User reviews

Somerset Maugham introduces three short stories that he has authored. The first two are particularly humorous and uplifting and a bit ironic and they are also very short at about 20 minutes each. The first concerns a man over 50 who is fired by the church for which he works because he cannot read and refuses to learn. At first blush he'd seem to be too stubborn for his own good, but he turns out to be more adaptable than his former employer could ever dream. The second involves a fellow with a tremendous ego who at the same time is very generous as he takes a shipboard journey. In the end he must choose between his generosity and his ego as his dominant trait.

The third tale, at about 40 minutes in length, had the potential to be the downbeat one in the bunch and doesn't sound that intriguing at first - it involves the lives of a group of sufferers of "consumption" - tuberculosis - that are being treated in a sanatorium, which was a long term process prior to the introduction of antibiotics. This one turns out to be as upbeat as a story could possibly be in such a setting. The practical in me has me asking a couple of questions that go unanswered. First, there are several patients who may or may not be recovered who apparently have set this place up as their home of preference since they have been there so long and have made social ties they do not wish to break. Why would any doctor of scruples allow this to go on? The sanatorium is spacey and charming and doesn't seem at all medical or antiseptic, so I can see how lonely people with an illness in common wouldn't want to leave, but it seems like it would be the doctor's obligation to force the patients back out into the real world once cured. Second, since apparently recovery takes months or years, who is paying for all of this? Money never comes into the equation as a concern for any of the patients.

I'd recommend this one. Some of Maugham's work can be dark and depressing but these three stories are quite uplifting.

TRIO was the Somerset Maugham follow-up to QUARTET a few years earlier.

Again, it's three of his short stories told with wit and humor and a good observation of human frailties and eccentricities in a trio of tales populated by stars like KATHLEEN HARRISON, MICHAEL HAYTER, JEAN SIMMONS, MICHAEL RENNIE, ROLAND CULVER and FINLAY CURRIE.

The first about the village VERGER is brief and to the point with charming performances from Michael Hayter as The Verger who loses his job when it's discovered that he can neither read or write but then becomes a successful businessman; the second is about everyone's worst nightmare--having to put up with an obnoxious Know-All on a cruise vacation (splendidly played by NIGEL PATRICK); and the third, and most satisfying for me, is SANATORIUM, a segment having to do with the lives of people spending time in a sanatorium, with some moving scenes between JEAN SIMMONS and MICHAEL RENNIE as the doomed lovers.

Only big flaw in the sanatorium sequence is the healthy and robust appearance of both Simmons and Rennie makes it hard to believe the dire situation they are in. This is easily overlooked because the story is extremely well played by a very capable cast of British players.

Summing up: Well worth seeing.

Not everybody may like W Somerset Maugham's writing, have seen criticisms of it not holding up well. For me though, have always appreciated it for its sharp prose, charm and insight. Don't feel his work has been adapted enough on film, but when it is it's interesting to view. Particular examples being the three films in the portmanteau trilogy 'The Aesop's Fables Maugham Concerto Trilogy'.

Of which the second is 1950's 'Trio', sandwiched between 1948's 'Quartet' and 1951's 'Encore'. Said for 'Quartet' that all three films are well worth watching, with that film being my personal favourite due to the sublime "The Colonel's Lady". And that is definitely true for 'Trio', this time comprising of three segments, "The Verger", "Mr Know-All" and "Sanitorium". Like 'Quartet', it's not even all the way through but considering the type of film it is (where there is always going to be at least segment that is not as good as the others), that's not surprising. Again though it is a very good film with little to criticise as an overall whole.

The only big criticism is that from personal opinion the Raymond Huntley and Betty Ann Davies part of "Sanitorium" is somewhat on the melodramatic side. The film felt slightly too short.

However, the good things far outweigh and they are numerous and big. Of the three segments my personal favourite, like others here, is the charmingly ironic and amusing "Mr Know-All" thanks to the comic talents of Nigel Patrick. Have much praise too for the truly poignant Jean Simmons and Michael Rennie portion of "Sanitorium" thanks to the rich character development of those two characters and the truly beautiful way Simmons and Rennie play their roles. One shouldn't overlook "Mr Verger", with James Hayter and Kathleen Harrison on sparkling form. The quality of the performances are a major asset here.

