Potiphar's Wife (1931) review: Watching baby Laurence Olivier get framed

So, is this worth your time today? If you are a Laurence Olivier completionist, then yes, absolutely. If you hate slow, stagey movies where people talk in very posh accents for an hour, you will probably want to skip this one. 😴

It is a weird little relic from 1931. The movie feels like it was filmed in a library where everyone was told to keep their voices down.

The plot is pretty simple. Lady Diana is rich, bored, and apparently very lonely despite having a husband. She decides to try and seduce her chauffeur, Straker.

Straker is played by a very young Olivier. He looks like he’s about twelve years old and his hair is incredibly shiny.

There is this one scene where she calls him into her room. She is wearing these fancy silk pajamas that look like they’d be very uncomfortable to sleep in. She basically throws herself at him, and he just stands there looking confused.

When he rejects her, things get ugly fast. She screams and tells her husband that Straker tried to assault her. It is a total lie, obviously.

The middle of the movie is basically a courtroom drama. It is very heavy on the dialogue. If you liked Interference, you might appreciate the way they handled the sound here, but it's still pretty clunky.

The camera doesn't move much. It feels like you are sitting in the front row of a play, which makes sense because it was based on one. Sometimes the actors wait a second too long to speak, like they are waiting for a cue card.

Nora Swinburne is actually quite good as Lady Diana. She makes you really dislike her, which I guess is the point. She has this way of looking down her nose that is perfect for a villainous socialite.

I noticed a small detail in the courtroom—one of the lawyers has a wig that looks slightly crooked. It kept distracting me from the serious testimony. 🏛️

The film deals with the same kind of upper-class messiness you see in Mrs. Erricker's Reputation. It’s all about protecting your name, even if you’re a terrible person.

Olivier doesn't have much to do in the second half besides look worried. You can tell he’s going to be a star later, but here he’s just a guy in a suit trying not to look at the camera too much.

The ending happens pretty fast. One minute they are arguing in court, and the next, the truth comes out and it’s over. It felt a bit rushed, like the film crew ran out of light or something.

The car scenes are the best part. Those old 1930s vehicles look like massive tanks. I wonder if they actually let Olivier drive them or if they just towed the car on a rope.

It’s not a masterpiece by any means. It’s a bit dusty and the sound quality is sketchy in parts. But it's a fascinating look at how movies were made right after sound came in.

Watch it for the historical value, I guess. Or if you just want to see a future legend looking very uncomfortable in a chauffeur's hat. 🎩