Betty Compson was almost an old hand at talkies by this time and it
made sense for the British film industry to remake this adaptation of a
1923 movie scripted by Alfred Hitchcock and also starring Betty Compson.
It was a British production directed by the ultra stylish Victor Saville (and
his style is there in every scene) but
filmed in America where sound equipment was State of the Arts. Also
James Hilton must have seen and remembered these films because
"Random Harvest" had a very similar plot line, especially in the earlier
scenes.
Betty Compson was fabulous and her French accent never faltered (actually
Juliette Compton gave a very passable British accent as Vesta). Betty is
Lola, a French cabaret artist who meets British officer David (George
Barraud) during the war. He is called to the front before they can marry
and years later finds him in an empty sterile marriage with cold Vesta
but having no memory of the war or Lola, the love of his life. Lola is now
a celebrated dancer taking London by storm and one evening David, who
is in the audience, suddenly finds his memory returning when Lola sings
an old favourite military style sing along. David is keen to renew his old
life with her and knowing she has his child makes him more determined.
Strangely his wife doesn't share his keenness to make the break - she is
a social climber and knows if David walks out she will be an outcast!!
So Lola reaches out to her "woman to woman" to see if they can find
commom ground!!
The ending is pretty hokey - Lola has a heart condition and another
performance will kill her. She wants Vesta to be a mother to her little
boy. I don't agree with the other reviewers that the child is whiney -
I think he struggled with an accent and just gave up half way through!!
Very Recommended.
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