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ACTOR
Stewart GrangerElizabeth TaylorPeter UstinovRobert Morley
DIRECTOR
Curtis Bernhardt
SYNOPSICS
Beau Brummell (1954) is a English movie. Curtis Bernhardt has directed this movie. Stewart Granger,Elizabeth Taylor,Peter Ustinov,Robert Morley are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1954. Beau Brummell (1954) is considered one of the best Biography,Drama,History movie in India and around the world.
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Beau Brummell (1954) Reviews
" Revolution is all around us, France, America, it's in the air "
Of all the influences of men's fashion created during the 1800s, none ever compared with the flashes of inspirations set by George Bryan Brummell. This film entitled " Beau Brummell " is a superficial look at the man and his statements of life and fashion. Born in London, educated at Eton and for a time, a close friend of King George IV, Brummell rubbed shoulders with the rich and powerful, despite the fact, he was unfortunately, neither. Stewart Granger portrays Beau Brummell with a nonchalant but superior attitude and with the smug style of the up-and-coming, man-a-bout-town. Although, not in his actual life, Elizabeth Taylor plays Lady Patricia Belham, a woman of culture, breeding and social stature, who remains as elusive as Brummell's financial aspirations. Peter Ustinov plays the Prince of Wales and future King of England with convincing style and ease. Robert Morley, James Donald and James Hayter as Mortimer add to the fine cast as does Noel Willman who plays Lord Byron. As a result, this film may not exercise the accurate truth of the great Dandy of England, but does set the regal stage with which the real Beau Brummell was accustomed to. An excellent adaptation and recommended to all who wish to study the man, the times and the incredible influences he had in his day. ****
Clothes maketh the man...
Unusual to see Stewart Granger in period costume without a flashing blade, but I found this costume drama on the rise and fall of the Regency dandy and confidante to the then Prince of Wales, eminently watchable. Granger himself shows more acting depth than he was usually allowed in the swashbuckling actioners he frequented and is well cast as the proud, aspiring but ultimately over-ambitious George "Beau" Brummell, whose loose tongue and haughty wit ultimately saw him cast out of high society into a life of penury in France, on the run from his numerous creditors. However the real acting plaudits unquestionably lie with Peter Ustinov, who again, like his portrayal of Nero in "Quo Vadis", easily demonstrates his character, the king-in-waiting Prince George's initially fey and petulant ways but later conveys the depth of character of a man who matured into his kingship and his conflicting loyalty which turns to generous magnamity to best friend but loose cannon Brummell. Robert Morley gets to act a fine cameo performance as the mentally ill King whose condition leads to the Regency crisis and Elizabeth Taylor gets to wear some elaborate costumes not to mention hairstyles as Lady Belham, torn between her passionate attraction to Brummell's rebellious individual and the safe society gentleman Lord Edwin Mercer played stoically by James Donald. Historical figures of the day flit in and out of the narrative, but surely the "mad, bad and dangerous to know" Lord Byron should have been played with more zest and by a more handsome actor than we get here. The sets and costumes are sumptuous, the direction steady if uninspired, (for example, an intimate dialogue scene between Granger and Taylor pans back and forth unimaginatively between their faces with every sentence spoken). The dialogue while well-written and rarely trivial, does get bogged down in speechifying, forced wit and point-scoring which gets decidedly stultifying at times. The key scene were Brummell rashly insults the Prince is well staged and played and the viewer is left in no doubt that the bold Brummell has gone too far this time, prefiguring the fate of another high society dandy from a later generation, the writer Oscar Wilde. Having read a little background on the real Brummell's life, I'm aware that the usual Hollywood bowdlerisation has occurred (nowhere did I read of the Prince when King's final reconciliation with the broken Brummell in France), but it makes for a good finish to a meatier costume drama than I might have expected given the subject and personnel involved.
