Svengali

One of several big screen adaptations of du Maurier's TRILBY, this was notable for utilising the author's original illustrations in costume, and to some extent, settings. It also had the benefit of a characteristically flamboyant and forceful performance from the great Donald Wolfit. He's able to engender a small degree of sympathy for the grubby and boorish Svengali (including his frustration, as a classical musician, with Trilby's continual rendering of a rather wan little ditty, 'Alice, Where Art Though?' later to form the aptly dowdy signature tune to OPEN ALL HOURS). He's compelling whenever the film focuses on him, despite more than a touch of Frankie Howerd in places. Unfortunately it concentrates rather too much in the early stages on the ageing English art students, and not helped by some crude editing, the story doesn't grip as it should. Hildegarde Neff brings beauty, intelligence and a sense of vulnerability to Trilby, but she comes over as about as Irish as Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, whose sublime lyric soprano tones are heard on the soundtrack. Terence Morgan can make little impact as Billy, and despite being good to look at, with the colour and atmosphere of the early Hammer horrors, the whole enterprise is lacking in drive, with too many short scenes on cramped sets. The finale at Covent Garden where Svengali dramatically relinquishes his hold on Trilby is especially disappointingly handled, with the director failing to build any tension or sense of occasion, then allowing what remains to fall flat.

One of those films that has its moments, but falls firmly into the 'could have been so much better' category.

This 1954 British color version of SVENGALI has always gotten the short end of the stick in my opinion. A lot of that has to do with the fact that it's always compared to the legendary 1931 version with John Barrymore but it's like comparing apples and oranges. This version has gorgeous color photography, is well lit, contains atmospheric studio sets (it looks like John Huston's MOULIN ROUGE) and it puts the emphasis back on Trilby rather than Svengali. After all TRILBY is Du Maurier's original title.

Director Noel Langley, best known for his written adaptations of THE WIZARD OF OZ and Alastair Sim's A CHRISTMAS CAROL, gets a more ensemble effect from his actors which allows for more character development from the supporting players especially Billie's artist friends. Just as in the Barrymore version, a number of liberties have been taken with the original story (though different liberties) especially the ending but remember this was England in the mid 1950s so certain allowances needed to be made. Chances are that if Barrymore's version had not been a pre-Code vehicle, made before 1934 when the Production Code began to be enforced, then the results might have been the same.

Most of the criticism regarding this version has been leveled at Hildegard Neff (actually Knef) who makes no attempt to hide her German origins when Trilby is supposed to be Irish. Although it can be disconcerting at first, the further you get into the movie the more she seems like Trilby especially after she embarks on her singing career. BTW that's Elizabeth Schwarzkopf singing for Neff in the opera scenes. Donald Wolfit, no stranger to over the top performances, actually manages to somewhat underplay his role as Svengali. The role was intended for Robert Newton who would have been WAY over the top but his drinking got him dismissed and Wolfit stepped in.

Praise should be given to VCI for making this rare film available as part of their British film series. The source print is a little soft and the colors occasionally fade at the reel changes but overall it looks very good for a public domain copy. In the end it may not measure up to the John Barrymore film but it's way better than the modern update from 1983 with Peter O'Toole and Jodie Foster. Just so you can make your own comparisons, VCI has also included a decent version of the 1931 Barrymore version on this DVD

UPDATE 2024...Sadly the VCI copy is no longer around and the movie is not available for streaming so the only way to see it is to acquire a used copy...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

A bit over the top with the acting but this may have been deliberate to give it a certain theatre like feel as film acting is usually more subtle than as done on the stage, for a far away audience.

Beautifully shot in glorious saturated colour and the sets were extremely well done with seemingly no expense spared. I failed to spot some of the actors, later to be very much well known, in minor roles here.

There has been several fairly recent instances of singers, performers etc. Being controlled by very much like Svengali managers so the plot is in no way hard to believe.

A very interesting film worth watching.

SVENGALI is a British-made version of the classic story about the evil hypnotist who creates a famous singer out of a young and untalented girl. In essence this tale is Rasputin in the music world, and it's quite a fun and eventful storyline.

The main reason to enjoy this film is the performance of Donald Wolfit (BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE) in the title role. He seems to be channelling Bela Lugosi in both look and voice throughout the movie, and his hammy style of acting is a lot of fun; the other actors in the production feel flat by comparison.

The film as a whole isn't perfect - there's a little too much sappy romance going on, and events are never as exciting or dramatic as the producers would hope for - but the lush colours and costumes of the mid 1950s give this the look and feel of an early Hammer Horror outing. Hildegard Knef (later of Hammer's THE LOST CONTINENT) is fine as the youthful protégé, and it's fun to see Terence Morgan (CURSE OF THE MUMMY'S TOMB) before he got typecast as the bad guy.

A better example of over-acting you will struggle to find in this overly theatrical adaptation of George Du Maurier's 1894 novel "Trilby". Hildegard Knef is a young, impressionable, girl who falls under the spell of the almost Rasputin-esque Donald Wolfit in the title role. He hypnotises her to rid her of pesky headaches, and give her the voice of an angel - and soon she becomes an international star of the opera. Robert Newton was originally slated for the lead, but I can't imagine he could have done better than Wolfit, who has the maniacal look (eyes, especially) and pithy dialogue down to a T. The support from Terence Morgan - as her much younger beau "Billee Bagot", Paul Rogers, David Kossoff and the truly wonderful singing of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf keep this entertaining enough, but the staging and style are just to limiting to let this version of a really menacing and evocative story soar.