As is the beautifully balanced writing in distinctive Maugham style, the charm, the insight, the ironic humour are all there with the last being especially well done and a major reason as to why "Mr Know-All" so well as a segment. For such short stories, it is hard not to marvel at how well written the characters are, especially Simmons' and Rennie's. Maugham himself introduces and bookends thoughtfully and the Oscar nomination for Best Sound is hardly inexplicable, though actually don't consider it the very best asset of 'Trio'. Like 'Quartet', 'Trio' is beautifully made and directed, with things never becoming dull or directed with too much of a heavy hand, the lightness present in 'Quartet' present here too.

Overall, really enjoyed this too. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The multi-talented Somerset Maugham wrote these three short stories, which are presented as a collection from British Gainsborough/Paramount Pictures. Each one has a lesson to be learned by the central characters. In the first story, a gentleman who can't read is fired, but then becomes even more successful because of the descisions he is forced to make. In the second, a loud-mouth on a cruise ship finally learns to keep his mouth shut to avoid exposing uncomfortable truths. In the last tale, occupants of a sanatorium argue over the size of their rooms, and so many other things. Each story is introduced by Maugham himself. Directed by two British chaps, sharing the duties... Harold French and Ken Annakin. probably the biggest name here is Jean Simmons.. check her out on wikipedia.org only 500 votes so far on imdb, so they must not have shown this too often on Turner Classics. pretty good stuff from a Great British author (although he was born and died en france).

My favourite of this obscure series is Mr Knowall. Nigel Patrick gives a professional performance as the irritable , but ultimately likeable Mr kalada... the final sequences are wonderfully constructed and tense.

Given the title, this first follow-up to QUARTET (1948) obviously reduces the number of W. Somerset Maugham stories which comprise the film. The author still turns up to introduce the episodes, but there’s no epilogue this time around; by the way, while the script of the original compendium gave sole credit to R.C. Sheriff, here Maugham himself also lent a hand in the adaptation, as well as Noel Langley (though it’s unclear whether they contributed one segment each or else worked in unison). As can be expected, much of the crew of QUARTET has been retained for the second installment – though this also extends to at least three cast members, namely Naunton Wayne, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Felix Aylmer (the last two had bit parts in the episode from QUARTET entitled “The Colonel’s Lady”). While TRIO ultimately emerges to be a lesser achievement than its predecessor (slightly unbalanced by the third story which takes up more than half the running-time), it’s still done with the utmost care, acted with verve by a stellar cast and is solidly enjoyable into the bargain.

“The Verger” tells of a church sexton (James Hayter) – for which the story’s title is another word – who’s dismissed after 17 years of service by the new parish priest (Michael Hordern) simply because he’s illiterate. Rather than rest on his laurels, despite his age, he not only takes a wife (his landlady, played by Kathleen Harrison) but opens a tobacconist shop strategically placed in a lengthy stretch of road where no such service is offered – and, with business flourishing, this is developed into a whole chain. The last scene, then, sees him pay a visit to bank manager Felix Aylmer who, not only is surprised to learn of Hayter’s lack of education, but is prompted to ask him what his other interests were – to which the wealthy (and respected) tobacconist replies, with some measure of irony, that he had the calling to be a verger!

The second episode, “Mr. Know-All”, is the shortest but also perhaps the most engaging: a voyage at sea is utterly beleaguered by the insufferable presence of a pompous young man (Nigel Patrick), British despite his foreign-sounding name of Kelada, who professes to be an authority on virtually every subject under the sun. Naunton Wayne and Wilfrid Hyde-White are the two passengers who have to put up with him the most – the latter because he shares a cabin with the man and the former in view of Patrick’s attentions to his pretty wife (Anne Crawford). During a fancy-dress party, however, the passengers decide to enact their ‘revenge’ on Kelada by having one of them impersonate him (a jest which he naturally doesn’t appreciate)!; still, it’s here that he contrives to show a decent side to his character – told by Crawford that the necklace she’s wearing is an imitation, Wayne challenges Patrick to name its price…but the latter realizes immediately that it’s the genuine article and that this would compromise Crawford’s position if he were to tell, so Kelada allows himself to be publicly ridiculed rather than expose the fact that the woman probably has a secret admirer!