"Beau Brummel" is not as bad as you might expect
With its lavish appointments and its excessively theatrical scene-stealing from Peter Ustinov and Robert Morley as the silly Prince of Wales and his even sillier father King George III, "Beau Brummel" is not as bad as you might expect The rooms look authentic, and, when Ustinov is jabbering some nonsense as the trivial, vain, empty monarch to be, the film even sounds authentic As Lady Patricia, Taylor is allowed to move on a sea of romantic indecision She must choose between the impetuous adventurer and a serious court Politician A little bourgeoise at heart, she makes her choice finally for the harbor rather than the tempest The movie is based on Clyde Fitch's play, but with a pallid Stewart Granger as the widely known sartorial dandy, the focus is wisely shifted to the crazy Regent Ustinov's Regent has more glamor than Granger's soldier of fortune, and the movie becomes the story of the misguided, easily manipulated, finally rather pathetic Prince of Wales rather than a showcase for the skill and panache of Captain Beau Brummell As a character study of fashion-crazed royalty, Bernhardt's film is pompously entertaining; as romance, or as insight into the historical Beau himself, the movie is impoverished Granger and his leading lady are responsible for the dead weight that surrounds Ustinov's spirited silliness The rich, willful Taylor contained intimations of the Southern belles to follow, but even at her maturity, in "A Place in the Sun" or "The Last Time I Saw Paris," Liz had not fully awakened to the best that was in her
Granger Shines in Brummell Tale ***
Giving up a military career when he is rude to the Prince of Wales, Stewart Granger is excellent as the handsome gentleman consumed with looking great and cavorting with upper class society in this elegant film. Peter Ustinov is just marvelous as The Prince of Wales. Again and again, he shows that he was just born to play these majestic spots. Robert Morely is fabulous in the one scene that he appears in the film as the insane king. The weak link here is Elizabeth Taylor. She seems like she is acting in 1944's "National Velvet." The picture is a wonderful study of class values, snobbery and redemption in the end.
Beautiful Historical Drama Cum Regency Romance
As a writer, I appreciate the classic play from which "Beau Brummell" was adapted. The film directed by veteran Curtis Bernhardt and written by Karl Tunberg is a very solid one, which is a drama not an adventure. Perhaps post-1970 viewers are unused to listening to dialogue; also this is not history, it is fictionalized biography. This means the Beau Brummell we are given is the one to be judged; and frankly anyone who is the enemy of a half-mad pseudo-Christian monarch, and who tries to influence his son to be even marginally a better man and less of a dress parade fop, is an historical character worth making a movie about. Furthermore, any comparison between this film and "The Madness of King George", a naturalistic biography of a half-mad king is ridiculous; this is fiction, the latter cannot aspire to be anything comparable. The film is physically quite beautiful. Richard Addinsell and Miklos Rosza provided music, Oswald Morris the glowing cinematography and Elizabeth Haffenden the very striking and lovely period costumes.. With art direction by Alfred Junge, gorgeous bewigged hair and Joan Johnstone's makeup, the film looks quite lovely at all points. The storyline, which sometimes betrays its stage origins, in my judgment never really falters. George Brian Brummell attracts the attention of the young Prince of England by critiquing his overly-elaborate redesign of the royal guard's uniforms. It's about all he has to do except wish he could marry his mistress, which his father will not allow. Brummell's audacity and subtle praise of his latent potential then causes him to make Brummell his chief unofficial adviser. He introduces pipe-stem trousers and the ancestor of the modern dress suit in place of the foppish fashions of the period; and he conducts himself honestly while hoping to free the prince from his father's madness and general tyranny. He is liked and respected by the ethical men at a corrupt and dangerous imperial court--remember we revolted against the mad king's family in the colonies--but eventually runs afoul of the king's touchiness, and to Lord Byron at a party instead of issuing an apology, asks of George Gordon, Lord Byron, "Gordie--who's your fat friend?" The Prince fails to forgive him for the intemperate remark; and Brummell is driven from court and only reconciled with the king as he lies dying. in poverty. This powerful and often thematic narrative may be a bit slow here and there, but intelligent dialogue, powerful confrontations and good acting make it a standout, compared to nearly every historical film made since its original release. In the title role, Stewart Granger is very good and charismatic. Even better perhaps are Robert Morley as the mad King, Peter Ustinov as the Prince, James Donald as Lord Mercer and Rosemary Harris as Mrs. Fitzherbert, the Prince's mistress. Other fine actors in this well-played feature include Peter Dyneley, James Hayter, Noel Willman as Lord Byron, Paul Rogers as Mr. Pitt, Peter Bull and Henry Oscar. As Lady Pamela, Brummell's love, Elizabeth Taylor lacks something in every department except looks; even after her relative shortcomings in classical films such as "ivanhoe" and this entry, studio heads hired her to play classical parts. I have always wondered why. Granger, handsome lead, was brought to star in a number of projects for the studio; he did not do a poor job in any one of them and turned in a very good one wherever, as here, he was able to inject humor into his part. This is a very fine, dignified and rewarding historical fictionalized biography, unlike so many before and since. It is very underrated.