The Florentine Dagger

"The Florentine Dagger" is a Warner Brothers film from 1935 starring Donald Woods, Margaret Lindsay, Henry O'Neill, and C. Aubrey Smith. Woods plays a descendant of the Borgias who comes to Italy to see the Borgia castle. Apparently afraid that he has inherited the Borgia madness, he tries to kill himself with a potion, but the psychiatrist (Smith) tells him it's fake. He suggests that Woods write a play about the family and achieve some closure that way. O'Neill plays a producer who does the play in Vienna, with his daughter (Lindsay) as the lead. The play is a huge hit, and Woods and Lindsay fall for one another. When O'Neill is stabbed with a Florentine dagger, Woods becomes the main suspect.

Very atmospheric for such a small film with some good performances, particularly by Robert Barrat as a police inspector who's quite funny. Lindsay is miscast as this mysterious, goddess-like woman whose performance is the talk of Vienna. A Greta Garbo role in the hands of Margaret Lindsay, a completely different type.

A short film, fairly well done given the budget.

Three travelers arrive by train and check in at the Hotel Cesare Borgia, somewhere in Italy: Henry O'Neill, a drama producer, there to read some plays; C. Aubrey Smith, a doctor who has prescribed himself some rest; and Donald Woods, who doesn't say why he's there but looks just like the hotel's portrait of Cesare Borgia.

Woods, a descendant of the infamous Borgia family, intends to kill himself in the ancestral village. Luckily, however, psychiatrist Smith convinces him to try writing a play to rid himself of his demons. Next thing we know, Woods is in Vienna where he's written a play about the Borgias and producer O'Neill is preparing it for the stage. When O'Neill's daughter Margaret Lindsay shows up, Woods knows immediately that she is perfect for the role of Lucretia.

It's a unique setup that gradually develops into a more standard mystery plot: Woods falls in love with beautiful Lindsay, her father forbids their marriage and soon afterwards is found murdered. The murder weapon? An ancient dagger supposed to be an actual Borgia relic. The suspects? Those closest to the murdered man. Woods investigates as best he can, his old pal Aubrey Smith takes on the psychological angle, and Lindsay seems like she might be shielding someone - but whom?

Robert Barrat has a good role as a humorous police inspector (who keeps calling his wife to tell her whether he'll be home late). Woods and Lindsay are fine as the leads. C. Aubrey Smith does a nice job, as always, as the shrewd older gentleman.

Overall, this B mystery tries to be something a little different and mostly succeeds.

Donald Woods plays a descendant of the infamous Borgia family who believes he is predestined for evil. When the father of the girl he loves (Margaret Lindsay) is murdered, Woods worries he might be responsible. I'm a big fan of Margaret Lindsay. She's one of my favorite actresses from this period that doesn't get much recognition and she's the primary reason I watched this. She doesn't have a very juicy part but she makes the most of it. Donald Woods is boxing above his weight class here. The role requires a more theatrical actor I think. Woods is a little too stiff for such a neurotic character. Robert Barrat steals every scene he's in as the police inspector investigating the murder. A minor thing but I liked the use of model trains in a couple of early scenes. It may seem cheap today but I think it adds a quaint charm to the movie. A nice little programmer from WB with a neat ending. A little silly at times but interesting enough to warrant checking out.

In fact some of the dialogue is so out there it's actually an asset versus a distraction for this little B mystery film from Warner Brothers. The stars are all good performers, with Margaret Lindsay being a 30's post-code favorite actress of mine. But some of that dialogue - and just some of it - seems like it was produced by title card writers from 1910. I just don't know how Donald Woods and Margaret Lindsay could keep a straight face given some of their campy lines.

