Arsène Lupin Returns (1938) User Reviews

This time around, it's another Lupin

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 28 September 2014]

"Arsene Lupin Returns" is a 1938 film starring Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce, Warren William, Monty Woolley, and John Halliday.

Rene Farrand (Douglas) is engaged to a wealthy, beautiful woman, Lorraine de Grissac (Bruce). When a fabulous emerald necklace is stolen from Lorraine's uncle, everyone is a suspect. A private eye who once worked for the FBI, Steve Emerson (William) is brought in to investigate. The name of the famous jewel thief, Arsene Lupin, is tossed around, though he is dead. However, Emerson has never believed that, and there are clues pointing to his return from the grave.

Emerson is very suspicious of Farrand, and suspects that he might be the dead Lupin. In one scene, the necklace keeps turning up, first in one person's pocket, and then another's.

One bone to pick. One review here complained that NO ONE in this movie had a French accent, even though this story takes place in France. In France, the people speak French. They don't speak English with a French accent. So no accent is needed since one assumes they're speaking French. Following the line of thought of the review, if these people needed accents, so would anyone performing a Chekhov play need Russian accents, and you'd need Swedish accents for Strindberg. Incorrect.

This is a good movie with nice performances all around; the series never caught on, in part due to the fact that Arsene was played by different actors all the time.

Pleasant.

one of the follow ups to first talkie Arsene Lupin

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 14 November 2007]

Melvyn Douglas (Ninotchka, 1939) plays Rene Ferrand in this 1938 film, one of the many follow up films to the "first" talkie Arsene Lupin movie from 1932. Warren William is insurance agent Steve Emerson, who accompanies the Grissac family Lorraine (Virginia Bruce) and the Count (John Halliday). Monty Woolley, with his Santa Claus beard, best known for "The Man Who Came to Dinner" is Georges Bouchet; Familiar face Nat Pendleton (always played the henchman or tough guy) is Joe Doyle, Ferrand's sidekick, and Vladimir Sokoloff is Ivan Pavloff, the mysterious prowler. When a thief tries to steal a valuable necklace, everyone is a suspect. Then things get complicated. Fun scene near the end where the necklace turns up, and it goes from one pocket to another in slight of hand -- then more shooting, more accusations, and a clever way to catch the thief. We aren't really given any early clues in "Murder She Wrote" style - in this one, we can only watch as it all takes place, and try to guess which are the red herrings. Good story, but much more buttoned down and proper than the 1932 Lupin story, starring the Barrymore brothers. TCM showing the collection in November 2007.

A worthy return

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 23 July 2020]

'Arsene Lupin Returns' has been inevitably compared to its 1932 predeccessor 'Arsene Lupin', which very memorably starred John and Lionel Barrymore. Being somebody that immensely enjoyed that film for many reasons (especially the performances of the Barrymore brothers), expectations were high for 'Arsene Lupin Returns'. Especially with such a talented cast that sounded a dream on paper, a great idea for a story that is my kind of film and with the legendary Franz Waxman as composer.

On the most part, 'Arsene Lupin Returns' delivers and is a worthy follow up. Maybe not quite as good, the atmosphere is not as authentic (not as much of the French flavour here) and it is hard to shake off those great feelings had watching the Barrymore brothers previously. 'Arsene Lupin Returns' is every bit as well made, performed and witty though, with much charm too, and others will like that it goes at a faster pace and is more refined than 'Arsene Lupin'. Both are enjoyable films and go well together.

There really is not much to dislike. Did think that John Halliday was on the dull side as a rather thanklessly written character that doesn't really add very much.

Maybe the romantic rivalry could have been developed a little more than it was.

However the cast do really well and the actors are fine in their own way, clearly looking as if they were having fun while not being too broad and having the intensity when needed. The always never less than reliable and often great Melvyn Douglas is charming and debonair in the lead role, while Virginia Bruce is alluring glamour personified. Warren William provides a lot of entertaining moments and is suave and witty. The verbal sparring sparkles. EE Clive, returning Tully Marshall and especially Nat Pendleton also looked as though they were enjoying themselves and George Zucco is suitably formidable. 'Arsene Lupin Returns' is slickly directed and goes at a lively pace, not being bogged down by un-neccessities like the 1932 film sometimes was.

