L'Homme A l'Hispano was first transferred to the screen by Julien Duvivier (1926).In his absorbing two-volume work about the famous director "Le Mal-Aimant Du-cinema- Français " ,Eric Bonnefille wrote: "society melodrama,without true emotion,it's nevertheless pleasant,though uneven" ..
Jean Epstein,whose silent movies were important in the evolution of the French cinema ,was disappointing when it came to the talkies .
"A financial ruined French young man Gaston Dewalter spends several day in Biarritz before going off in the Hispano-Suiza, a deluxe car which was a present from his friends. " Robert's summary reads on the IMDb page :there's a big mistake ;actually the car is not a present : a friend from his army days asks him to drive the car to Biarritz ,because he wants to give it to his mistress,a stage star ,unbeknown to his wife .Dewalter drives a car which is not his,in spite of the title.All the screenplay is based on face value, on a mistaken identity :to win Lady Oswill 's love ,the ruined suitor pretends he is a rich young man ,with a hunting ground in Sologne ;but Lord Oswill,a nasty cynical man to whom love does not count is to be reckon with :he plays cat and mouse with his rival he effortlessly leads to despair.
Neither Marie Bell ,too cold, nor Jean Murat ,too old for the part of a romantic young lead ,convince ,which is downright embarrassing in a melodrama;both are outstripped by George Grossmith as the villain ,the hero meets by chance on the train before his wife. Epstein reportedly did not believe in words and regretted the silent age: there are many silent scenes in his remake: the car belting down the roads (no speed limit at the time),the game of golf in Biarritz,a chic sport in a chic town,the first night of the lovers.. As though he thought words did not convey the feelings,Epstein uses faces close-ups (Bell and Murat) which seem to come from the precedent decade.
In its last part ,our hero's car is some Cinderella's state coach ;an intruder in those posh people,sickened by the husband who tries to bribe him ,he nevertheless remains a gentleman .
Bonnefille's opinion on Duvivier's silent film is also true for its remake:"society melodrama,without true emotion,it's nevertheless pleasant,though uneven" .
