Broken Lullaby
Encyclopedia
Broken Lullaby is an American drama film
directed by Ernst Lubitsch
and released by Paramount Pictures
. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson
and Ernest Vajda
is based on the 1930 play L'homme que j'ai tué by Maurice Rostand
and its 1931 English-language adaptation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley
.
, French musician Paul Renard (Holmes) confesses to a priest, who grants him absolution. Using the address on a letter he found on the dead man's body, Paul then travels to Germany to find his family.
Because anti-French sentiment continues to permeate Germany, Dr. Holderlin (Barrymore) initially refuses to welcome Paul into his home, but changes his mind when his son's fiancée Elsa identifies him as the man who has been leaving flowers on Walter's grave. Rather than reveal the real connection between them, Paul tells the Holderlin family he was a friend of their son, who attended the same musical conservatory he did.
Although the hostile townspeople and local gossips disapprove, the Holderlins befriend Paul, who finds himself falling in love with Elsa (Carroll). When she shows Paul her former fiancé's bedroom, he becomes distraught and tells her the truth. She convinces him not to confess to Walter's parents, who have embraced him as their second son, and Paul agrees to forego easing his conscience and stays with his adopted family. Dr. Holderlin presents Walter's violin to Paul, who plays it while Elsa accompanies him on the piano.
The film was presented at the Venice International Film Festival.
According to The Hollywood Reporter
, Czechoslovakia
banned the film due to its "pacifistic theme."
The film was screened at the 2006 San Sebastián International Film Festival
as part of an Ernst Lubitsch retrospective.
of the New York Times called the film "further evidence of Mr. Lubitsch's genius, for, while it is tearful, its story is unfurled in a poetic fashion, with an unexcelled performance by Lionel Barrymore and fine acting by Phillips Holmes and Nancy Carroll." He added, "Each sequence is fashioned with sincerity and great care. The different scenes are all photographed with admirable artistry . . . The magic of the Lubitsch mind is not only reflected in the artistry of the production and the direction, but also in the habiliments
of the players and their make-up."
Pauline Kael
called Phillips Holmes "unspeakably handsome but an even more unspeakable actor," thought Nancy Carroll was "miserably miscast," and added, "Lubitsch can't entirely escape his own talent, and the film is beautifully crafted, but he mistook drab, sentimental hokum for ironic, poetic tragedy."
Time Out London said, "The acting is overwrought; the dialogue is uniformly on-the-nose. Yet 'purity' is the word that comes to mind: The movie is a nakedly sincere ode to the power of sympathy, and it's not to be missed."
format and has an audio track in English and subtitles in English and Spanish.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born film director. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch."In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his...
and released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson
Samson Raphaelson
Samson Raphaelson was an American screenwriter and playwright.Born in New York City, Raphaelson worked on nine films with Ernst Lubitsch, including Trouble in Paradise , The Shop Around the Corner , Heaven Can Wait , and That Lady in Ermine...
and Ernest Vajda
Ernest Vajda
Ernest Vajda was a Hungarian actor, playwright and novelist, but is more famous today for his screenplays. He co-wrote the screenplay for the film Smilin' Through , based on the hit play by Jane Cowl and Jane Murfin...
is based on the 1930 play L'homme que j'ai tué by Maurice Rostand
Maurice Rostand
Maurice Rostand was a French author, the son of the noted poet and dramatist Edmond Rostand and the poet Rosemonde Gérard, and brother of the biologist Jean Rostand.Rostand was a writer of poems, novels, and plays...
and its 1931 English-language adaptation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald Berkeley
Reginald Berkeley (writer)
Reginald Berkeley was an English playwright and screenwriter.Born in London, his stage plays include 1929's The Lady With The Lamp, based on the life of Florence Nightingale and starring Edith Evans in the title role, and 1930s's The Man I Killed, which was adapted for the screen as Broken Lullaby...
.
Plot
Haunted by the memory of Walter Holderlin, a soldier he killed during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, French musician Paul Renard (Holmes) confesses to a priest, who grants him absolution. Using the address on a letter he found on the dead man's body, Paul then travels to Germany to find his family.
