The Mad Genius (1931)

Stars John Barrymore and Charles Butterworth as a team of performing puppeteers. They see a man whipping a child, and come to his rescue. and yes, that's the monster-master Boris Karloff, as the boy's terrible father we see right at the opening. Some elaborately staged scenes, with large casts of uncredited roles, as they choreograph dance numbers on stage. Butterworth had a dry, sarcastic, under-stated humor, and had a career in Broadway before entering film. Has an interesting bio here on imdb... died quite young in a car crash. While wikipedia.org states it was an accident, imdb claims it may be been intentional. The story shows a russian cast putting together a show in berlin. Trials, tribulations, ups, downs, love triangles. Lots of talk... proving that this started out as a play. It's okay. Directed by Michael Curtiz, who had started out in the silent films, as had Barrymore and Karloff. Curtiz' best known work was probably the oscar winning Casablanca in 1944 !

Although not quite as good as Svengali, this follow-up with John Barrymore and Marian Marsh from that film isn't too shabby. Barrymore stars as puppeteer with a bum leg who fancies himself a ballet impresario, discovering a kid with athletic spirit he feels is perfect for what he envisions as the vessel for all his creative energies. Donald Cook is the grown-up Fedor, now an undeniable ballet talent thanks to Barrymore's Vladimir Tsarakov, on marquees heading extravagant stage presentations. Along with loyal and put-upon assistant, Karimsky (Charles Butterworth), Vladimir has shaped and molded the ballet superstar he always wanted to be but his crippled leg wouldn't let him in Fedor. All that could be jeopardized by a female dancer, Nana (Marsh, just a doll), who Vladimir considers a bad influence, with him purposely on the manipulative attack, using whatever psychological tactics his devious, jealous mind could muster. Honestly I could barely recognize Karloff as the abusive peasant father chasing after Fedor when he was a kid, with Vladimir hiding him from harm. The sets, especially the stage houses and operas, are impressive, but Barrymore bugging his eyes, liquoring up and womanizing when able, is once again incredible...a charismatic powerhouse who plays this monster seeing himself a god having created a perfect specimen he feels will be corrupted by Nana to the hilt. Barrymore's alcoholism might have robbed him ultimately from a lucrative career, but this and Svengali offer us rich examples of colorful human beasts, doing whatever it takes to control or destroy those that possibly disrupt his plans. Michael Curtiz's direction may not necessarily command the same attention as future Warner Bros horror pictures like Doctor X or Mysteries of the Wax Museum, but he still knows how to frame faces and delve his cast into the macabre. This film includes a drug addict who trains the performers and is shaken when Vladimir demands he remove Nana from a starring role...precode Hollywood was once quite daring with these kinds of characters. The way Vladimir torments Nana and Fedor's suffering after Vladimir blacklists make up some real dramatic weight in this film. A gem worth seeking out.

I quite enjoyed this one when I first saw it many years ago, but it doesn't stand up well. Barrymore is the main problem. His is a ranting, self-glorifying, drown out everyone else in the cast performance, which, to my surprise, director Mike Curtiz indulges rather than trying to keep a lid on it. And I don't know that it was a good idea of the screenwriters not only to keep so much of the moribund stage play in the action, thus slowing it down, and then pandering Barrymore with long speeches, and thus slowing things down even further. Director Mike Curtiz seems to be in awe of Barrymore and favor him with eye- rolling close-ups and long takes at the expense of other members of the cast, especially Marian Marsh. In fact some of our favorite people have very little footage, including Boris Karloff who makes a significant entrance and then totally disappears. We do see a lot of Donald Cook, however, despite the fact that he is, at best, a rather stodgy, humdrum actor with – at least in this movie – little in the way of charisma. I'm not surprised the movie failed dismally at the box office. Sometimes, not often, mind you, audiences showed good taste! This movie is available on very good Warner Brothers DVD, but with no extras, alas!

The Mad Genius is far from the best of John Barrymore's sound films. But it certainly provides a character for him to go full blast in terms of style and yet not seem overacted. Barrymore's plays a cripple who wanted to be a great ballet dancer, but only is confined to doing puppet shows with his sidekick Charles Butterworth.One day he and Butterworth rescue young Frankie Darro from a cruel father Boris Karloff. Barrymore sees in young Darro the promise and form of the dancer he wanted to be. This was before the Code so the homoerotic ideas in the scene are exploited to the max.Fast forward a dozen years and Darro is now Donald Cook at the top of his game as a ballet dancer, a veritable Nijinsky. He's also got eyes for pretty Marian Marsh, but so has Barrymore.Barrymore's years of training in the puppet theater have stood him in good stead as he's now a real puppet master, scheming and manipulating people to his will. His scene with Luis Alberni who is manager of the company to get him to do something he doesn't want to do is unforgettable. I won't reveal what he has over him, but this also was a subject later banned by the Code.Not the best of Barrymore's work, but it should provide a real introduction to his acting. And he's given great support by the ensemble Warner Brothers and director Michael Curtiz gave him.