Madame Bovary *** (1937, Pola Negri, Aribert Wäscher, Ferdinand Marian) – Classic Movie Review 7346

Director Gerhard Lamprecht’s 1937 German version of Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 novel of Madame Bovary is heavy handed but intriguing, involving and well crafted. The iconic Polish silent movie star Pola Negri (1897–1987) makes an attractive job of the star role and is the best reason to watch.

It is a breathlessly fast run-through at just 94 minutes of the famous tragic story of how Emma Bovary (Pola Negri) is stifled after she marries boring Normandy doctor Charles Bovary (Aribert Wäscher), romances handsome, ne’er-do-well Rodolphe Boulanger (Ferdinand Marian), has other affairs and starts a fall that leads to her penury, disgrace, humiliation and suicide.

Also in the cast are Werner Scharf, Alexander Engel, Paul Bildt, Olga Limburg, Karl Hellner, Katharina Bruaren, Carla Rust and Rudolf Klein-Rogge.

Madame Bovary is directed by Gerhard Lamprecht, runs 94 minutes, is made by Euphono and Terra Film, and released by Casino (US), is written by Hans Neumann and Erich Ebermayer, is shot in black and white by Karl Hasselmann and is scored by Giuseppe Becce.

Negri’s Hollywood career collapsed at the arrival of the talkies, and she returned to Europe and made films for UFA, under Nazi management. In 1941 she returned penniless to America.

You may well ask, however, what were the Nazis doing making a French classic with a Polish star shortly before invading both countries?

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7346

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