Friday, June 30, 2006

Charming, Indeed

The Saxon Charm isn't a movie that comes to mind when you think Robert Montgomery. From 1948, the film seems more like a platform for John Payne - an actor you really don't hear much about (I'm sure he has fan blog too). No worries, Bob draws you into the storyline with some flashy ties & a strong performance as Matt Saxon, a fella you love and hate at the same time.

Here's a quick plot rundown from the NY Times' original review.

The film is based on a novel of the same title by Frederic Wakeman. Looks like you can get it used from dealers on Amazon. Also looks like Wakeman is the author of The Hucksters, another film I had on the blog not too long ago.

Audrey Totter appears in the film as Alma, Matt's love interest. Ever have one of those actors/actresses that kind of annoy you, yet you're drawn to their roles? She's my loveable annoyance.

I love Bob's ties in the film. Still, they're quite the difference between one of his suits from the early 30's. The ties rank up there with Robert Walker's oddball ties in Strangers on a Train.

FYI - grabbed this bit off of IMDB for you trivia buffs: "Robert Montgomery patterned his portrayal of a ruthless Broadway producer who lets nothing stand in the way of getting what he wants, after Jed Harris, a noted Broadway impresario who had the same reputation."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its great seeing the original review. Somewhere along the way they must've cut the scene where Montgomery's Saxon foists himself on Hayward at a party, because it wasn't in the version that's available. Too bad.

Anonymous said...

Probably would have earned him a punch in the face in the next scene...if it had stayed!