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Warren William Is No Third Wheel in Arsene Lupin Returns (1938)


By Cliff Aliperti 19 Comments

Here’s a Warren William title that I liked a lot more than I had remembered. I had previously written kindly about it but for some reason Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) had more recently brought a negative reaction from me. I had been wrong. The movie really is quite entertaining and a nice showcase for Warren William all at once!

Warren William and Virginia Bruce in Arsene Lupin Returns

Warren isn’t playing Arsene Lupin of the title. He’s actually not even top billed in this MGM sequel to their earlier Arsene Lupin (1932). I say sequel, but it’s a very loose sequel at best. Beyond the name all that ties the two films together is the fact that this one specifically recalls the legend of Lupin’s final appearance as played out in the earlier movie.

In that first Arsene Lupin Detective Guerchard (Lionel Barrymore) allowed the Lupin character (John Barrymore) to escape at the very end of the movie. Bound by handcuffs Lupin rushes out of Guerchard’s car and leaps off the side of a bridge to the river below. Guerchard gives chase but fires four shots into the air to allow Lupin to escape. In the final scene Lupin is shown buying a wedding ring for the woman he fell in love with (Karen Morley) and who is conveniently discarded for Arsene Lupin Returns.

Lionel and John Barrymore in Arsene Lupin

Not Warren and Melvyn but Lionel and John in 1932’s Arsene Lupin

So had Warren William been cast as Arsene Lupin in this movie he would have directly been taking over a part for the man he had been compared to for so long, John Barrymore. Instead, the duties of Lupin fall to top billed Melvyn Douglas while Warren, in his third film under contract to MGM, more or less takes Perry Mason out of mothballs to play American G-man turned insurance company P.I. Steve Emerson.

Warren and Melvyn Douglas may as well have been billed side by side in Arsene Lupin Returns. Cordial adversaries throughout most of the film each character seems to be given equal consideration the entire time. Virginia Bruce plays Lorraine De Grissac, Lupin’s girl though she knows the retired master thief as everyone else now does: As independently wealthy farmer Rene Farrand. Warren’s Emerson playfully flirts with Lorraine throughout Arsene Lupin Returns, but everybody, including Emerson, realizes that Lorraine is attached to Ferrand.

Warren William, Virginia Bruce and Melvyn Douglas in Arsene Lupin Returns

Arsene Lupin Returns opens as a showcase for Warren William. A montage of his crime heroics pass before Warren’s Emerson enters the Department of Criminal Investigation where he’s flocked by reporters. “Here we go, eight columns of nothing to say,” says one of the reporters to another after Emerson initially declines the opportunity to deliver a scoop. Emerson easily relents and breaks the story that he’s chosen to resign to take a sweet $20,000 per year offer with an insurance underwriters company. He confidently heads into his Chief’s office to break the news.

When Steve enters the Chief (Jonathan Hale) greets him by cutting him off and telling him how much everyone has appreciated all of his fine work over the years. “Right back at ya,” says our man Warren.

Warren William in Arsene Lupin Returns

Quote him!

Before he is able to resign the Chief bursts Emerson’s optimism–just a bit–by requesting his resignation.

Steve’s work is fine, but his penchant for press coverage is not. Every crook knows what he looks like because he’s a regular in the papers and he has managed to show up in more newsreels than even the President. Steve takes this medicine but quickly recovers his confidence once he is back with the men of the press. “Boys, my motto is, opportunity knocks once, your friends knock all of the time.” He yucks it up as he leaves them behind.

“Reticent sort of guy,” one of the journalists says.
“Yeah, he’s got a lot of Sphinx in him,” replies another.

Off to his job for the insurance underwriters Steve pays a visit to the De Grissacs, who are visiting New York with hopes of selling their De Grissac Emerald.

George Zucco in Arsene Lupin Returns

The Prefect of Police (George Zucco) eyes the De Grissac Emerald

He finds the three visitors bound, gagged and squirming on the floor of their hotel room. Gentleman that he is Steve first unties Lorraine (Virginia Bruce) and then her uncle (John Halladay) and cousin (Monty Woolley). It turns out the the emeralds that were stolen were fakes. Lorraine has the real ones safe and sound. This is not the only time that the crook will be confused over the authenticity of the valuable De Grissac Emerald.

As Emerson unties Georges Bouchet (Woolley) he notices a card on the floor. He picks it and pockets it quickly after reading the signature upon it: Arsene Lupin.