Production values are handsome and Franz Waxman's music score also makes an impact, interesting for it being an early work of his and being not as distinctively swelling in emotion as one usually hears with Waxman. Yet the lush orchestration and mix of playfulness and suspense in the scoring makes for a very enjoyable listen. The script sparkles like bubbles on top of a glass of champagne, especially in the verbal sparring, and the story is diverting and clever with some neat clues (even if full attention is needed all the time as some of the plot does get complicated). The ending is surprising and satisfies if not as thrilling as in 'Arsene Lupin'.

In conclusion, worthy and very enjoyable. 8/10

Perfect Classical Diction

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 January 2008]

The Barrymore brothers scored well as Arsene Lupin and the dogged detective trailing him back in the early days of sound, so MGM decided the old thief could use a second go around.

It turns out he didn't die as per the original film, but is now living in quiet retirement, at least until some enterprising thief decided to do a job and pin it on him. Now it's up to Lupin to clear himself.

The plot of Arsene Lupin Returns is remarkably similar to Alfred Hitchcock's classic To Catch A Thief, right down to the French locale for most of the story. Of course this B film was shot on the MGM back lot.

For a B film, Arsene Lupin Returns boasts a remarkable cast of classic players. Melvyn Douglas, Warren William, John Halliday, Monty Woolley, George Zucco and Tully Marshall all had years of stage training before going into film. In fact when about five of these guys were in the same scene, I have to say I haven't so much perfect diction this side of a Ronald Colman film.

Given however it is a B film with a limited cast too much talk will give away the culprit. Looking over the list I can say any one of these guys by past roles could have been the thief. I'll say this though, leading lady Virginia Bruce didn't do it.

No color cinematography, no good French Riviera locations, but Arsene Lupin Returns has a nice story done by a group of the classiest players ever to be assembled on one movie.

And for a B film besides.

Classic Film with Lots of Laughs

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 13 November 2007]

Melvyn Douglas, (Arsene Lupin) keeps his real name a secret from everyone and gets himself involved with a stolen necklace and also has a romantic relationship with Lorraine DeGrissac, (Virginia Bruce) who both give an outstanding performance throughout the entire film. There is plenty of laughs and comedy in this film and it captures your attention and then turns quickly away from stolen jewelry and centers around all the characters involved in this mystery. George Zucco, (Perfect of Police) instead of playing the role as a crook which he has done all his acting career, is now a police man who tries to catch his criminal and suspects Arsene Lupin of stealing this necklace. Georges Bouchet, (Monty Wolley) plays low key in this film and has some very dark secrets which he does not want to reveal.

Beautifully Mounted But Disappointing Sequel

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 9 July 2008]

Beautifully mounted (especially in the photography and costume departments), but dull talk-fest. The normally stylish director George Fitzmaurice can do little with the slow-moving script. In this follow-up to the superb 1932 film, Maurice Le Blanc's celebrated "prince of thieves" has retired from criminal activity to enjoy life as a country gentleman. A jewel robber then usurps his identity. But who? To everyone but the dialogue-bound players in this drawing-room "mystery", the identity of the real thief is obvious.

The support cast is studded with some of my favorite players, although I make an exception for Nat Pendleton who grossly over-acts as usual. The principals pour on the charm. Virginia Bruce looks stunning in Dolly Tree costumes. Melvyn Douglas and Warren William, both likewise impeccably dressed, vie for her affections, but John Halliday is forced to wrestle with a nothing role.

An adequate film bolstered by the casting of Douglas and William

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 16 November 2007]

The Arsene Lupin films have been around since well before the advent of talking pictures and a wide variety of actors have played the role of this gentleman thief (sort of like the Lone Wolf or Boston Blackie before they went straight). Because of the massive turnover of actors and generally lackluster films, despite the series continuing on and off for decades, it never caught on with the public.

