TCM celebrated Basil Rathbone’s birthday. I watched The Last of Mrs. Cheyney. Basil played an arrogant British lord interested in Norma Shearer. When he goes to leave instead of kissing her hand, he goes down on one knee and lifts up her tulle overskirt and kisses it (I don’t get that but Norma let herself go for a moment and enjoyed it). He plays a seductive charming man who proposes to Norma at a house party. He acts mostly like a gentlemen and very subdued and almost monotone in voice.
When he finds out that Norma’s butler is not really a butler and catches Norma stealing pearls he acts very much like a villain. He becomes a fast talker, devil may care attitude and rogue. He locks the two of them in her room. When she decides to turn herself in, he takes the blame for the situation.
Basil Rathbone is a great actor. Whether he is playing a leading role or supporting role, you are captured by his presence and performance.
The film was done in 1929. An early talking film, with the sound very well done. The Last of Mrs. Cheyney was a play and TCM often shows the later version with Joan Crawford in the Norma Shear role. The 1929 version must be closer to the play. The dialog is slightly different in the beginning in this version than the later one.
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