I was an Adventuress - André's foot scholarship

Polo is in awe of André's talent for "reading" people's feet. After having looked for Tanya all over Paris, Polo & André finally manage to track her down, and she reluctantly agrees to pull just one last con with the pair.

From "I was an Adventuress" (1940) by Gregory Ratoff.

Thanks to Jen for her very clear copy of the film :-)

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• was
• an
• Adventuress
• Erich
• von
• Stroheim
• Peter
• Lorre
• Vera
• Zorina
• Richard
• Greene
• Gregory
• Ratoff

[bchfront]

Sorry, don't want to hog all the space here but yeah, the Hersholts' were really nice people. They had a little boy, just my age, named Gregg, and we were dear friends. I should explain I come fom OLD show-business: my grandfather, M.K. Jerome, wrote songs and material for "Casablanca" ("Knock on Wood"). "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and others at WB. Dad started as a writer for Errol Flynn -- later went into television. Jackie Cooper is married to my fathers' cousin. The "biz"-- (?)-- forget about it!

[Nordenwald]

OMG.... what can I say beachfront? Except that.... you're most welcome to "hog all the space"! (And please do so again soon!) :-)

[bchfront]

Our families dear friend, and next-door neighbor, Allan Hersholt(the son of Jean), used to regale me with stories when I was a child about von Stroheim and his father's adventures making "Greed". I have loved this movie, as I said ,since childhod, and altho clearly influenced by Lubitsch, stands-up very nicely on its' own. What a kick-in-the-pants it was to pay my respects to this, "Midnight", "Ninotchka" and all the other films I have loved since childhood in this recently-completed screenplay!

[Nordenwald]

Jean Hersholt's son was your "next-door neighbour"??? HOLY COW!!! ha ha - okay, I am officially impressed!

[vstasov]

Heart attack material! That's George Balanchine himself "was that tempo right, Miss Vronsky?" The genius behind American ballet! He was married to her.

Thrilling to see Balanchine among such distinguished actors.

[arisztidoltz]

Ohhh........Stroheim and Lorre! The BEST! Beautiful! The creme-de-la-creme of Jewish Austro-Hungarian actors, all we're missing is Walbrook and we have the best cast ever LOL! \XD

[herrstix]

I really enjoy the ballet to which Contess Vronska rehearses and the Opera Music to which she dances @ 1:38 . . .

And such sweet, endearing glance Polo has for Vronska beginning @ 2:17, and his childlike story of training a white mouse in prison @ 4:05.

Most of all, @ 6:12, I love that Countess Vronska affectionately touches Polo's face and is tender towards him thoughout the Movie, as Most of Peter Lorre's Films, he tends to be 'Revolted' by a lot of the females.

[doloho432]

DUCKY?!? As if 'Polo' wasn't a cute enough name!

[Nordenwald]

In fact, Stroheim may have been "degraded" to the status of actor after his Hollywood fall from grace, but some of these films bear his distinctive imprint. Notably so "La Grande Illusion": the neckbrace was his idea, and the opening shot of his rooms in the fortress (the camera browses over Rauffenstein's belongings: white gloves, weaponry, Casanova's book, a champagne bottle & pic of glamorous woman) is unmistakably Stroheim-esque (Renoir let him direct a few scenes, or so legend has it...)

[Nordenwald]

Oh I agree absolutely! That scene is redolent of Stroheim fetishism! Actually reminds me of this much recounted anecdote about Thalberg watching a scene from "The Merry Widow" in which the old Baron is fondling the heroine's shoe - Thalberg asked what was going on. "He has a foot fetish", Stroheim explained. "And you have a footage fetish", Thalberg supposedly retorted :-D