Notorious Gentleman

aka The Rake's Progress is fun to watch and enjoy.

The movie relates the story of a British Playboy, Vivian Kenway (Rex Harrison), in flashback, from the opening scenes of the film.

The first flashback takes us to a young aristocratic boy in London on Armistice Night, 1918. The young boy, talks to two soldiers who are happy that he will have to fight in a war. One of the soldiers gives the boy a talisman from his cap and the boy keeps it.

From there, the film moves forward and we see Vivan at Oxford in 1931. He is a prankster there about to be "sent down." Once he is "sent down" from Oxford, his family must find useful employment for a young man with his station in life.

But where?--How about a coffee plantation in South America? Vivian does well there, but since Brits don't drink coffee and the price of coffee is too low to make a profit, he must try another line of work.

Try again— How about a job with Vivan's old friend from Oxford, Sandy Duncan (Griffith Jones)? While it is true, he has an affair with Sandy's wife, it turns out that she is not such a virtuous woman either. So, even though Sandy and Vivian have a huge fist fight on the lift at one of the London fine establishments, Sandy has to admit that she was no big loss.

Next try— How about getting into the race car racket by driving at Brooklands? Well, that just ultimately leads to more problems.

With Rex Harrison playing an aristocratic bounder who thinks he can do about anything for enjoyment, money, or sex, this playboy thing just goes on and on. Doesn't it?............

Lili Palmer, who was Rex Harrison's 2nd of 6 wives, at the time the movie was made, also has an important role in this movie. I like Lili's cuteness. She sort of reminds me of a German version of Leslie Caron.