The Return of Peter Grimm

"The Return of Peter Grimm" (1935) is a remake of a 1926 silent of the same name; which itself was a adaptation of David Belascoe's play. Lionel Barrymore plays the title character, a wealthy uncle whose relatives live with him on his estate. Helen Mack plays his ward Catherine and George Breakston his young nephew William. Peter and William are not in good health and their doctor (Edward Ellis) is a constant presence in the house.

The main villain of the piece is older nephew Frederik (Allen Vincent) who is responsible for the suicide of William's mother and is plotting to marry Catherine and sell the estate they will jointly inherit. Vincent is appropriately slimy in this role and they somehow manage to subtly convey this the instant he first appears on the screen (you just sense it). These older films are often a surprising showcase of acting and directing talent.

Peter favored this marriage when he was alive, and encouraged Catherine to reject the man she really loves. But upon his death he realizes his mistake and returns as a ghost hoping to set things right.

The ghostly effects are of course quite dated but rather interesting. It appears that the scenes with Peter's ghost were shot in a normal fashion and then altered in post-production. A blur was glued to the side of the negative in which Peter is positioned, it is way too extreme and renders Barrymore's acting for the camera ability irrelevant; he can only convey his character's emotions with his voice during this sequences. And although they try to stage the scenes in such a way that the other actors (playing live characters) are not obscured, there are several times when they walk right into the blurred area.

Barrymore is an amazing actor, and the production is worth viewing just to see him do his stuff. He is nicely assisted by Ethel Griffies who plays Mrs. Bartolomew, a charity obsessed busybody who gets funnier with each scene in which she appears. The film also has a nice script going for it, especially if you like film's that preserve the basic flavor of their original stage productions. I can't imagine the silent version being very entertaining as it is the dialogue that really holds everything together.

Of special note is the touching final scene between Barrymore and Breakston, which you don't see coming. They go out on this sequence, which I imagine was quite a sensation for 1935 audiences.

The again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Uncle Peter (Lionel Barrymore) is a rich old man who takes care of his niece and sickly nephew. When the story begins, Uncle Peter is at a seance...and thinks it's all a lot of nonsense. Little does Peter know that soon he'll be dead...and he's desperate to contact these two, as it turns out he made a mess of things...asking the niece to promise to marry his ne'er do well nephew who just came to town. But Peter's ghost is able to see how horrid this nephew is...and how little regard he has for the sickly nephew and the niece. And so, he finds himself fighting to somehow let her know that she does NOT need to honor her agreement and should marry the man of her own choosing.

While the film has a neat idea, its execution could have been MUCH better. First, the film lacks energy and becomes dull when it never should have been. Second, while Barrymore is good, the rest of the cast are at best adequate. And finally, the technique they used to make Peter look ghosty (by blurring part of the lens with Vaseline) just didn't look very good nor convincing. Overall, an interesting concept but a film that really didn't work all that well...unlike a similar and far superior film Barrymore made soon after...the great "On Borrowed Time" (1939).

In upstate New York, wealthy Lionel Barrymore (as Peter Grimm) arranges for his beautiful ward Helen Mack (as Catherine) to marry his closest blood relation, nephew Allen Vincent (as Frederik "Fred" Grimm). Although she is in love with Mr. Barrymore's nice-guy secretary James Bush (as James), Ms. Mack promises to marry the sneaky-acting nephew. After expiring, Barrymore realizes his mistake and must make amends. That's the obvious story. Pay closer attention to the story unfolding within the boy, young George Breakston (as William Van Dam), who greets Mr. Vincent at the train station...

This is a fine version of David Belasco's excellent original story, made famous by the playwright with stage star David Warfield. No doubt familiar with the role, Barrymore went "on loan" from MGM to RKO in accepting the part. A notorious scene stealer, Barrymore employs his excessive body movements while on camera and is toned down for the film's noticeable "special effect". Initially, you may find yourself squinting at the blurred image. Also, some intriguing parts of the original work are omitted, unfortunately, but the remaining product still plays. It's flawed - but not fatally...

The screen keeps busy with Donald Meek and Ethel Griffies (as Everett and Martha Bartholomew) around. Edward Ellis (as Andrew Macpherson) and Lucien Littlefield (as Tom Lawton) provide balance. Barrymore and young Breakston "walk away" with the film. This type of story has been made numerous times, but this version is special because it seems to be about one plot, but is really about other things; and, the stories compliment each other perfectly. Someone should look into obtaining the rights to this film and attempt a re-make. "They don't make 'em like this anymore," but they could try.

******** The Return of Peter Grimm (9/13/35) George Nicholls Jr. ~ Lionel Barrymore, George Breakston, Edward Ellis, Helen Mack

The Return of Peter Grimm as presented on Broadway back before World War I was the subject of some contention that Cecil B. DeMille related in his autobiography. Before going west to do films, DeMille was a Broadway actor and aspiring playwright who wrote a play while he was in the employ of David Belasco, The Return of Peter Grimm.

DeMille's version had the lead character of Peter Grimm as a manufacturer who stole a patent and built a fortune. Grimm comes back from the dead to try and undo some wrongs he did while here on Earth in the flesh. Belasco changed the character to a Dutch nursery man who is also a dominating sort of fellow. And instead of a séance that DeMille had that the spirit of Peter Grimm manifested itself, he had him come to life through the eyes of a very ill child.

Came the opening night of The Return of Peter Grimm, DeMille was expecting to have co-author credit, but instead was listed way down in the program as having the idea for the play. It was a bitter disappointment and he never worked for Belasco again.

Though he was vague on the subject as he was in a lot of other things in his memoirs, DeMille said he really wasn't in any position to take legal action. Nor did he want to because Belasco was a friend of his father's and a great influence on his film career.

There was a silent version of The Return of Peter Grimm and this one that starred Lionel Barrymore as Peter Grimm. Barrymore gives a good performance in the title role as does his ward Helen Mack who he makes her promise to marry his no-good nephew. As a spirit he finds out what a bum he was.

Also look for good performances by Edward Ellis as Barrymore's friend and confidante the doctor and George Breakston as the child who only wants to go to the circus with Uncle Peter. If the kid was Belasco's idea, it was a good one, his scenes with Barrymore are quite touching.

You might want to check The Return of Peter Grimm out yourself and see if you can find some traces of DeMille.

In what was easily Lionel Barrymore's audition for On Borrowed Time, this sad story follows a man's attempt to make amends in the afterlife. Lionel is a skeptic about ghosts and spiritual life, but when he dies and returns as a ghost (a blurred image on the film strip), his view obviously changes. His family and those dear to him are surprised by his Will, since he didn't give the money-grubbers what they wanted. He was able to see through most, but not all. He directed his beloved ward, Helen Mack, to marry his nephew, Allen Vincent, since he thought he was a wonderful man. But, as a ghost, he discovers that Allen is terrible! How will he reach Helen through his spirit, to release her from her deathbed promise and follow her heart? And in the saddest part of all, George Breakston is a sick, young kid who is so near to death, he's the only one who can communicate with Lionel's ghost.

If you're looking for light and fluffy silver screen pieces, stick with Bringing Up Baby or You Can't Take It with You. This one is heavy, and it definitely won't make you feel good in the end. It's good for Lionel fans, but I'd have a comedy on hand for afterwards.