Arsene Lupin

Emerson ships back to Europe with the De Grissacs and the emerald, his services theirs for the final eight days of insurance coverage remaining on the $250,000 necklace. Upon arriving they are met at their boat by Farrand (Douglas), who greets Lorraine with an armload of puppies that are soon loaded up into Warren’s arms.

Throughout Arsene Lupin Returns the De Grissac emerald winds up moving around quite a bit, with Arsene Lupin’s signature left behind every time it is illegally lifted.

The identity of this mystery man is made clear to the viewer as soon as his old underlings arrive, Joe Doyle (Nat Pendleton) and Alf Landon (E.E. Clive). Yet while we are sure that Melvyn Douglas is Lupin we are also aware that he is not the thief. Somebody is posing as Arsene Lupin which is threatening to expose Douglas’ Farrand who swears to his old friends that he has remained honest since the day he left them for retirement.

Melvyn Douglas, Nat Pendleton, E.E. Clive

Left to right: Melvyn Douglas, Nat Pendleton, E.E. Clive

On the case is the Prefect of Police (George Zucco) who suspects everybody. Including Steve Emerson. “In some countries when the police have an unsolved crime, they blame a foreigner.”

The more I dwell on Arsene Lupin Returns the more I’m impressed by the deep cast. Douglas, Bruce and Warren are the leads but the long list of familiar faces also includes Halliday, Woolley, Pendleton and Clive, Zucco, and briefly Hale. Plus Vladimir Sokoloff and Tully Marshall in small but important parts. The mystery is very well done, especially since we’re convinced of Douglas’ innocence throughout, but upon a second viewing it may become more obvious that one of those names mentioned above disappears for a rather long stretch of the movie. As though we’re supposed to forget about the person in question.

The three main characters, played by Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce and Warren William, have magnificent chemistry together. Warren flirts with Bruce throughout while Douglas offers light resistance to his presence. It what will likely be either your favorite or least favorite scene of the movie, Warren’s Emerson serves the couple drinks, a third glass on the tray reserved for himself. He isn’t going anywhere. He asks Farrand if he knows any tricks. In return Farrand asks, “Could you put a handkerchief over your head and make yourself disappear?”

Warren William, Virginia Bruce, Melvyn Douglas

Thus begins the manly competition for Lorraine’s affection, though with more going on below the surface.

Warren does a handstand against the wall to which Douglas responds to with a card trick. “Any, uh, telephone books about?” Warren asks and proceeds to tear a thick book in half with his bare hands. Not to be outdone Douglas shows off his sleight of hand with a disappearing coin trick that is pretty obviously engineered by a set of experienced hands not belonging to Melvyn Douglas. As ridiculous as this brand of sparring over the beautiful Virginia Bruce may seem, that sleight of hand is recalled to mind later in the movie. The men were showing off their skill sets to each other as much as to Bruce.

As this is going on Warren is all at once charming and childish as he says, “Anything he can do, I can do.” Douglas responds, “But hardly with my finesse.”

Warren William and Virginia Bruce

Warren William and Virginia Bruce are entertained by a Melvyn Douglas hand model

That would seem to be the difference between the Warren William and Melvyn Douglas characters of Arsene Lupin Returns, but as the film plays out we find that most of Warren’s brashness is a cover that helps him go about his master detective work with less suspicion. He’s all business as the movie winds down, surprising even the Douglas character who says, “You haven’t exactly been idle, have you Mr. Emerson?” The compliment is returned as the case is solved.

Arsene Lupin Returns, like its predecessor starring the Barrymores, was based upon the Lupin character as originally created by Maurice Leblanc in his 1907 book Arsene Lupin. According to the Hollywood Reporter MGM planned on this sequel as early as 1936 with William Powell playing the Douglas role and Spencer Tracy in Warren’s part. Later they added Myrna Loy to the planned cast, presumably as Lorraine De Grissac, but then replaced Powell with Robert Montgomery.

It sounds like MGM originally had big plans for Arsene Lupin Returns!

Melvyn Douglas and Warren William

Paris born George Fitzmaurice directed (mostly) French-set Arsene Lupin Returns. Filmed at Culver City, of course.

