Große braune Augen (1936)

Große braune Augen: Directed by Raoul Walsh. With Cary Grant, Joan Bennett, Walter Pidgeon, Lloyd Nolan. Sassy manicurist Eve Fallon is recruited as an even more brassy reporter and she helps police detective boyfriend Danny Barr break a jewel theft ring and solve the murder of a baby.

“And in that of Raoul Walsh, as well. The early scenes, which try really hard to be cute, show no influence of Walsh. When it gets more into the career of policeman Grant, we see some fast-paced action and it makes sense as a Walsh project. Sort of.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGrant was young and hadnu0026#39;t become a major star yet. He looks great and does a creditable job. His female co-star is Joan Bennett. Now there was an interesting actress: She worked with all the great foreign directors when they came to Hollywood. She made several movies for Fritz Lang. She worked for Max Ophuls. She worked for Jean Renoir.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHere she is a blonde, like sister Constance. Sheu0026#39;s fine.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWalter Pidgeon looks young too. He is cast in the sort of role Robert Montgomery or Warren William got more frequently: Heu0026#39;s a charming crook.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhen the movie begins, Bennett is a manicurist. Then, suspiciously quickly, sheu0026#39;s an ace newspaper reporter. Was this little film assembled from various attempts or is the plot just a little unconvincing? There are many wonderful reaction shots that move quickly from close-up of one bit player or extra to close-up of another. I think the most famous use of this sort of extreme close-up is that of the chatty woman in u0026quot;Brief Encounter.u0026quot; But the ones here are great. Indeed, they elevate what is essentially a trivial movie up a notch or two.”