put down any of his films without getting insulted.
He was a true professional who wouldn't have approved of that cultural fanaticism.
4 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Linda Darnell is beautiful as usual in all her films.
5 Dec 2009
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Linda Darnell is beautiful as usual in all her films and George Sanders great as usual. I wish the movie had been in color but it wasn't. Linda Darnell is a young peasant woman who aspires to more in life and entrances three men in the process. The story line was from a Chekov play about pre-revolutionary Russia.
Although I liked the story and the actors, it appeared to have been produced on a low budget. The backgrowund sets looked so artificial as if they had been drawn with a lead pencil, shaded. and then enlarged. It was a pitiful rendering of one dimensional backdrops of poorly drawn Russian Onion spired churhes, etc. I just couldn't get past how phoney it looked except for Linda Darnell's costumes.
Overall, I would recommend seeing it, if only to see Linda Darnell and George Sanders. The studio that made this low budget movie should be ashamed for not having spent a bit more money on its production which could have made for a much better movie.
Although I liked the story and the actors, it appeared to have been produced on a low budget. The backgrowund sets looked so artificial as if they had been drawn with a lead pencil, shaded. and then enlarged. It was a pitiful rendering of one dimensional backdrops of poorly drawn Russian Onion spired churhes, etc. I just couldn't get past how phoney it looked except for Linda Darnell's costumes.
Overall, I would recommend seeing it, if only to see Linda Darnell and George Sanders. The studio that made this low budget movie should be ashamed for not having spent a bit more money on its production which could have made for a much better movie.
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