wes-connors "Nowhere in all history can be found a more amazing character than George Bryan Brummel, the friend of Princes, the arbiter of fashion and the social ruler of England during the reign of George III. And nowhere in all fiction can be found more romance than was crowded into the life of this penniless commoner, whose natural charm and studied insolence made him the greatest dandy of all time - the immortal 'Beau' Brummel," asserts the this film's illustrative opening. And John Barrymore is well-suited for the leading role...We begin in 1795, when dapper officer Barrymore gathers with the greatest personages in England for a wedding. The bride is his beautiful young lover Mary Astor (as Margery). Unfortunately, the groom is not Barrymore. Pressured by family to dismiss her true love and submit to an arranged marriage, Ms. Astor weds foppishly fat Willard Louis because Barrymore is a poor commoner and Mr. Louis is a Prince in line to be King. For revenge, Barrymore decides to infiltrate British high society with scandal..."Beau Brummel" suffers from a threadbare plot, but boasts rich production values. Hollywood offered Barrymore greater access to life's pleasures and he returned the favor with moments of relentless overacting; considering the weaknesses in this story, it helps the film. Much admired, Barrymore won the Rudolph Valentino Medal as 1924's "Best Actor" for his "Beau Brummel" characterization. And the film went to the Top 5 in annual lists compiled by the New York Times, Film Daily, and Motion Picture Magazine.****** Beau Brummel (3/30/24) Harry Beaumont ~ John Barrymore, Mary Astor, Willard Louis, Alec B. Francis

whpratt1 Have always enjoyed John Barrymore's films and also his brother and sister Lionel and Ethel Barrymore. TCM introduced this film for the first time and it was a great joy to view a great masterpiece which was finally produced with a music score and this effect made this film greater to view and enjoy. John Barrymore plays the role as Beau Brummel who falls madly in love with Lady Margery Alvanley, (Mary Astor) and she is spoken for by another military man. This event destroys Beau Brummel's heart and soul and he decides as a soldier to resign and leave the military service. Beau becomes a Regency Social Climber in London Society and meets up with the Prince of Wales, (Willard Louis) and gains his friendship and begins to start his revenge on the British Society. Beau loves women and uses them to his own purpose and arranges for some romantic escapades for the Prince of Wales and in turn gains all kinds of favors. In other words, Beau is a silver fox who manages to out smart everyone and reaches his goal, but is he happy and what happens to him? Was surprised to learn that John Barrymore was 42 years of age when he appeared in this film and Mary Astor was only 18 years of age. Fantastic film, don't miss this one, you will enjoy it if you know who John Barrymore was and his famous film career and a life of drinking and more drinking.

