Conquest (1937)

 

Conquest - 1937

Coming up next we have 1937's "Conquest", a fictionalized version of the romance of Napoleon Bonaparte and Polish Countess Maria Walewska.

The film's cast includes Greta Garbo, Charles Boyer, Reginald Owen, Alan Marshal, Henry Stephenson, Leif Erickson, May Whitty, Maria Ouspenskaya, C. Henry Gordon, and Jean Fenwick.

After her house is ransacked by Cossacks, Countess Marie Walewska hears that Napoleon Bonaparte is in Poland.  As he is a particular hero of hers, she races to see him, hoping to do so unobserved.

Not only does she see him, Marie gets to meet him as well.  Napoleon is charmed by her.  "Are you real or born of a snowdrift?," Napoleon asks her.  Marie replies, "Whichever Your Majesty wishes."  Napoleon smiles and says "Snow vanishes.  I prefer you real."  Marie watches him get into his carriage and ride away.

Eventually, Marie and her much older husband, Count Anastas, attend a ball in honor of Napoleon.  And Anastas has arranged for them to be presented to the Emperor.

Anastas's son and grandson are presented to Napoleon, and the Emperor is very surprised to find the old man has such a young wife, and that she is the young woman he met not long before on a snowy night.  Smiling, Napoleon says, "I congratulate you, madame.  For a grandmother, you are extraordinarily well-preserved.  I regret I did not know you when you were young."

Napoleon watches Marie with interest throughout the course of the ball, and the Polish officials take notice.

Eventually, they share a dance.  Napoleon hopes for more than a casual acquaintance, but Marie is quick to rebuff all of his advances, to Napoleon's great disappointment.

Napoleon sends her a letter in which he says that he will be more disposed to treat Poland kindly if she will be an cure for his loneliness.  Polish officials also come and beg her to do what she can for Poland.

Against her better judgment, Marie agrees and goes to visit Napoleon.  She wants a purely platonic friendship, but he wants more.

They seem to be at an impasse.  Napoleon argues his point, and Marie continues with her rebuttals.

Soon, however, Marie is worn down by Napoleon's charms and she falls hopelessly in love with the man.  Her husband is furious with her, and annuls their marriage.  Napoleon begins divorce proceedings against Empress Josephine.

Napoleon's mother, Laetitia, comes to meet Marie, wondering if she is just a passing fancy or a permanent fixture in her son's life.  Madame Bonaparte is thrilled with Marie, and loves the fact that Marie asks nothing from him.

Marie finds out that she is expecting a child.  Joyful at the prospect of motherhood, she is anxious to tell Napoleon.  However, his mind is on other matters, namely ensuring a stable throne for himself and his future offspring.

He tells her of his plans to form an alliance with the Habsburgs, leaving a bereft Marie to face an uncertain future.  She does not get the chance to tell him that she is expecting a baby.

The two go their separate ways.  Napoleon makes his bride Empress of France, and Marie gives birth to a son named Alexandre.

Years pass.  Napoleon is toppled from his throne and sent into exile.  From his island prison, the once mighty general is obsessed with returning to France and his place as Emperor.

Marie comes to visit him, bringing their son.  She tells Napoleon that the boy is his, and Napoleon is very affectionate with young Alexandre.

She has come at an inopportune time.  Napoleon is planning an attack which he hopes will put him back on the throne.  Marie advises him against it, begging and pleading with him.  She also tells him how much their relationship meant to her.  "You have given me much more than love, Napoleon Bonaparte.  You touched me and gave me life.  You lifted me up.  The whole world went away from me.  I will never know that little world again," she says.

Mother and son watch as Napoleon boards a ship for France.  "He has a star he must follow.  Let us pray that it will bring him peace," Marie tells her son as they wave the once proud warrior goodbye.

Cast rundown:

   Greta Garbo..............................Countess Marie Walewska

   Charles Boyer............................Napoleon Bonaparte

   Reginald Owen...........................Duke de Tallyrand

   Alan Marshal..............................Capt. d'Ornano

   Henry Stephenson......................Count Anastas Walewski

   Leif Erickson..............................Paul Lachinski

   May Whitty................................Laetitia Bonaparte

   Maria Ouspenskaya.....................Countess Pelagia Walewska

   C. Henry Gordon........................Prince Poniatowski

   Jean Fenwick.............................Empress Marie Louise

And that's all for Conquest.  Audiences didn't respond to this movie, and MGM lost more money on this film than any other film from the period of 1920 to 1949.  However, Charles Boyer was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Napoleon.  It is an outstanding performance.

