"Topaze" was a feather in the cap of the two principal actors. Myrna Loy had just made "The Animal Kingdom" for Radio where she really made the critics sit up and take notice and the studio liked her so much that they kept her around for "Topaze" where her career received some prestige by having her appear opposite acting royalty, John Barrymore. While the former movie had her as the venal wife, "Topaze" cast her as Coco, the warm hearted mistress. And Barrymore was given one of his finest roles as the timid school teacher who is transformed when he realises that crime does pay. In addition he won over the few critics who, till then, had not been admirers of his.
Jackie Searl adds another character to his "rogue's gallery" and, once again, proves that movie brats had more fun with his snivelling Charlemagne La Tour La Tour, son of a Baron who made his millions through bribery and corruption. He is the despair of his teacher, Professor Topaze who endeavours to teach his pupils the virtues of honesty and kindness. Charlemagne has everyone hoodwinked except Topaze who is sacked because he has dared to give him a zero for conduct!!
Meanwhile La Tour Snr. is looking for an "idiot" to endorse the firms curative water and after meeting Topaze he thinks he has found one. He wants to use Topaze as a consulting chemist and to put his name as endorsement to his dodgy drink "Sparkling Topaze". Coco, the Baron's mistress, becomes his assistant and he is completely in the dark about the couple's relationship. In reality, the Baron, while equipping Topaze with a state of the arts laboratory and making him believe his experiments are producing great improvements, is still fraudulently bottling plain tap water. Topaze speedily loses his illusions then tries a little trickery of his own after receiving a coveted award for being nothing more than a dupe.
Next scene his beard and eccentric dress, along with his humble manner are gone and he asks La Tour for a partnership, if not he will expose La Tour's relationship with Coco to his "formidable" wife (Jobyna Howland who made a lot of early talkies but here had a pretty thankless role as a not very nice character). Coco doesn't care because she has now learned to care more for absent minded Topaze than her very conventional and weak lover. The ending is terrific as bratty Charlemagne is shown up in front of his school fellows as the sham he is - he is all set to be awarded the Dux of the school until a few basic questions from Topaze expose the duplicity of the award.
Highly, Highly Recommended.
Jackie Searl adds another character to his "rogue's gallery" and, once again, proves that movie brats had more fun with his snivelling Charlemagne La Tour La Tour, son of a Baron who made his millions through bribery and corruption. He is the despair of his teacher, Professor Topaze who endeavours to teach his pupils the virtues of honesty and kindness. Charlemagne has everyone hoodwinked except Topaze who is sacked because he has dared to give him a zero for conduct!!
Meanwhile La Tour Snr. is looking for an "idiot" to endorse the firms curative water and after meeting Topaze he thinks he has found one. He wants to use Topaze as a consulting chemist and to put his name as endorsement to his dodgy drink "Sparkling Topaze". Coco, the Baron's mistress, becomes his assistant and he is completely in the dark about the couple's relationship. In reality, the Baron, while equipping Topaze with a state of the arts laboratory and making him believe his experiments are producing great improvements, is still fraudulently bottling plain tap water. Topaze speedily loses his illusions then tries a little trickery of his own after receiving a coveted award for being nothing more than a dupe.
Next scene his beard and eccentric dress, along with his humble manner are gone and he asks La Tour for a partnership, if not he will expose La Tour's relationship with Coco to his "formidable" wife (Jobyna Howland who made a lot of early talkies but here had a pretty thankless role as a not very nice character). Coco doesn't care because she has now learned to care more for absent minded Topaze than her very conventional and weak lover. The ending is terrific as bratty Charlemagne is shown up in front of his school fellows as the sham he is - he is all set to be awarded the Dux of the school until a few basic questions from Topaze expose the duplicity of the award.
Highly, Highly Recommended.