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7.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Always Goodbye remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Okay, so "Always Goodbye" isn't exactly going to blow your mind today. But if you’ve got a soft spot for those old-school pre-Code dramas, especially the ones where everyone's a little bit shady but charming, you might just find a pleasant hour and change here. If you prefer your films with rapid-fire dialogue and huge plot twists, you'll probably find this a bit of a snooze. It’s for the patient viewer, really, the kind who enjoys seeing how stories were told back in the day, before everything got so... loud. This one's a gentle ride.
The movie kicks off with this poor London heiress, Lucy (Elissa Landi), finding herself completely stranded and broke in Italy. Her fancy beau just up and ditched her, leaving her with absolutely nothing. Talk about a bad holiday! 💔
She pretty quickly links up with this smooth operator, Jim (Lewis Stone), who's a conman. Though, a rather gentlemanly one. Their plan? To fleece a rich American millionaire, Mr. Hamilton, at his swanky Italian villa. What they don't realize is that Mr. Hamilton is already onto them. Scotland Yard tipped him off. So, it's a con within a con, or maybe a con that's already busted before it even starts, which is a nice little twist for the audience.
The whole setup with Lucy realizing she's been left in the lurch feels a bit quick. One minute she’s got a fancy dress, the next she's practically begging for spare change. It's a quick jump to get the plot moving, I guess, but a beat or two more of her despair might've helped sell it. Instead, she’s almost immediately ready to join Jim's scheme. It's almost too efficient, if that makes sense. Like they had a train to catch and just needed to get her onboard.
Jim, played by Lewis Stone, has this wonderfully understated charm. He's not trying to be a big flashy gangster. He's just... competent. And a bit world-weary, too. You get the feeling he’s done this a million times, but he's also tired of it. There's a moment when he's just observing Lucy trying to fit in with the high society crowd at the villa, and his expression is this perfect mix of amusement and a touch of something sad. It's not a big, dramatic scene, just a quiet observation, but it sticks with you. 🤔
Elissa Landi as Lucy is quite good too. She carries that air of someone who used to be something, but is now just trying to get by. Her attempts to play the part of the wealthy socialite are sometimes clumsy, sometimes surprisingly effective. You root for her, even though she's doing something a bit naughty. Her eyes have this way of conveying both desperation and a spark of mischief. You can practically see the wheels turning when she's trying to think of her next line.
The millionaire, Mr. Hamilton (John Garrick), is just delightful. He’s not a gullible old fool. He knows what's up, and he's almost enjoying the game. He plays along, observing them, and there's this subtle tension because you know he knows. It makes some of the dinner scenes really fun, because you're watching everyone try to out-perform each other without anyone openly acknowledging it. It’s a very 1930s kind of tension, not relying on big explosions but on polite smiles and knowing glances. 😉 Like a very slow, elegant chess game.
There's this one specific scene where Lucy is trying to flirt with Hamilton to get him to open up, and Jim is just in the background, nursing a drink, watching the whole thing unfold. You can almost feel Jim mentally coaching her, or maybe just shaking his head at her technique. It's a small detail, but it says a lot about their budding partnership, how they're still figuring each other out. And the way he holds that drink, just so. It’s a tiny thing, but it’s there.
The pacing, well, it’s not exactly breakneck. It takes its time. There are a few scenes that linger just a touch too long, like a fancy dinner party where the conversation isn't quite as witty as the film thinks it is. You might find yourself checking the clock during some of these parts. But then something will happen, a quick glance, a pointed remark, and you’re drawn back in. It’s a bit of
IMDb —
1924
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