Quebec ** (1951, John Drew Barrymore, Corinne Calvet, Barbara Rush, Patric Knowles, John Hoyt, Arnold Moss, Don Haggerty) – Classic Movie Review 8068

Director George Templeton’s 1951 romantic historical adventure Quebec is silly, unpersuasive costumed tosh located during the 1830s Canadian battle for independence from Britain. The emphasis is on a soapy personal story in which the governor’s wife, Mme Stéphanie Durossac aka La Fleur (Corinne Calvet), is mixed up with the young dashing revolutionary leader, Mark Douglas (John Drew Barrymore billed as John Barrymore Jr).

It turns out that Mark Douglas is the illegitimate son of Stéphanie Durossac and Charles Douglas (Patric Knowles), Canadian patriot and budding leader of the uprising against British rule in Quebec in 1937. Stéphanie is estranged from Charles Douglas and also from Colonel Jean Durossac (Don Haggerty), the loyalist commander of British troops, so Mark doesn’t know Stéphanie is his mother.

With the screenplay written by producer Alan Le May, Quebec is stuck with a complicated but forgettable story and uninspired performances, but W Howard Greene’s gleaming Technicolor outdoors photography helps, and it is a good-looking movie. It carefully distances itself from history with the disclaimer: ‘Because certain historic events and personalities are still controversial, the story is told in terms of fictitious characters and action.’ So it is none too historical then. But that is OK, it is only a movie.

It was advertised as ‘Filmed in Quebec, where it actually happened!’ but some of it is shot some ways from Canada in Paramount Studios, Hollywood.

Also in the cast are John Hoyt as Father Antoine, Arnold Moss as Jean-Paul Racelle, Patsy Ruth Miller in her final film, as Germaine, Adrian Belanger, Jacques Champagne, René Constantineau, Nikki Duval, Paul Guèvremont, Howard Joslin and Marcel Sylvain.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8068

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