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Love Affair (1939)

 

Love Affair - 1939

Welcome to February on the blog.  In honor of Valentine's Day, for the next two weeks we'll be celebrating love.  So, get ready for all your favorite ooey, gooey, romantic movies.  To start things off, 1939's "Love Affair" tells the story of two people who meet on a trans-Atlantic crossing.  After falling in love, they plan to meet on top of the Empire State Building in six months.  Fate, however, intervenes, and throws their plans awry.

The film's cast includes Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer, Maria Ouspenskaya, Lee Bowman, Astrid Allwyn, Maurice Moscovitch, Joan Leslie, and Ferike Boros.

Suave international playboy Michel Marnay and American nightclub singer Terry McKay are traveling from Europe to New York.  They meet on board ship one evening by chance.  Having heard all about Michel's antics at a party on Lake Como, Terry is a little bit fascinated to meet the man in person.  "Look, I'm in trouble, serious trouble," he tells.  She looks at him and says, "Well, I could've told you, playing around Lake Como."

The two get to talking and discover they enjoy each other's company quite a lot.  And they've got a delightful banter that goes back and forth.

They start spending all their time together and telling each other about their backgrounds.  "What's the name of that strange place you came from?" Michel asks.  "Kansas," says Terry proudly.  In the evenings, they enjoy pink champagne before dinner (which became a very popular drink as a direct result of this film).

At a stopover in Madeira, Michel invites Terry to visit his grandmother, Janou.

Even though both are involved with other people back home, Janou takes an instant liking to Terry, and implies that she is the one for Michel.  "There’s many a slip betwixt the lip and the altar.  And anything could happen on a boat," she says before the two head back to their ship.

On board the ship that night, Terry says, "I want to thank you for what was undoubtedly the loveliest day I've ever known."  The two start a romantic relationship.  "We're heading into a rough sea, Michel," says Terry.  He agrees, "We changed our course today."

On the day the ship arrives in New York, Terry and Michel agree to meet in six months time on the top floor of the Empire State Building.  If they can tie up all their loose ends and everything works out, they will be together.

During the months they are apart, Terry breaks up with her boyfriend and takes a job singing in a nightclub in Philadelphia.  Michel breaks things off with his fiancée and takes up work as a painter.

On the day they are to meet, Michel is at the designated place waiting a little impatiently for Terry to join him.

Unfortunately, Terry has an accident as she attempts to enter the building and cannot make it.  When she wakes up, she doesn't want Michel to be told of her condition.  Michel, extremely hurt and upset, buries himself in his work.  Eventually, his grandmother dies and he is given her shawl, which she wanted Terry to have after her death.  Michel paints Terry with the shawl on.  Through a dealer, he sells the painting to a woman in a wheelchair, whom he does not know.

As part of her recovery, Terry takes a job teaching music.  She has her little group sing "Wishing Will Make It So".  (In reality, Irene Dunne was told she could pick the song.  She chose "Wishing" and it became one of the top songs of 1939.)

When Terry feels strong enough, she goes to the theater with her old boyfriend.  There, she comes face to face with Michel.  "Hello," she murmurs as he passes her the purse she dropped.  He returns her greeting and walks out.

"It’s tough.  The first time you’re able to get out and you have to meet him," says her former boyfriend Kenneth.  "All I could say was hello," sighs Terry.

Unexpectedly, one day Michel comes to visit Terry, who is lying on the couch.  He tries to make sense of why she never came that day they were supposed to meet, but she refuses to answer questions.  He gives her his grandmother's shawl and tells her that he painted her in it.  He becomes very suspicious of why Terry does not get up from the couch and starts to walk around the apartment a bit.

He finds the portrait he painted that was sold to a woman in a wheelchair, and Michel realizes that Terry was the woman.

With tears in his eyes Michel turns to Terry and takes her in his arms.  "If you can paint, I can walk," Terry says, and they share a laugh together.

Cast rundown:

   Irene Dunne..............................Terry McKay

   Charles Boyer.............................Michel Marnay

   Maria Ouspenskaya.....................Grandmother

   Lee Bowman..............................Kenneth Bradley

   Astrid Allwyn..............................Lois Clarke

   Maurice Moscovitch......................Maurice Cobert

   Joan Leslie.................................Autograph Seeker

   Ferike Boros...............................Landlady

And that's it for Love Affair.  Both Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne later said that this was their favorite of any of the movies either of them made.  It was remade in 1957 as "An Affair To Remember", starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and again in 1994 as "Love Affair", starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, and Katharine Hepburn.

Since this movie is in the public domain, you can watch it in its entirety here.

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