The story starts with three visitors to the famous abandoned castle of the Borgias in Italy. One is producer Victor Ballau (Henry O'Neill), another is psychiatrist Gerard Lytton (C. Aubrey Smith), and a third is a troubled young man (Donald Woods) who is the last of the Borgias - his namesake is Cesare Borgia to whom he bears a remarkable likeness. The troubled young man, Juan Cesare, attempts suicide to prevent himself from becoming a murderer when he feels the Borgia urge to kill rise up in him. Fortunately his attempt is thwarted by Dr. Lytton. Instead, Juan goes to Vienna where he recovers from his obsessions with his heritage and writes a play for Ballau that is about the Borgias. Juan cannot find the perfect Lucrezia Borgia for his play until he meets Ballau's step-daughter Florence (Margaret Lindsay). The long and short of it is that Victor Ballau winds up dead in his study one night, stabbed to death with one of the Florentine daggers he possesses that once belonged to the Borgias. There are many suspects, and the mystery has many unexpected twists and turns and for that matter, many improbabilities.

One of the goofiest and best things about this film besides its campy dialogue is Robert Barrat's performance as Police Inspector Von Brinkner who is in charge of the murder investigation. Von Brinkner's not a threatening kind of fellow at all, and he's given to all kinds of appetite, usually found to be chewing on brie and the finest food he can scrounge when he isn't chewing scenery, or talking to his girlfriend on the phone. However he turns out to be surprisingly competent and generous. Watch and find out what I mean.

One thing you'll probably note is the precode ending a full year after the production code went into effect. Again, you'll have to watch to find out what I mean, but I just don't know how the censors let this ending stand as it did.

A young Italian, the last of the Borgias, fears he is cursed with the evil of his infamous family. And now the woman he loves may be guilty of a nasty murder...

Based on a novel by Ben Hecht, THE FLORENTINE DAGGER is raised above the level of modest murder programmers on the strength of its unusual plot, moody atmospherics and very fine acting. Sir C. Aubrey Smith graces the proceedings as a kindly old doctor who helps a young playwright and a spirited actress (Donald Woods & Margaret Lindsay) find happiness together, despite homicide and a possible family curse. Robert Barrat is also much fun as an eccentric, flirtatious police inspector; surprisingly, he becomes the story's true hero in the movie's closing moments.

The supporting cast includes Henry O'Neill as a Viennese theatrical producer; Florence Fair as his troubled housekeeper; Frank Reicher as a harried stage manager; Rafaela Ottiano & Charles Judels as worried Italian innkeepers; Paul Porcasi as a timid policeman; Eily Malyon as a lady who knows more about the murder than she's willing to say; and wonderful Herman Bing as a flustered Austrian baker.

The conclusion comes as a bit of a surprise, considering the Production Code's requirement for the punishment of all movie murderers...

*************************

Much is said, in the film's first half, about Cesare Borgia. It might prove interesting to review the facts of his life. The illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, Cesare (1475-1507) started his rise to power early, first in his ancestral Spain and later in Italy. At the age of seven he was created prothonotary & canon of the cathedral of Valencia - but it was in 1491 at the age of sixteen that his career really started to move. Over the course of the next two years Cesare was quickly created bishop, archbishop & cardinal. In 1498 he renounced his cardinalate to become Captain General of the Papal Army. Working hand in glove with the Pope, his father, they furthered their schemes towards wresting a northern Italian kingdom for Cesare.

A marriage that same year with the sister of the King of Navarre and the acceptance of a French dukedom, gave Cesare & Alexander the French support they would need for their plots of conquest. By 1500 Cesare was fully immersed in his generally successful campaigns. (One of his victims was Duke Alfonso of Bisceglie, the husband of Cesare's wicked sister Lucrezia; that unlucky gentleman had been stabbed by a quartet of Cesare's assassins and subsequently strangled in his sickbed by Cesare's servant.) Hated & despised by the rank and file of the citizenry of Italy, Alexander & Cesare had to constantly fight against the overwhelming tide of public opinion.

Surviving one rebellion in his army - and treacherously murdering the ringleaders after feigning peace - Cesare's fortunes at last crumbled with the death of his father in 1503. The new pope, Julius II, was an implacable enemy and demanded the release of Cesare's dominions. Cesare was eventually captured by the Spanish, imprisoned in Spain, and made a daring escape. He now offered his services to his brother-in-law, the King of Navarre. Cesare Borgia's short, violent, utterly fascinating life came to an end in 1507 when he was killed in a skirmish with rebels.