In this installment, it picks up three years after the last film. While the actors were different, the plot was a logical follow-up to the earlier film and once again, while the film was set in France, no one spoke with even the vaguest of French accents. This time, a fat-headed but brilliant detective (Warren William) is out to catch the thief but must contend with some decent plot twists to untangle the mystery.

This is a pretty good film of about the same quality as the earlier ARSENE LUPIN starring John and Lionel Barrymore. While this film did not have quite the same star power as this other film, Melvin Douglas and Warren William are both entertaining to watch. Sadly, however, despite a decent supporting performance by Virginia Bruce, there were also some disappointing performances as well. George Zucco (a perennial heavy from B-films) and Monty Wooley (a likable sort of rogue in most films) are pretty much wasted, as they are given very little to do. It's a shame, because with better writing, these two could have been major assets in the movie. Instead, Douglas and William are pretty much the whole show.

Arsene Lupin pulls an Enoch Arden.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 14 August 2023]

As some announcer would dramatically proclaim on the soap operas, "The role of Arsene Lupin is now being played by Melvyn Douglas", although the previous film (starring John Barrymore) had been released some six years before. That remains a classic, while the sequel is regarded by fans as a worthy follow-up, and in my opinion, worthy of the original if not just a bit plot heavy and somewhat forced.

It's still a very stylish film, fun to watch, and overloaded with some of the best character actors of the 30's. The film opens with the speculation that Lupin is not dead like earlier reported. It's confusing to see both Douglas and Warren William billed above the title as William easily could have played Rene Farrand (Lupin's real name; he uses the alias on memos to the law and his victims indicating his presence), but the presence of William as the detective creates more of a cat and mouse game than John had with brother Lionel whose detective was a bit of a buffoon. You can tell that they are enjoying the challenge.

The lovely Virginia Bruce is off the top of the cake in Ziegfeld's Follies and now Farrand/Lupin's beautiful love interest, looking fabulous in Dolly Tree's gowns, and perfectly paired with both Douglas and William. George Zucco, Nat Pendleton and Monty Woolley stand out in the supporting cast. It's a good A picture that could have spawned a few follow-ups, but it would be another six years before Arsene Lupin entered.

Fabulous witty dialogue, wonderful acting, wonderful story.

[NativeTexan · 10/10 · 16 November 2003]

This is one of my favorite movies from the 5-Cent Saturday morning shows at the Metro Theatre back in the 1950s! It's a Classic film that has everything a person could wish for, very funny and witty dialogue, first-class actors, great sets and settings, and all in all, an A movie of the best kind! Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce have chemistry, Warren William is at his debonair and charming best, and Monty Woolley -- prototype of the crusty old gent with a soft heart -- plays the secret villian!

A fantastic movie that deserves an audience!

"The gentleman with the gun had the floor"

[hwgrayson · 6/10 · 3 March 2024]

Arsene Lupin returns. Well not quite as he has given up jewel robbery but someone else is trying to blame him for the theft of an emerald necklace. And he is supposed to be dead. A good mystery story that is enhanced by the sterling cast; Melvyn Douglas, delightful Virginia Bruce, Warren William, Monty Woolley, E. E. Clive (hilarious as usual) and George Zucco with a beard not to mention Vladimir Sokoloff and veteran Ian Wolfe who appeared in over 300 films and TV series. A fine bunch of thespians. There is a sort of romantic triangle that doesn't add much to the movie but otherwise the breezy plot moves along nicely. Franz Waxman provides a pleasant music score. An entertaining film.

One of the better MGM crime films of the 30's.

