Un mari idéal

I approached this film with eager anticipation but admit to being disappointed.Thea von Harbou's adaptation makes a mockery of the play. Rather than being being tricked by Lord Goring into giving up the incriminating letter by which she hopes to blackmail Lord Chiltern, the scheming Mrs. Cheveley played by Sybille Schmitz(brunette of course!) simply returns it to the angelic Lady Chiltern played by Brigitte Helm(blonde of course!) because the latter appeals to her better nature and prompts her to do the decent thing. How much more interesting it would have been had these two actresses swapped roles and von Harbou not dumped Wilde's original concept. The play has been updated and the ceaselessly intrusive twenties-style score of Werner Bochmann is intensely irritating. Sadly this was Helm's last film before going off to Switzerland with her industrialist husband.Her departure was a loss to us all but this film is a loss to no one. The only point of interest, UNFORTUNATELY, is the gruesome fate that befell the director Herbert Selpin whilst making 'Titanic'.