As can also be deduced from the title, “Sanatorium” deals with the myriad patients at such a place – run by Andre' Morell; the protagonist is a new intern, Roland Culver, who wistfully observes the various goings-on. The narrative, in fact, highlights in particular three separate strands of plot – one humorous (the ‘feud’ between two aged Scots long resident at the sanatorium, played by Finlay Currie and John Laurie), one melodramatic (the erratic relationship between disgruntled patient Raymond Huntley and long-suffering but devoted wife Betty Ann Davies) and one bittersweet (the romance between naïve but charming Jean Simmons and dashing cad Michael Rennie which, in spite of having pretty much everything against it including the fact that Morell has diagnosed Simmons as a ‘lifer’ while Rennie only has a few years left to him, leads the couple to the altar).

Two years earlier, the film Quartet showcased four W. Somerset Maugham short stories, each introduced by the very charming and humorous author. In 1950, Trio was released, and three more Maugham stories were brought to the big screen.

The first two stories, "The Verger" and "Mr. Know All", were very delightful. Cute, with recognizable character actors like Kathleen Harrison and Wilfrid Hyde-White, and each containing surprise twists to add to the plot. I adored the first two stories, and looked forward to "The Sanatorium", hoping it would be just as enjoyable. To my surprise, it wasn't at all like the preceding two stories. A strict drama, it took place in a tuberculosis sanatorium, exploring the lives of each ill patient. This one could have easily been expanded to the length of a feature film; the supporting characters were all so interesting, I wished they'd been given more time to explore their motivations and story lines. The main storyline was the romance between Jean Simmons and Michael Rennie, but even though they were given the most screen time, I still would have wished for more character development and twists and turns in the plot.

All in all, I'd recommend a viewing of Trio, but if your tastes lean towards cute rather than tragic, I'd recommend you only watch the first two stories. They're very sweet. On the other hand, if you'd like to watch a sad story, you can skip the first two and watch only the last. That's the great thing about a short story compilation; there's something for everyone!

Trio's vignettes were insightful and quite enjoyable. It was curious seeing so many soon to be famous actors when they were very young. The performances and attention to detail were wonderful to watch.

Observation. In film it isn't necessary that source material be in alignment with the contemporary era to be interesting or worthwhile. "Small morality" storytelling is quaint (or coy) only in the eye of the beholder--thankfully. Story content--well told--can overcome it's time, subject or place.

Ironically, there are quite a few contemporary films today that have not overcome the conventions or cutting edge mores of the present era. Inserting "small morality" content--occasionally--might provide a dimension lacking.

The second of three movies showcasing the short stories of W. Somerset Maugham, "Trio" gives us three more stories, the first two of which are light and frothy things that fairly dance off the screen. The second, "Mr. Know-All," is remarkable for its wonderful humanness. It seems all the characters who must deal with this Passenger from Hell are quite content to suffer the fool gladly; their comments to each other about Mr. Kelada are neither mean nor cruel, only witty and downright philosophical. I enjoyed this story (and its ending, celebrating people at their finest) immensely. The third, and longest, story, "The Sanitorium" failed to reach beyond the grinding melodrama of, say, "The High and the Mighty" -- a bunch of people thrown together show what they're made of. The rather sappy ending didn't help. But your mileage may vary, of course. Luckily, good solid film-making raises this problematic movie higher than it might otherwise have landed.

Following on from his "Quartet" series from 1948, we have another three short stories with a gently underlying moral message from Somerset Maugham. The first is, in my view, the best: it sees a verger of many years standing (James Hayter) forced to resign by a rather snobbish vicar when it is discovered that he can neither read nor write. Only once he has left the safety of his parochial responsibilities, does he discover a fondness for his landlady (Kathleen Harrison) and a flair for business and is soon proving that his inability was little impediment to his happiness and success. The second features an on-form Nigel Patrick as a show-off who manages to alienate just about everyone on an ocean cruise with his rather vulgar, ostentatious manner but yet is not quite as odious an individual as his image presents. Finally, we head to a baronial style castle in the north of Scotland where people are sent to convalesce and recover from tuberculosis. The latter story has the better cast, and a decently interwoven series of stories as the patients try to deal with their illness, and their demons - with mixed results - but even with Michael Rennie, Jean Simmons, André Morrell and a rather enjoyable pairing of John Laurie and Finlay Currie drags on just a bit too long. It's all interestingly linked together by the author, and takes a series of swipes at the British and their attitudes and prejudices in a clever, at times quite witty way.

This is the second British Rank film to adapt the stories of Sommerset Maugham to film. All but one story from 'Quartet' does not travel well into the contempory era; and the actors speech is decidedly "clipped", as only British pre-1950's actors delivery can be. In anycase 'Trio' seems tighter and more filmic than the first film adaptation.

