The Fan

I HAVE TO seriously differ with the same review of this gem of a film. Agreed that George Sanders is wonderful (as usual) and that the bookends of the film are not necessary though rather charming, but the film is a jewel, all the performances are very good and MADELEINE CARROLL in her last film ever is totally wonderful and EXQUISITE.. Jeanne Crain does a credible job playing a British aristocrat, accent and all and Martita Hunt as always steals every scene she is in. The sets and costumes are stunning, and it is a pity it was not filmed in color. Otto Preminger is a strange choice as a director for this vehicle but he is always fascinating, even his misfires and this certainly is NOT one of them.A must see believe me.....

The story of "Lady Windemere's Fan" is a touching portrait of repression and hypocrisy in England during the Victorian era. The pivotal character in the movie is the charming, mysterious wise and beautiful middle-age woman played by Madeleine Carroll, who returns to the conservative upper-class milieu that had banished and rejected her decades ago. She manages to come to terms with the most delicate and unresolved aspects of her past, but she has to pay a very high price for that. Nevertheless, she is a survivor and in her eighties she will be able to make a balance and reflect on that crucial episode of her past. Madeleine Carroll and George Sanders are perfectly cast as the middle-age charmers and schemers, and also sound believable as the frail but smart octogenarian survivors, and deliver great performances on the hands of Preminger, who is able to maintain a good rhythm and to capture what we might figure is the Victorian society's aristocratic milieu of gossips and intrigues. I also enjoyed Martita Hunt as a typical upper-class eccentric, manipulative and witty matron; and thought that both Richard Greene and Jeanne Crain were OK as the younger Windemere couple. I think that this underrated little gem deserves a wider distribution. I am very lucky that in Spain the DVD of "The Fan" has been released in September 2007.

Oscar Wilde's comedy of manners, perhaps the wittiest play ever written, is all but wrecked at the hands of a second-rate cast. Sanders is, as one would expect, casually, indolently brilliant in the role of Lord Darlington, but the rest of the cast makes the entire procedure a waste of time. Jean Crain attempts a stage accent in alternate sentences and the other members of the cast seem to believe this is a melodrama and not a comedy; indeed, the entire production has bookends that reduce it to tragedy -- doubtless the Hays office insisted. Preminger's direction seems to lie mostly in making sure that there are plenty of servants about and even the music seems banal. Stick with the visually perfect silent farce as directed by Lubitsch or even the 2004 screen version with Helen Hunt as Mrs. Erlynne; or try reading the play for the pleasure of the words. But skip this version.

Preferably before you watch this production I would urge all users to see what in my opinion is the definitive professional performance of this famous 1892 Wilde play which was televised in 1985 and which starred: Helena Little as Lady W., Tim Woodward as Lord W., Stephanie Turner as Mrs Erlynne, Kenneth Cranham as Lord Darlington and Sara Kestelman as the Duchess of Berwick.Yes all the famous quotes are there in this film:1."I can resist everything except temptation" 2."We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars"3."Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"4."What's a cynic?"- "A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing".

Having played Lord Henry Wooton (Oscar's alter ego in "The Picture of Dorian Gray"(1946) George Sanders again assumes this mantle of giving Oscar's aphorisms another tryout playing Lord Darlington.Unless American actors are skilled at British accents (e.g.Renee Zellweger, Gwyneth Paltrow etc.), I find they grate on me as does Jeanne Crain as Lady W.Seeing Richard Greene (Robin Hood from the famous UK 1950s TV series) playing Lord W.gave me a mild shock but Martita Hunt as the Duchess of Berwick was a pleasant surprise.

I don't like Hollywood versions of classic plays as it tends to add a superficial gloss on original British productions and add lines which are not consonant with the original text.I nevertheless enjoyed this film shown in its entirety on www.youtube.com and awarded it 6/10 as I was thrilled to see Madeleine Carroll playing Mrs Erlynne who I have admired since she played the female lead in Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps" (1935).

"The Fan" is a film based very loosely on a story by Oscar Wilde. At first, I was very disappointed in the film...as it's VERY slow. But as I watched, it got better and better. Stick with this one...its payoff is pretty good.

The film begins at the present time. A very elderly lady is attending an auction and she sees something of hers, a very expensive fan, being sold without her permission. The auctioneer withdraws the item and tells her to get some proof it is hers...which is a problem as she's been living abroad and most everyone who knew her in London is dead! Then, she remembers that Lord Darlington (George Sanders) knew her and will be able to vouch for her and the fan. The rest of the story is a flashback to many years ago...and the story of how she got the fan takes a VERY long time!

The reason I enjoyed this film is its final third. The first two thirds is just okay...but all the confusion and unanswered questions are taken care of in the final portion. And, because of that, it's well worth seeing...especially with some lovely acting and a good, though longwinded, script.