Topaze

Unrated

2/8/19931h 18m

Premiere Release (US)

~ Does It Pay To Be Honest? At forty he discovered hidden power. So he turned over a new leaf and became a crook! You'll love the scoundrel! ~

Overview:

An honest and naive schoolteacher gets a lesson in how the world works outside the classroom, when a rich Baron and his mistress use the teacher's name and outstanding reputation in a crooked business scheme.

Director:

Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

paris, france
satire
school teacher
pre-code

Cast

John Barrymore

~ as ~

Auguste A. Topaze

Myrna Loy

~ as ~

Coco

Reginald Mason

~ as ~

Baron Philippe de La Tour-La Tour

Jobyna Howland

~ as ~

Baroness Hortense de La Tour-La Tour

Jackie Searl

~ as ~

Charlemagne de La Tour-La Tour

Albert Conti

~ as ~

Henri de Fairville

Frank Reicher

~ as ~

Dr. Stegg

Luis Alberni

~ as ~

Dr. Bomb

Lowden Adams

~ as ~

Joseph

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 3 year(s) ago
7
This is quite en engaging "worm that turned" style story that centres around the genial and honourable academic "Prof. Topaze" (John Barrymore). Refusing to enhance the grades of the dimwit son of an influential family, the boy's mother sees he is drummed out of his job. Just at the moment, as luck would have it, the Baron de La Tour la Tour (Reginald Mason) - who just happens to be the father of that child - finds himself looking for someone to endorse his rather dubious bottled water product that claims some fanciful enhancements. Dazzled by the job offer, the money and armed with a degree of scientific knowledge to actually make improvements to the germ-ridden water, the professor signs up. Snag is, his employer is making no such augmentations to the water he is selling - and when "Topaze" finds out he determines to make a stand. Myrna Loy is quite effective as the Baron's girlfriend who has quite a shred of decency in her, too, and the moral of the story is lightly, but firmly applied as the pupil learns from the master. The production is maybe a little set-bound, but it flows well with a decent script and a strong leading performance.