"The Guardsman" was genuinely funny. In a way it reminded me of "War of the Roses." I don't find many 30's comedies funny because they involve fast talking and dated references, but this one was a riot.
It starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne as The Actor and The Actress, a married couple that performed on stage together. They had a hilariously bitter marriage full of barbs and quips back and forth. The Actor was particularly miffed because he believed his wife was pining for another man. It turns out that he had good reason to believe this because HE was the other man.
The Actor put on a costume and makeup to make himself into a Russian prince. He then showered The Actress with roses and love notes. Their relationship was progressively heating up which made The Actor worried, angry, and afraid. If she falls for this Russian prince then she wouldn't be faithful to me. Only one other person knew his secret and that was his good friend The Critic (Roland Young).
I had a blast watching this. It didn't even fit the mold of 1931, it seemed like it was plucked from a later era. Alfred Lunt nailed it with his accents, his emotion, his delivery, and his facial expressions. I think only Charlie Chaplin could've done the role as well, though I don't know how good Charlie Chaplin was at accents.
It starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne as The Actor and The Actress, a married couple that performed on stage together. They had a hilariously bitter marriage full of barbs and quips back and forth. The Actor was particularly miffed because he believed his wife was pining for another man. It turns out that he had good reason to believe this because HE was the other man.
The Actor put on a costume and makeup to make himself into a Russian prince. He then showered The Actress with roses and love notes. Their relationship was progressively heating up which made The Actor worried, angry, and afraid. If she falls for this Russian prince then she wouldn't be faithful to me. Only one other person knew his secret and that was his good friend The Critic (Roland Young).
I had a blast watching this. It didn't even fit the mold of 1931, it seemed like it was plucked from a later era. Alfred Lunt nailed it with his accents, his emotion, his delivery, and his facial expressions. I think only Charlie Chaplin could've done the role as well, though I don't know how good Charlie Chaplin was at accents.