From the accounts I have read about Austrian author Stefan Zweig, it's somewhat surprising that this British film would be made. ." It is based on a 1927 story by Zweig. The original title of "Affair in Monte Carlo" is the same as the novella, "24 Hours of a Woman's Life." While Zweig was apparently well-liked and read around much of Europe, and in the Untied States in the 1920s and 1930s, he got very little attention in Great Britain. So, it seemed a little odd that a British film company would make a movie based on a Zweig story.
Adding to that peculiarity is the somewhat strange situation that so few of Zweig's many novels, biographies and other books have had films made or based on them. Just two others were adapted into movie dramas in 1946 and 1948 - "Beware of Pity" inn 1946 and "Letter from an Unknown Woman" in 1948. These films have foreboding stories that have dark palls over them. And, Zweig's writing style has been viewed as not very good by a number of critics. So, the lugubrious tone of his work doesn't appeal to many readers, and doesn't adapt well to films that are liked most by audiences.
Now, the gist of this film, told in a flashback story, is about how a woman could fall in love with a man in one day. Robert Stirling is hosting people on his yacht in the Mediterranean, and relates the story that took place in Monte Carlo. The slight air of mystery is obvious, and one might guess where it will end, as I did.
The cast are all quite good - Leo Genn as Stirling, and Merle Oberon ad Richard Todd as the main characters, Linda Venning and The Young Man. But this film, with its plot and screenplay, more closely resembles a soap opera than a good drama. But for the actors giving it their best, the screenplay would sink this film entirely. Except for fans of Oberon and Todd, most viewers will probably find this film dull at best, and depressing at worst.
Adding to that peculiarity is the somewhat strange situation that so few of Zweig's many novels, biographies and other books have had films made or based on them. Just two others were adapted into movie dramas in 1946 and 1948 - "Beware of Pity" inn 1946 and "Letter from an Unknown Woman" in 1948. These films have foreboding stories that have dark palls over them. And, Zweig's writing style has been viewed as not very good by a number of critics. So, the lugubrious tone of his work doesn't appeal to many readers, and doesn't adapt well to films that are liked most by audiences.
Now, the gist of this film, told in a flashback story, is about how a woman could fall in love with a man in one day. Robert Stirling is hosting people on his yacht in the Mediterranean, and relates the story that took place in Monte Carlo. The slight air of mystery is obvious, and one might guess where it will end, as I did.
The cast are all quite good - Leo Genn as Stirling, and Merle Oberon ad Richard Todd as the main characters, Linda Venning and The Young Man. But this film, with its plot and screenplay, more closely resembles a soap opera than a good drama. But for the actors giving it their best, the screenplay would sink this film entirely. Except for fans of Oberon and Todd, most viewers will probably find this film dull at best, and depressing at worst.