theowinthrop This was a special treat tonight on the Turner Classic Films Channel as they were honoring John Barrymore. Barrymore appeared in this 1924 silent film, which has only just gotten a complete score for the first time since it was released (the score was quite good - ironically a British version of the Fitch play had a complete score that only one piece, a very sturdy little minuet, survives - but it would have been good too, as it was by Sir Edward Elgar). The play by Fitch is rarely shown today (as I have mentioned elsewhere on this board, Fitch is a little old fashioned by some standards but his plays do pick up life when performed). This play was commissioned by the reigning stage star of the 1890s in America, Richard Mansfield. Best remembered for his transformation part of DR. JECKYL AND MR. HYDE in 1887, Mansfield would eventually help speed the modernization of drama by championing the early plays of George Bernard Shaw (who rewrote THE DEVIL'S DISCIPLE for him). Mansfield died in 1909, and the film producers needed the permission of his wife to produce this filmed version. The effect of Mansfield on this production must be immense. Stills of his costumes for Brummel still exist, and match the costumes worn by Barrymore (who may have seen the older actor in the role in the 1890s).The plot follows how Brummel, a young army Captain, loved Margery (Mary Astor), who was forced to marry Col. Lord Alvanley (William Humphrey). Made cynical by the way he was forced to drop his competition for the woman who loved him, Brummel decides to pay back society by purposely poking fun at it's leaders as a social butterfly. By chance and nerve he becomes a favorite of George, Prince of Wales, getting him out of a ticklish situation with the wife of a tavern owner. He leaves the army and becomes the Prince's closest friend and confidante. This leads to Brummel actually being useful - with the fashion conscious (if grossly overweight) Prince, they modify the costumes and dress of the society, encouraging top hats, cravats, frock coats, and pants and doing away with wigs. But Brummel becomes more and more cynical in his treatment of the Prince, and eventually they reach a parting of the ways when Brummel seems to be romancing George's sister-in-law Frederica, Duchess of York (Irene Rich), and then when Margery returns and the Prince falls for her. Further divisions are heightened by enemies that Brummel made including discarded lover Lady Hester Stanhope (Carmel Myers). In the end, deserted by George and other friends, Brummel flees his creditors and ends in Calais, where he goes broke slowly, and eventually loses his mind.The 1954 Granger film followed a similar trajectory, with one or two major errors that weaken it in comparison. Fitch concentrated his play as a character study of a fascinating flawed man, in a losing game with the social order of his day. The 1954 film suggested that Brummel was politically a liberal, who could have influenced George to be a Whig in his politics (which was not possible actually - George toyed with Whigs like Charles Fox to annoy his father George III, but was a total reactionary who made George III look wimpy in comparison). In this film the Duchess of York suggests that Brummel should not be a court jester as he is, but should be a leader. Barrymore shakes his head - he has no such desires. That is more in line with the real Brummel.The other major error (in line with a politicized Brummel) was that the 1954 film showed the odd situation in England in the period from 1807 to 1820 when George III went mad for the last (and permanent) time, and the Prince of Wales was made Prince Regent (in 1811) - which was de facto King of England while George III was alive and crazy. Robert Morley played George III in the 1954 film, at one point nearly killing the Prince of Wales (Peter Ustinov). This is not in the 1924 film. Instead the story concentrates on the rise and fall of Brummel.Barrymore does well in silent acting. Perhaps the director, Henry Beaumont, made too many shots of Barrymore's great profile, but that was to be expected. He manages to show the actor in him, especially in scenes with his three leading ladies (especially the 18 year old Astor and Ms Rich). His aging and insanity sequences are also good - look at the scene where he has just fired his last loyal servant (who had the temerity to beg forgiveness for him from the new King George IV) and now has to serve himself dinner. He's never done it, and the look of dismay on his face is priceless. His aged madman, at the conclusion of the film, is also remarkable - getting so much out of the use of his eyes.Definitely a superior version of the film to the Granger version, even if the latter was in color and with sound.

bkoganbing In presenting the story of Beau Brummel, Warner Brothers did an infinitely better job than MGM in the Fifties in that film that starred Stewart Granger, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Ustinov. Though this is a silent film and sadly silent because we don't get the benefit of John Barrymore's magnificent speaking voice, still the essence of Brummel as a Regency social climber comes through.That was the problem with the Granger/Taylor version. It presented a Brummel who tried to interfere in the political issues of the day. The real Beau could have cared less for what was going on in Parliament with Pitt and Fox going at each other. That's the Beau that Barrymore gives us in this version.Barrymore also succeeds in making Beau a more real person. This is a very hard character to bring to life because Brummel didn't really accomplish anything. He was a soldier who resigned his commission in the army to pal around with the Prince Regent. He didn't stand for anything, create anything, espouse a popular cause. He got involved in a couple of Regency Scandals and eventually the Prince of Wales got bored with him. We don't like the Brummel that Barrymore creates, but we do get some insights into a man who did let some real chances in life slip by.Mary Astor and Irene Rich and Carmel Myers play a trio of the women in his life. Willard Louis perfectly recreates my own conception of what the weight challenged Prince of Wales who later become George IV was like. Not easy to do because even in the Granger/Taylor version of the story, Peter Ustinov easily walked off with acting honors. There's also a nice performance by Alec Francis as Barrymore's devoted valet.The end of the film with the dying Brummel going through dementia is silent screen acting at its finest and some of the best work I've seen John Barrymore do. Try to catch this film when broadcast next.