Because anti-French sentiment continues to permeate Germany, Dr. Holderlin (Barrymore) initially refuses to welcome Paul into his home, but changes his mind when his son's fiancée Elsa identifies him as the man who has been leaving flowers on Walter's grave. Rather than reveal the real connection between them, Paul tells the Holderlin family he was a friend of their son, who attended the same musical conservatory he did.
Although the hostile townspeople and local gossips disapprove, the Holderlins befriend Paul, who finds himself falling in love with Elsa (Carroll). When she shows Paul her former fiancé's bedroom, he becomes distraught and tells her the truth. She convinces him not to confess to Walter's parents, who have embraced him as their second son, and Paul agrees to forego easing his conscience and stays with his adopted family. Dr. Holderlin presents Walter's violin to Paul, who plays it while Elsa accompanies him on the piano.
Production
The film's original title, The Man I Killed, was changed to The Fifth Commandment to avoid giving "wrong impressions in the minds of the public about the character of the story." It ultimately was released as Broken Lullaby.The film was presented at the Venice International Film Festival.
According to The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
banned the film due to its "pacifistic theme."
The film was screened at the 2006 San Sebastián International Film Festival
San Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
as part of an Ernst Lubitsch retrospective.
Cast (in credits order)
- Lionel BarrymoreLionel BarrymoreLionel Barrymore was an American actor of stage, screen and radio. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Free Soul...
as Dr H. Holderlin - Nancy CarrollNancy CarrollNancy Carroll was an American actress.-Career:She was christened Ann Veronica Lahiff in New York City. Of Irish parentage, she and her sister once performed a dancing act in a local contest of amateur talent. This led her to a stage career and then to the screen. She began her acting career in...
as Fraulein Elsa, Walter's Fiancee - Phillips HolmesPhillips HolmesPhillips Holmes was an American film actor who appeared in 44 films between 1928 and 1938. His credits included Grumpy, An American Tragedy, Broken Lullaby, Dinner at Eight, and Great Expectations....
as Paul Renard - Louise Carter as Frau Holderlin
- Lucien LittlefieldLucien LittlefieldLucien Littlefield was an American actor in the silent film era...
as Herr Walter Schultz - Tom Douglas as Walter Holderlin, German Soldier Killed By Paul
- Zasu PittsZaSu PittsZaSu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning to comedy sound films.-Early life:ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie Pitts; she was the third of four children...
as Anna, Holderlin's Maid - Frank Sheridan as Priest
- George Bickel as Herr Bresslauer, Dress Shop Owner
- Emma DunnEmma DunnEmma Dunn was an English-born American film actress. She appeared in 108 films between 1914 and 1948....
as Frau Miller - Reginald Pasch as Fritz's Father
- Rodney McLennan as War Veteran
Critical reception
Mordaunt HallMordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for The New York Times, from October 1924 to September 1934....
of the New York Times called the film "further evidence of Mr. Lubitsch's genius, for, while it is tearful, its story is unfurled in a poetic fashion, with an unexcelled performance by Lionel Barrymore and fine acting by Phillips Holmes and Nancy Carroll." He added, "Each sequence is fashioned with sincerity and great care. The different scenes are all photographed with admirable artistry . . . The magic of the Lubitsch mind is not only reflected in the artistry of the production and the direction, but also in the habiliments
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
of the players and their make-up."
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
called Phillips Holmes "unspeakably handsome but an even more unspeakable actor," thought Nancy Carroll was "miserably miscast," and added, "Lubitsch can't entirely escape his own talent, and the film is beautifully crafted, but he mistook drab, sentimental hokum for ironic, poetic tragedy."
Time Out London said, "The acting is overwrought; the dialogue is uniformly on-the-nose. Yet 'purity' is the word that comes to mind: The movie is a nakedly sincere ode to the power of sympathy, and it's not to be missed."
DVD release
The film has been released for the Region 2 market. It is in fullscreenPan and scan
Pan and scan is a method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects...
format and has an audio track in English and subtitles in English and Spanish.