[39-0-13 · 8/10 · 30 March 2015]

The first MGM Arsene Lupin sound movie featured John and Lionel Barrymore as mighty antagonists, master thief and super cop. The RETURNS movie builds up the contest of similar seeming antagonists, a successful G-Man, forced to resign because of his self-promoting publicity, and a legendary thief who seems to have come back from the dead. The beginning of the film builds up the character of Warren William as a sleuth on the trail of a thief calling himself "Arsene Lupin." In short order, William is in France where he meets an aristocratic lady (the beautiful Virginia Bruce) with four young Boston terriers, which we never see again, and Melvyn Douglas as her friend. Douglas apparently has a country estate with various farm animals running around. Then begins the apparent duel -- William versus Douglas, one man suspecting that the other is the real thief who escaped death and the other thinking that he has to evade suspicion for committing a crime and maintaining his life style. The two dance around each other with their witty exchanges, while paying attention to the lovely Bruce. Douglas has to contend with the unexpected appearance of two buddies from his past (Clive and Pendleton) who think that their old life style has returned. Meanwhile, a formidable French police officer (George Zucco) is on the trail. Then begins a succession of events, all centering around a $250,000 emerald necklace, amid a flurry of misdirections, red herrings, shadowy figures, safe cracking, and a deadly shooting, until the satisfying conclusion is reached. A nice touch: the "confetti" thrown at the end. William is as suave as he is in his role as Perry Mason, Douglas is as debonair as he is in his films with Garbo, Bruce is more gorgeous than she is in BORN TO DANCE, even Zucco is more believable than he is in his horror films of the 40's. Also, watch for noted screen chewer Vladimir Sokoloff in his much younger years. One of the better crime films of the '30's with witty repartee, handsome actors, and a clever plot.

Smoothly played but uneven mystery is disappointing...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 13 November 2007]

MELVYN DOUGLAS is debonair, WARREN WILLIAM is clever and sophisticated, and VIRGINIA BRUCE is decorative but bland as a lovely blonde, but ARSENE LUPIN RETURNS is pretty much a replay of the original film "Arsene Lupin" with little variation in plot and theme.

The supporting cast includes such dependable actors as GEORGE ZUCCO and MONTY WOOLLEY, but the story never becomes more than a routine mystery with overtones of comedy, despite the handsome MGM production values.

It's interesting mainly to see how Douglas will evade detection as the police close in on the man suspected of being the jewel thief whose theft of a precious emerald from a safe has them on his heels, just waiting for a chance to catch him in the act. The plot takes an unexpected twist when a cast member who is the least of the suspects, turns out to be the man responsible for murder and theft.

Overall effect is that it's a watchable film, mainly because of the cast, but it's a forgettable item as a mystery.

Douglas' "Return" is better than the 1932 version with the Barrymore brothers...

[mmipyle · 9/10 · 27 January 2021]

A little while back I re-visited "Arsène Lupin (1932) and re-found it talkative, too long, yet overall okay - but just okay. Last night I watched "Arsène Lupin Returns" (1938) with Melvyn Douglas, Warren William, Virginia Bruce, John Halliday, Monty Woolley, Nat Pendleton, E. E. Clive, George Zucco, and a host of other character actors, many of great note. The wit of this one's dialogue and the speed of its development and plot all the way to the denouement is wonderful viewing and superbly done. Too bad the film gets too caught up in its own enthusiasm and self-importance and pulls a rabbit out of the hat for a clincher that's just a tad too far-fetched. Still, it's fun from beginning to end. Douglas is sophisticated and excellent as the "resurrected-from-the-dead" Arsène Lupin. Virginia Bruce never looked lovelier, and she's also quite sophisticated in her part, both a fine comedian and good dramatic actress in the same part. John Halliday is given an important character for plot development, but the part, as written, is minor, and, as a result, Halliday only shows up in a few scenes, albeit major ones. The real surprise in this show, and the thing that makes it sparkle, is Warren William as a cop so well known for his heroic captures, etc., through news articles that he is asked to resign from the force so that criminals can now be captured by those who aren't known to them first! He'd planned to resign anyway, and he becomes an insurance investigator.

The rapport between William and Douglas is wonderful, and when Bruce becomes part of their dialogue, the scenes crackle with wit, humor, and good dramatic impulse.

Well worth the watch. Douglas seems to have made several Such-and-Such Returns films, being the second or third person to have played a detective, a jewel thief on the lam, a this-or-that that was known from some series of novels and earlier films. But many times, and this is one of them, he's better than the original.

This is the second film of two Arsène Lupin films on a Warner Archive Collection release. The other is the Barrymore brothers' 1932 version.