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Simply Perfect

Good concept, poorly executed.

Fresh and Exciting

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Ronald Colman may never have been better than as the happily married barrister who foolishly embarks on an extramarital affair with a young shopgirl, (Phyllis Barry), in King Vidor's now totally forgotten "Cynara". Made pre-Hays Code this is one of Vidor's best and certainly least known films that treats the subject of adultery with surprising frankness as well as a considerable degree of tenderness. Excellent work, too, from that very fine and underrated actress Kay Francis as the wronged wife and Henry Stephenson as Colman's older friend who is largely responsible for driving Colman into the younger woman's arms. Seek this one out.

Despite the fact that the film stars the ever erudite Ronald Colman, there just isn't much to recommend this bizarre Pre-Code melodrama. Much of it is because the message is muddled, inconsistent and bizarre...and the characters are completely unlikable.Colman plays a very well-respected barrister who has every reason to be happy. And, he loves his wife and tells her and everyone else how lucky he is. Because of this, what follows really makes no sense. At the insistence of his 'friend' (Henry Stephenson in a VERY atypical sort of role for him), Colman takes one stupid step after another and is headed for an affair. Again and again, Colman says 'no'--and only seconds later, does exactly what this young lady wants. Now here is the weird part--although he spends time with the lady, tells her he loves her and kisses her, no sort of sexual relationship is even implied!! So, we are expected to believe he is now cheating on his wife BUT doesn't want to sleep with the lady! Huh?!? The young lady turns out to be a bit flaky. Although he insists repeatedly that he loves his wife and won't leave her, she persists in pushing him to do exactly this. Now considering that Colman plays a real wienie who always caves in, you can understand her expectations. But, when he continues to refuse to leave his wife, she responds by killing herself and the film tries very hard to make you feel sorry for Colman--who just seems like a giant idiot and an unlikable one at that.So what is the point of the film? Should you have lots of affairs ONLY just be certain the ladies involved are non-suicidal? Is adultery okay as long as you don't 'do the nasty'? Can the audience care about a man's predicament when he creates it himself, is awfully unlikable and a dope? All I know is that I just didn't give a rat's behind for him or the story. A weird combination of Pre-Code morality and prudishness. Clearly one of Colman's worst films.

King Vidor directed "Cynara," an early talkie starring Ronald Colman and Kay Francis, in 1932. The title is based on a poem by Ernest Dowson that contains the line: "I have been faithful to thee, Cynara, in my fashion." Colman plays a barrister who is faithful to his wife of 7 years, Clemency (Francis) but succumbs to the carnal temptation of a young girl (Phyllis Barry) while his wife and her sister are in Venice.As others commented, there are some lovely effects, including the film within a film, and a piece of paper that Colman rips up that dissolves into flying pigeons in Venice. And there are very good performances by Colman, Francis and Barry, who has the difficult role of the young girl who, because of a mistake, is not considered quite respectable, and falls for Colman.The problem I have with the story is that the Colman character is such a devoted husband in the beginning and so happy about being married 7 years. In practically the next scene, with the encouragement of his friend (Henry Stevenson) he has taken up with this girl. If some of that had been left out of the script, it would have been much more believable.At any rate, well worth seeing for the director, the precode aspects, and the stars.

And I've always been faithful to this film in my fashion. Rather ignored and almost completely forgotten, with such a simple but eternal storyline it remains an excellent watch. The acting and production is slightly stilted as with early talkies, but it's the other-world moralities displayed by both departments most people would find difficult to assimilate.The Fatal Attraction type plot has already been well outlined, this is one where the main characters definitely don't end smelling of roses. Henry Stephenson must have played kindly old gentlemen in dozens of films, here he's a kindly old cynical sleazebag - quite jarring it is! Also Colman for hoping to be impervious to female wiles, and Francis as his wife for childishly encouraging temptation - but she does get to say Divine! Halliwell Hobbes also froths too nastily as an outraged coroner.If you've got the patience it's an absorbing melodrama, one I've seen maybe a dozen times over the years now with no loss of enjoyment, and with a salutary lesson for both sexes that's well worth learning but won't be.