Fitzmaurice had been at it a long time by 1937, his career having begun with silent films in the mid-1910’s and in more recent times included work on titles such as early crime-talkie Raffles (1930) and even more recently Suzy (1936) with Jean Harlow and The Emperor’s Candlesticks with William Powell and Luise Rainer. He would only work on two additional films after Arsene Lupin Returns before his death in 1940.

Fitzmaurice had also worked on Nana (1934), notorious for its failure to make another Garbo out of Anna Sten, but more relevant here for its having originally included Warren William in the cast. Sam Goldwyn had borrowed Warren from Warner Brothers at the time but Warner’s demanded his return after Goldwyn kept Warren for too long. According to the Hollywood Reporter the incident caused a rather nasty rift between Goldwyn and Warner Brothers. Fitzmaurice was soon fired from that troubled project which was then taken over by Dorothy Arzner and begun again from scratch with Lionel Atwill recast in Warren’s former role.

Virginia Bruce and Warren William dance

While Arsene Lupin Returns doesn’t rank with Warren William’s earlier pre-code era work it is equal to his better remembered Perry Mason and Lone Wolf movies. It is also his most enjoyable appearance in an MGM movie from his brief time under contract to them in 1937-38. Up next for Warren at that same studio would be another teaming with Virginia Bruce, this time with their almost co-star of Lupin Returns, Robert Montgomery, in The First Hundred Years (1938).

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Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Arsene Lupin Returns, detectives, ee clive, george fitzmaurice, george zucco, john halliday, jonathan hale, Melvyn Douglas, monty woolley, mysteries, nat pendleton, tully marshall, Virginia Bruce, vladimir sokoloff, warren william

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Comments

  1. Jeffers says

    August 28, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    I don’t remember being nearly this impressed when I saw the movie, but it’s clear from reading this that I didn’t remember much at all! Thanks for another great post!

    Be sure to check out the trailer on the TCM website … one moment we’re seeing a clip with Emerson interacting with other characters and the next (without a cut away from his one-shot) he is addressing the audience directly about the challenges he’s facing.

    Reply
    • The_Mouthpiece says

      August 29, 2012 at 6:43 am

      Jeffers, it must be catching. If TCM hadn’t scheduled this one I wouldn’t have returned to it. But I was very glad I did. Much better than I remember, not only on the whole but as a vehicle for Warren William. Great deep cast of character actors on the scene as well. Enjoy it if you get the chance to see it late Thursday.

      Reply
  2. JubilationTCornpone says

    September 17, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    I have been slowly watching all my DVR’d movies from the WW day the other day on TCM, and man, I had a blast watching this one. Wish there were more in a series with Warren and Melvin Douglas working together as their chemistry was off the charts.

    I would disagree that we don’t know the whole time that Lupin is not the actual thief. There was a period when I thought he was lying all along to his partners (and they suspect as much), and a time when I thought Emerson himself might be fooling us all. But the conclusion was satisfying. If someone could just explain to me the significance of the bullet casings that Emerson gives back to Lupin at the end in exchange for the proof of who he is. Did that mean that Lupin was the NY thief all along?

    Reply
    • The_Mouthpiece says

      September 17, 2012 at 6:02 pm

      Hey Jublilation, very glad you liked this one and extremely glad TCM put it out there for new fans to find!

      On the bullet casings–yes, Lupin told his two partners that it was him in New York, but that he was stealing the necklace in order to protect it from the real thief.

      Thanks for visiting the site!

      Reply
  3. JubilationTCornpone says

    September 19, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    Ah yes, so the “Eddie” thief is just a guy Emerson used to cover the truth. Fun! Yes, I’ll be visiting often. Thanks, Mouthpiece. Between this and “Case of the Howling Dog” it’s funny to think that audiences had to pick up complicated/confusing info just one time, with no rewind and no internet to ask people about little things they missed.

    Reply
    • The_Mouthpiece says

      September 22, 2012 at 1:48 pm

      Jubilation, nice point and reminder about how period audiences had it a little different than we do. On that note I was just watching the old A&E Biography of Tyrone Power again and they mentioned the old story about how when Hedda Hopper first went to see one of Power’s earliest films she had to hang around a second time to catch the name of the exciting young actor. Can you imagine being absolutely blown away by a 1930’s film, leaving the theater and figuring you’d never see it again? I’d be back the next day!

