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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Last Gentleman remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you want to spend eighty minutes watching a sassy old man roast his entire terrible family from beyond the grave, yes, The Last Gentleman is absolutely worth your time tonight.
People who love quirky 1930s dialogue and eccentric old characters will have a blast, but if you hate stagey movies where people talk in posh accents in big dusty rooms, you should probably stay far away. 🍿
Honestly, I put this on expecting a dry melodrama.
Instead, I got George Arliss being incredibly petty, and I loved every second of it.
Arliss plays Cabot Barr, a super wealthy and stubborn patriarch who lives in a giant New England estate. He basically gets his family together by pretending his niece is dead, just so he can watch them scramble for his money.
It is a mean trick, but the relatives are so greedy you do not even feel bad for them.
The absolute standout for me is Edna May Oliver as Augusta. She has this face that looks like she just smelled a bad lemon, and her comedic timing is just perfect.
She and Arliss bounce off each other like two old cats fighting over a sunny spot on the rug.
Most of the film feels like a filmed stage play, not unlike some other early talkies like Bella Donna.
But then the third act happens, and it gets surprisingly creative.
After Cabot dies of a shock—mostly because his sniveling son Judd (played by Donald Meek, who is masterfully annoying here) tries to declare him crazy—the family gathers for the reading of the will.
Instead of a boring lawyer reading a piece of paper, a screen is pulled down.
Cabot has recorded a talkie film of himself to distribute his estate. 🎥
It is the ultimate "I am speaking from the grave" power move. He literally points at people on the screen and tells them they get absolutely nothing.
Here are some tiny, highly specific things that kept me entertained:
The romance subplot between Marjorie and Allan are pretty boring, to be honest. I found myself wishing the movie would hurry up and get back to Arliss being a menace.
Still, the film has a strange warmth to it that you do not get in modern comedies.
It does not have the high-stakes action of something like The Flying Scotsman, but it does not need it.
If you can find a decent copy of this online, do yourself a favor and watch it on a rainy Sunday. You might even laugh out loud once or twice.
IMDb 7.9
1933
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