Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

drjgardner Among the Barrymores, Lionel (1878-1954) was the oldest and my favorite, followed by Ethel (1879-1959) and then John (1882-1942). The 3 made only 1 film together (Rasputin) but John and Lionel made several, including Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Night Flight (1933).Arsene Lupin was John's first film with Lionel and his first film for MGM. He has lost his chiseled good looks, put on a little weight, and the dissipation is only slightly in view, and in the next few years it would be more noticeable. Lionel's problems with arthritis are also slightly in view here, and also would worsen with time. Eventually he would perform in a wheelchair.The film itself is pretty poor, with a wandering plot and a lot of wasted time. Karen Morley gives an enchanting performance as the love interest.What I like best about this film is the relationship of John and Lionel. It shows them playing off one another and some true filial affection.

MARIO GAUCI As a kid, I used to watch the Japanese anime series updating the exploits of the titular jewel thief (where he was depicted as an over- sexed buffoon, flanked by a shapely girl and two taciturn but deadly accomplices!) – though I have yet to check out the renowned Hayao Miyazaki's 1979 feature-length THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO inspired from it, which I acquired some time ago. I also own and am already familiar with two well-regarded French efforts (retaining the turn-of-the-century setting), namely THE ADVENTURES OF ARSENE LUPIN (1957; stylishly helmed by Jacques Becker) and SIGNED, ARSENE LUPIN (1959); for the record, others which intrigue me are the 1962 ARSENE LUPIN VS. ARSENE LUPIN and the 1971 TV series, both also emanating from the character's 'native' country. However, the film under review – which I had first acquired via a TV-to- VHS-to-DVD conversion of poor quality, but which I eventually upgraded (albeit still culled from a TCM screening) – remains perhaps the most popular rendition of this debonair figure; by the way, I also have in my collection its direct but-as-yet unwatched 1938 sequel ARSENE LUPIN RETURNS. Incidentally, such gentlemen crooks were a regular feature of pulp fiction (notably the similarly much-filmed "Raffles": I own versions of it dating from 1917 – starring, as here, John Barrymore – 1925, 1930 – alas, only a TV-to-VHS copy – and 1939!) until they made way for more ruthless and ambitious criminal masterminds such as Fantomas and Dr. Mabuse. Anyway, this classy production – best-known for first teaming John with his elder brother Lionel (they would appear together 5 times in 2 years, on one of which they were even joined by sister Ethel!) – is most enjoyable, with a plot which has since become a cliché: the protagonist's duality (hiding under an air of respectability and, at one point, the guise of an aged flower-seller to pull off a daring 'job' at the Louvre); the analogous deception by the woman in his life (or, more precisely, the one he finds in his bed – a delightfully racy scene for an MGM picture but, then, this was a "Pre-Code" release – during a reception!); Lupin's tenacious, but ultimately sympathetic, antagonist (whose physical attributes – including a prominent limp – actually fit the description of the 'villain' as given by an eye-witness!); the ultra-modern gadgets (a safe without the proverbial combination but 'armed' with an electrical charge), etc. John Barrymore's famed good looks ("The Great Profile" was 50 at the time) and up-till-then infrequently-tapped comic timing (though he would increasingly come to rely upon it for the rest of his career!) make him, respectively, ideal casting and a pleasure to watch; for what it is worth, I have as many as 23 titles of his still to go through…even if only 4 fall into my current exercise of movie viewing based on all-time best polls and the higher ratings bestowed by Leslie Halliwell and Leonard Maltin!

Michael_Elliott 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. 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. An elderly detective (Lionel) is convinced that the Duke of Charmerace (John) is the infamous jewel thief known as Arsene Lupin. The detective will stop at nothing to prove his thoughts and that includes bringing in a sexy spy (Karen Morley). 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. 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. What works best is the comic timing that the two men bring to the table as well as their rivalry. 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. Just take a look at the sequence at the start when Lionel arrests John thinking that he's lying about being the Duke. 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. Morley also fits into the threesome quite well as she has an undeniable sexual tension with John and some fun comic touches with Lionel. The scene where she introduces herself to the Duke while naked in his bed is a pre-code gem. 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 ending packs a terrific punch as everything gets closed up very tightly and in a way that everyone, including the viewer, wins.

F Gwynplaine MacIntyre Believe it or not, the Mona Lisa actually got stolen once, and was missing for nearly two years. In 1911, Leonardo da Vinci's 'La Gioconda' (better known as the Mona Lisa) was taken from the Louvre by a petty thief (and former Louvre employee) who allegedly sought to return the world's most famous piece of art to its native Italy. His actions after the theft make it seem more likely that he intended to sell the painting for his personal profit. (Of course, he had no hope of finding a buyer.) The Mona Lisa was quietly returned to the Louvre on the very last day of 1913, remaining there ever since except for occasional loan-outs. When "Arsène Lupin" was released in 1932 (twenty years after the theft), most moviegoers would have recalled that 1911 crime, and their knowledge would have lent some plausibility to this movie. "Arsène Lupin" is quite enjoyable, with MGM's usual high production standards and Jack Conway's usual briskly efficient direction. This movie does not lack for pleasure; what it lacks is plausibility.John Barrymore is the master criminal of the title: he specialises in perpetrating 'impossible' crimes, which he makes even more difficult by announcing them in advance ... but of course he always commits the crime and fools the gendarmes. Tully Marshall has a good scene as one of Barrymore's victims. Lupin has a penchant for elaborate disguises, which enables Barrymore (a U.S. 'Grade A' ham) to indulge his own penchant for tomfoolery. John's older brother Lionel Barrymore is Guerchard, the Javert-like Surete detective sworn to catch Lupin.Karen Morley was an extremely beautiful actress whose private life was filled with populist political activities; on screen, she was most impressive in working-class roles that fitted her own political beliefs (such as her fine performance in 'Our Daily Bread'). In "Arséne Lupin", Morley's naturally dark hair is bleached a horrid blonde tone, and she's all tarted up in posh outfits that make her look uncomfortable rather than sexy.SPOILERS COMING. Eventually, Lupin decides to steal the Mona Lisa from the Louvre. He slits the painting from its frame, rolls up the canvas, and then smuggles it out in a flower basket. We see John Barrymore casually brandishing a tightly-rolled piece of cloth which is allegedly the greatest work of art in all human history. I had to laugh at the filmmakers' error. In real life (but not in this movie), da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa on a plank of poplar wood, so a thief would have difficulty rolling it up!Eventually, Guerchard captures Lupin and hauls him off to Le Calaboose. The scene between John and Lionel Barrymore in the police car is sheer delight, as their genuine affection for each other spills out into their characters' dialogue. I would have found this scene implausible with any two other actors. As it is, I can't imagine anyone but the Barrymore brothers playing these roles. Well, maybe Dennis and Randy Quaid, but just barely.Don't look for a good plot line here, but "Arsène Lupin" is a delightful example of old-style movie-making. I'll rate this movie 8 points out of 10.