      Reply
  4. JOHN McCARTHY says

    June 17, 2014 at 9:49 pm

    New as of 6/18/14 Warner Archive has released the ARSÈNE LUPIN DOUBLE FEATURE featuring 1932’s ‘Arsène Lupin’ with John and Lionel Barrymore, and 1938’s ‘Arsène Lupin Returns’ with Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce and our man Warren……

    Reply
    • Cliff Aliperti says

      June 17, 2014 at 11:54 pm

      I just requested a review copy on this earlier today. Obviously, I’ve already covered the second movie with Warren, but hope to finally take on the original on my other site. Thanks for the alert, John!

      Reply
      • JOHN McCARTHY says

        June 18, 2014 at 5:15 pm

        Just got this info from an oldies.com update today. There are many titles from this company on Amazon, but print quality complaints on some. Anybody out there own any of their DVDs? FEAR and ARESENE LUPIN RETURNS in the same week, can this be the start of a Warren William video avalanche? (you can dream…):
        FEAR
        Starring: Peter Cookson & Warren William
        Director: Alfred Zeisler
        Early film-noir. Medical student Larry Crain (Peter Cookson) having had his scholarship discontinued is out of money, with his rent overdue and no way to pay his tuition his plans for the future are unraveling. Until an unthinkable opportunity presents its self: murder and robbery! Larry’s money problems disappear but now he is gripped by fear as a pair of suspicious detectives pressure him.
        DVD-R Details: Run Time: 1 hours, 7 minutes, Video: Black & White
        Encoding: Region 0 (Worldwide), Released: June 17, 2014, Originally Released: 1946, Label: Grapevine Video, $8.95+shipping

        Reply
  5. JOHN McCARTHY says

    July 9, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    If anyone is interested, I have reviewed the ARSENE LUPIN double-feature on Amazon……

    Reply
    • Cliff Aliperti says

      July 10, 2014 at 1:11 am

      Nice write-up, John. Good to see the 5-star rating by the set, even if it is only based on one vote!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. August 30 - Warren William TCM Summer Under the Stars Immortal Ephemera says:
    August 29, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    […] am – Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) (at WW.com) starring Melvyn Douglas, Warren William, Virginia […]

    Reply
  2. TCM Summer Under the Stars - 2012 Complete Schedule Immortal Ephemera says:
    September 5, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    […] August 30 – Warren William – New: Picto-Sked – New WarrenWilliam.com articles: Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) – The Mind Reader (1933) – Gold Diggers of 1933 […]

    Reply
  3. Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) starring Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce says:
    April 5, 2013 at 6:12 am

    […] In August 2012 I wrote a far more detailed article about Arsene Lupin Returns at WarrenWilliam.com. Read that article HERE. […]

    Reply
  4. Day 30: Warren William | Sittin on a Backyard Fence says:
    September 3, 2014 at 11:20 pm

    […] – Arsene Lupin Returns (1938) airing at 4 am EST […]

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  5. Arsène Lupin (1932) Starring John and Lionel Barrymore — Immortal Ephemera says:
    December 28, 2014 at 3:44 am

    […] My thanks to Warner Archive for providing a review copy of their recent manufactured-on-demand DVD-R Arsène Lupin Double Feature – Pick up your copy here. All accompanying screen captures were grabbed from my copy of that Warner Archive disc. The two-film set also includes Arsène Lupin Returns (1938), which I’ve reviewed previously on Immortal Ephemera and even more recently (and more favorably) on WarrenWilliam.com. […]

    Reply
  6. Gladys George Is Madame X (1937), Plus Brief Biography — Immortal Ephemera says:
    March 27, 2015 at 10:31 pm

    […] glamorous productions, William’s best work at MGM came in trading barbs with Melvyn Douglas in Arsene Lupin Returns (1938). Columbia and the Lone Wolf series awaited him […]

    Reply
  7. Ballyhoo Who? Warren William in the Return of Picto-Sked — Immortal Ephemera says:
    March 31, 2015 at 7:42 am

    […] Arsene Lupin Returns is another title I've only recently written about at WarrenWilliam.com. You'll find that shiny new piece HERE. […]

    Reply
  8. Classic Movie Daily for Tuesday, August 25, 2015 — Immortal Ephemera says:
    August 25, 2015 at 4:45 am

    […] 8:30 am – Arsene Lupin Returns (1938), featuring Bruce with Melvyn Douglas and Warren William. I've covered this one twice, and liked it a lot better, while going into greater detail in my second write-up, which is over at my Warren William site HERE. […]

    Reply

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