JOHN BARRYMORE actually underplays the role of ARSENE LUPIN in this early talkie that features his brother LIONEL BARRYMORE as a crusty detective seeking to solve a series of jewel robberies. The ending packs a terrific punch as everything gets closed up very tightly and in a way that everyone, including the viewer, wins. Some could argue that a stronger "story" would have helped matters and it might have but the cast doesn't even bother to speak with French accents so there's no doubt that the studio was just trying to get the two men in the same film. The scene where she introduces herself to the Duke while naked in his bed is a pre-code gem. Morley also fits into the threesome quite well as she has an undeniable sexual tension with John and some fun comic touches with Lionel. Just watch this scene and then compare it to a later scene where John is holding Lionel captive until he can prove that he's really a cop. Just take a look at the sequence at the start when Lionel arrests John thinking that he's lying about being the Duke. Each scene that the two men are in you can tell that they are trying to out act the other and this adds a charm that no two other actors could have captured. What works best is the comic timing that the two men bring to the table as well as their rivalry. Fans of the brothers will certainly get a kick out of seeing the two men working together as both deliver very strong performances and they really make this film worth seeking out. The story itself isn't anything ground breaking or Oscar-worthy but it is good enough to build up two nice characters and then stand back and let the actors do all the work. The detective will stop at nothing to prove his thoughts and that includes bringing in a sexy spy (Karen Morley). An elderly detective (Lionel) is convinced that the Duke of Charmerace (John) is the infamous jewel thief known as Arsene Lupin. This was the first of five films they'd make together and their easy to spot rivalry really makes this film the charming gem that it is. It made a profit of $245,000.Arsene Lupin (1932) *** (out of 4) When John Barrymore got out of his contract with Warner, MGM wasted no time in signing him and even lesser time in putting him in a film with his brother Lionel. The film grossed a total (domestic and foreign) of $1,110,000: $595,000 from the US and Canada and $515,000 elsewhere. Olaf Hytten as Party Guest (uncredited).Lionel Barrymore as Detective Guerchard.John Barrymore as the Duke of Charmerace.It culminates in the theft and recovery of the Mona Lisa and Lupin's escape with the beautiful woman-also a thief-sent by the detective to trap him. The film portrays the battle of wits between the famous gentleman thief and his would-be nemesis, Detective Guerchard. Leblanc created the character Arsène Lupin, a charming, brilliant gentleman thief (in his case, actually a noble thief) in 1905. It was produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.The film is based on a popular 1909 play by Maurice Leblanc and Francis de Croisset. Arsène Lupin is a 1932 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Jack Conway and starring John Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore.
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