Escape Me Never

Ida Lupino is in love with Errol Flynn but Errol loves his brother's fiancé in "Escape Me Never," a 1947 film from Warner Brothers. Flynn and Gig Young play brother composers Sebastian and Caryl Dubrok. Lupino plays Gemma, a poor young woman with a baby she calls Piccolo. She's in love with Flynn, and tells the beautiful, well-bred Fionella (Eleanor Parker), Caryl's fiancé, that she's going to marry the composer Dubrok. Parker thinks it's Caryl and takes off. Carly, Gemma, Piccolo, and Sebastian set off to find her, singing and playing instruments for money as they go. Once they find Fionella, she falls for Flynn and vice versa.

This movie is a remake of a film starring Elizabeth Bergner, and I have no idea why Warners chose it. The performances are good, with Flynn very handsome and charming, though signs of seediness were beginning to show. He plays a self-involved playboy with no practicality very well. Young has a somewhat thankless role as the less flashy brother. Lupino gives a sympathetic portrayal, though she's slightly miscast. The character is feisty but also more of an ingénue than Lupino, whose strong appearance and voice made her a leading lady almost out of the box. Unfortunately because she was at Warners, she had to take a back seat to Bette Davis much of the time. She had more in her than this role requires. Parker is excellent as a cool but lovely socialite.

There's some great music by Wolfgang Korngold of Sebastian's opera "Primavera," and some nice dancing. All in all, it's a small film that used sets rather than location. Not a great entry but some lovely moments from the stars.