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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
If you have about eighty minutes to kill and you like the idea of French people shouting in tiny train compartments, give this a watch. It is definitely for people who enjoy vintage chaos. If you need a plot that actually makes sense or characters who act like real humans, you will probably hate it.
The whole thing is basically one long excuse to put people in the wrong beds. Prince Philippe is traveling to see his fiancée, but he’s not exactly thrilled about it. Then you have Gisèle, who is also heading toward a marriage she seems kind of bored with.
I really loved the set design for the train. It feels uncomfortably small. You can almost smell the old wool blankets and the cigarette smoke through the screen.
The way the doors keep sliding open and shut feels like a rhythm game. Sometimes a character just stands in the hallway for no reason other than to be in the way of the next person. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Dangerous Nan McGrew, just with more luggage.
There is a scene where a guy is trying to organize the bags and it goes on for way too long. I think it was supposed to be a bit, but it just felt like watching someone struggle with a suitcase. I liked it though. It felt real.
Lucien Pardies plays the Prince with this weird, stiff energy. He looks like he’s constantly smelling something slightly sour. It works for a royal who doesn't want to be there.
Florelle is much better as Gisèle. She has this way of looking at the camera like she knows the movie is ridiculous. Her performance is the only thing keeping the movie from floating away into total nonsense.
I noticed that the sound quality is a bit hit or miss. In the loud scenes, everyone is just screeching. It’s a bit like What Price Hollywood? where the studio noise sometimes takes over the dialogue.
The writing is credited to three different people, which explains why the jokes feel so random. One minute it’s a romantic comedy, and the next it’s a weird slapstick bit with a conductor. It doesn't have the polish of something like Teacher's Pet, but that’s okay.
It’s feels like the director just told everyone to run around and stay in frame. The pacing is fast, almost too fast. You don't really have time to care about the marriages.
You just want to see who ends up in which bunk. It is a very simple goal for a movie to have. Sometimes simplicity is nice when you’re tired.
I did find myself wondering how many of these train comedies they made back then. It feels like a specific genre that died out once people stopped taking night trains everywhere. It’s more charming than Nyhavn 17, mostly because of the French wit.
The ending is exactly what you think it is. No surprises there, despite the title. It wraps up in a very tidy way that doesn't really earn its resolution.
"The heart has its reasons, but the train has its schedule."
I think I made that quote up, but it fits the vibe. The movie doesn't care about the heart as much as it cares about the next station stop.
One reaction shot of the Prince looking at a sandwich lingered for about four seconds too long. I laughed, but I don't think I was supposed to. It’s those little imperfect moments that make these old films worth it.
If you’re looking for a masterpiece, look somewhere else. Maybe try La menace if you want something with more weight. But if you want to see a Prince hide in a closet, this is your film.
It’s a solid afternoon watch. Just don’t expect to remember much of it by tomorrow morning.
Anyway, the luggage bit was definitely the highlight. I might watch that part again.
IMDb 5.1
1931
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