One of the problems these two films can't overcome is that their source material was written 25-30 years prior to the films. Consequently, by the 1950's Maughm's (pre-war) popularist "small morality" storyteling seemed rather quaint, if not downright coy.

This is actually a trilogy of 3 of Somerset Maugham's short tales. The first one is The Verger, which is about 15 minutes long and very enjoyable. After 17 years Albert Foreman is laid off from his church job because he can't read nor write. So what does he do? Opens a tobacco shop, of course!

The second is Mr. Know-All which was actually a story I had read for school 6 years ago and instantly forgotten, until I heard the familiar introduction. Another 15 minute one, and also very good. It worked better on film than in a book for me, but then perhaps that's because I was only 14 the last time, afterall.

The 3rd one is nearly a let-down. Almost an hour in length, it simply drags. It's not all that bad, but not as quick and snappy as the last 2. I watched the first quarter hour of it and then skipped forward to the last quarter hour, and found that it still made sense and really I hadn't missed a thing!

Overall I give them 8, 9, and 6 out of 10, respectively.

W. Somerset Maugham appears as narrator to three divergent tales of his. The first two are of the comic variety and the third is a tender romance laced with looming tragedy.

James Hayter and Kathleen Harrison are a church janitor and his landlady whom after he is fired from his job proposes marriage to her and she agrees. Hayter and her go into business with a tobacconist shop and they do quite well. They've prospered so much that bank manager Felix Aylmer has a serious talk about the bank investing some of his considerable deposits. No thank you is Hayter's answer and he reveals a secret. All I'll say is that behind every good man there is a good woman.

I guarantee you will love Nigel Patrick's performance as the boorish nouveau riche lout that everyone on the cruise ship he's on shudders when he comes near. One of those who is an expert on everything. Only Wilfrid Hyde-White who is his cabin roommate can't avoid him. But when it comes to a matter of discretion regarding Anne Crawford, Patrick shows he has some grace.

The last is a tender romance at a tubercular sanitarium in Scotland. A couple of patients Jean Simmons and Michael Rennie fall in love. They are as opposite as can be. Simmons hasn't seen much of the world and Rennie is a high living rake whose hedonistic ways have caught up with him. Sometimes Maugham writes himself into his stories and here Roland Culver plays a version of him. It's through his eyes we see the story unfold. In any event Simmons and Rennie make a life altering decision.

You'll laugh pretty good at the first two stories especially at Nigel Patrick. And the third would reduce a Medusa to tears.

A fine film from British Gainsborough films that holds up well.

Watching, "Trio" on the back of "Quartet" is not only an interesting idea; it is also logical and rewarding an exercise, as it offers the viewer a broader vantage point and frame of reference from which to appreciate Maugham's genius for storytelling. The writer is reputed to have once observed that he "never pretended to be anything more than a storyteller". Be that as it may, these engaging stories extend beyond the mere realm of storytelling to penetrate and bring to the surface the complex levels of human experience.

"The Verger", in my opinion, is a veiled satire on conventional social norms: highlighting the age-old questions of "lamentable ignorance" and innate wisdom ("There's a great deal too much education in the world"). James Hayter and Kathleen Harrison are marvellous together, their chemistry spontaneous and wonderfully wholesome.

"Mr Know-All", beneath the high comedy on the high seas goes a fathom or two deeper to touch on the discrepancies that may sometimes exist between appearance and reality. The tale, ultimately, hiints at the age-old questions of loyalty and betrayal, heroism and egoism. Nigel Patrick, as Mr Kelada, simply rides the crest of the wave with a sparkling performance.

Dr Johnson's famous words ring out loud and clear: "if a story is good, it is unlikely to be new and if it is new, it is unlikely to be good".

The final segment, "The Sanatorium" (which may be viewed as a microcosm of society), offers a close-up view of individuals, similar, to and yet so dis-similar from each other, struggling to come to terms with their respective destinies. The doctor, at one point refers, jokingly, to the sanatorium as a "prison". Is there an element of truth, here? The viewer must judge for him/herself.

The three stories, in the final analysis, is about the diversity of our perspectives and perceptions as we interact with each other in different contexts. There are comic moments fused with the drama in each piece. The brilliant cast does ample justice to Maugham's powers of penmanship. If you love the richness and the cadences of the spoken English language, you will not want to miss a syllable that is uttered in this wonderful trio.

The world revolves around stories and storytelling. Delight in these three.