Topaze: John Barrymore being delightfully cynical

Is it worth your time?

If you like old movies where people talk in long, sharp sentences, you’ll probably dig this. It’s for folks who enjoy watching a character get crushed by life and then—eventually—decide to play the game better than the villains. If you need explosions or someone running around, stay away. This is all about people sitting in rooms, lying to each other, and wearing very nice suits.

John Barrymore is the whole show here. He starts out as this pathetic, sweet teacher who is basically a doormat for his students. You just want to shake him. Wake up, man!

Myrna Loy is in here too, as the mistress. She’s got that look on her face like she knows exactly how stupid everyone around her is. It’s a great dynamic, even if the script feels a bit stagey sometimes.

The slow turn

The middle part of the movie is where it gets interesting. Watching the teacher figure out that being honest doesn't actually get you anywhere is pretty depressing, but it’s played with just enough wit that it’s not a total slog.

There’s this one scene where he’s sitting at a desk, realizing he’s been a pawn, and you can see the light go out in his eyes. It’s subtle, but it sticks with you. No big monologues, just a guy realizing he’s been played.

• The classroom scenes feel like they go on forever.
• The Baron is basically a cartoon villain, but he’s fun to watch.
• The dialogue is sharp enough to cut yourself on, if you’re into that sort of thing.

It reminds me a bit of the cynical energy you see in films like The Cow's Kimono, though they are obviously very different beasts. Honestly, I’ve seen way worse from this era.

Sometimes the pacing just hits a wall. It’s a 1930s movie, so what do you expect? There are moments where you can tell they are just trying to get the actors from point A to point B without breaking the sets. But hey, it works well enough.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it’s definitely not for everyone. But if you find yourself on a rainy afternoon with nothing to watch, Topaze is a decent way to kill an hour. Just don’t expect to feel good about the world when the credits roll. 🎭