Camille (1936)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Cukor

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas fils (novel)
Zoe Akins (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

1 January 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

You who are so young--where can you have learned all you know about women like me?

Plot:

A Parisian courtesan must choose between the young man who loves her and the callous baron who wants her, even as her own health begins to fail.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Courtesan | Terminal Illness | 1800s | Foreign Language Adaptation

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Marguerite Gautier
Robert Taylor	...	Armand Duval
Lionel Barrymore	...	Monsieur Duval
Elizabeth Allan	...	Nichette, the Bride
Jessie Ralph	...	Nanine, Marguerite's Maid
Henry Daniell	...	Baron de Varville
Lenore Ulric	...	Olympe
Laura Hope Crews	...	Prudence Duvernoy
Rex O'Malley	...	Gaston

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #2825)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Greta Garbo wore bedroom slippers under all her fancy dresses so she could be comfortable, as well as more naturalistic in her acting.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the final scene, in closeup, as Armand helps the dying Marguerite from her bed, she has a woolen bed jacket around her shoulders. When the scene cuts to the long shot as she stands up, it has vanished and she is just wearing her nightgown.

Quotes:

Marguerite): Let me love you. Let me live for you. But don't let me ask any more from Heaven than that - God might get angry.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Afrit merati (1968)

Soundtrack:

Aufforderung zum Tanz (Invitation to the Dance)

Lush, Romantic Classic with Garbo at Her Peak

A gorgeously produced romance, in the best sense of the term, "Camille" is a prime example of the type of film that causes viewers to lament "that they just do not make them like this anymore." Of course, how could a film like this be made again? The incomparable Garbo is gone, as are director George Cukor, producer Irving Thalberg, studio-mogul Louis B. Mayer, the Metro Goldwyn Mayer sound stages and back lot, and even the Hollywood studio system.

Fortunately, the fruits of the old studio system live on, and those who love the movies can still relish such gems as "Camille." With George Cukor guiding her performance and William Daniels lighting her face, Greta Garbo never looked better or had a finer role than Marguerite Gautier. The word "luminous" is often over used, but it is appropriate here to describe how Garbo literally illuminates the screen with her presence throughout the film. From her flirtatious scenes early in the film to her final days, where her skin seems to have taken on the translucence of death, she dominates the movie.

With few exceptions, Garbo has little competition on screen. Henry Daniell is outstanding as the Baron de Varville, whose villainy is obscured by a gentlemanly veneer and great wealth. Laura Hope Crews shamelessly tries to steal her scenes as the selfish Prudence, and Jessie Ralph holds her own as the maid. However, while he certainly looks the part, Robert Taylor does not have the emotional depth to be a convincing love object for a woman of Garbo's dimensions. The cruel strength of Henry Daniell made him a more equal partner for Garbo than the love-smitten Robert Taylor. The imbalance was repeated from Garbo's film of the previous year, "Anna Karenina," in which again a strong, if overbearing, Basil Rathbone matched Garbo in a way that the indecisive Frederic March did not.

Despite any small reservations, "Camille" remains a fine example of the best of the Hollywood studio system in its Golden Era. The sumptuous art direction and lavish costumes indicate the high production values of the period for an A-list film for one of MGM's most valuable stars. Well adapted from a literary work by a team of writers that included James Hilton, the movie is matchless entertainment. While "Camille" was likely produced as a "woman's film," Garbo and Cukor broadened the film's appeal and elevated their work to classic status.