French director Julien Duvivier was working in Hollywood, when he made FLESH AND FANTASY at Universal. The picture presents three supernatural stories (a fourth one was cut by studio executives who turned it into its own standalone picture, DESTINY). A body dies in a storm at the end of the Destiny segment, then washes up on shore at the beginning of the segment starring Betty Field, which becomes the first story we see due to the editing that happened in post-production.
There is a framing device, where Robert Benchley is seen at a men's club reading a book with tales of the occult, which I guess is included to introduce us to the themes, though his role is hardly necessary. Later, a linking device is employed, when Edward G. Robinson's segment overlaps with Charles Boyer's segment...we see Robinson's story still in the process of finishing when Boyer's story begins.
***
Segment #1
This segment is the shortest and runs about 20 minutes. It could easily have been extended, but nonetheless is quite effective. Miss Field plays an ugly young woman, who like Cinderella, gets a chance to go to a dance. The dance takes place during a Mardi Gras celebration, and she spends time with a prince charming (Robert Cummings) she's been admiring from afar.
She is only able to attend, after she is given a mask to wear that will cover her physical deficiencies. As the story progresses, we learn her greatest ugliness is her sour disposition and negative attitude about life. Once that has been resolved, she becomes a truly beautiful person.
What makes this segment work so well is the way Field must rely on her eyes to do the bulk of her acting, since the mask covers most of her face. Field and Cummings previously appeared as love interests in KINGS ROW, and they perform so well, it's a shame they didn't make more movies together. There's a clever twist at the end, involving the identity of the "fairy godfather" (Edgar Barrier) who gave Field the mask.
***
Segment #2
Most reviewers consider this the best story in the film, due to Edward G. Robinson's magnificent performance. He previously appeared in Duvivier's TALES OF MANHATTAN, and here he gets to play another unique character. He's an American lawyer who's been invited to a soiree at the London home of an elderly aristocrat (May Whitty). During Witty's party, he meets a palmist (Thomas Mitchell) who predicts things that come true. Robinson poo-poohs some of this, citing coincidence, but he becomes particularly disturbed when he learns there is more the palmist has to say about his future.
One of the predictions is that he'll kill someone. Of course, Robinson believes in free will and says he won't kill anyone. But several sleepless nights later, he is now consumed with dread that the horrifying prediction will come true. He starts having conversations with himself, looking at his reflection in windows and mirrors.
Robinson decides that he will kill someone to get it over with, and he will make sure it's someone whose death will benefit him and the rest of society. Since his client Dame Whitty is wealthy and old, and will leave her money in good hands after she's gone, he chooses to kill her. However, she dies of natural causes before his murder plot is carried out. This forces him to alter his plans. His next target is a distinguished dean (C. Aubrey Smith).
It doesn't take long for the dean to figure out something is off. There's a great scene where Robinson follows Smith into a wine cellar to knock him over the head. Before he can administer the fatal blow, Smith informs Robinson that he knows what's going through his mind and he should just give up now, before it's too late.
Having failed at both murder attempts, an even more disturbed Robinson walks to a bridge. Who does he meet there? Why, it's the palmist. In complete rage over his inability to successfully deal with recent events, he strangles Mitchell and so his murder has now just happened!
***
Segment #3
While the police are apprehending Robinson for murder, we see a circus live wire act about to be performed by Charles Boyer. Boyer had also appeared in TALES OF MANHATTAN, was a friend of Duvivier, and he served as a producer on FLESH AND FANTASY. He and leading lady Barbara Stanwyck are top-billed over the rest of the cast, and their segment is saved till the end. It is probably supposed to be the most important story, but some of it falls a bit flat.
One of the issues I had with this segment is that while Stanwyck is perfectly cast as a chick running from the law, trying to make things right before it's too late, I don't quite buy Boyer as a circus performer. He doesn't project a working class vibe. If he had been the circus owner, maybe it would have been more believable. But even so, I don't think the writers needed him to be involved with a circus. His character could have had a different background and occupation.
At any rate, Boyer meets Stanwyck on a ship, after he's seen her and some notable earrings she wears in a dream. At first, she is taken aback by his forward approach as well as his talk of dreams and his already 'knowing' her. But she softens and they become romantic with each other. By the time their ship reaches port, they are in love and she's decided to go see him perform.
While all of this is happening, Boyer's been developing stage fright which he must overcome. At the same time, Stanwyck, who has been one step ahead of the police, decides to turn herself into the authorities. Her arrest is about to occur as Boyer carries out his routine under the bit top before a crowd of spectators. As he makes his way across the tightrope, we wonder whether he will fall or make it safely across the wire to the other side. This segment concludes on an ambiguous note.
***
The main idea behind FLESH AND FANTASY is that dreams and fortune telling intersect with reality. During the movie, one character utters the line "you created belief in me." I think the line could apply to viewers who believe in what they see on screen. That is the magical quality of cinema.
There is a framing device, where Robert Benchley is seen at a men's club reading a book with tales of the occult, which I guess is included to introduce us to the themes, though his role is hardly necessary. Later, a linking device is employed, when Edward G. Robinson's segment overlaps with Charles Boyer's segment...we see Robinson's story still in the process of finishing when Boyer's story begins.
***
Segment #1
This segment is the shortest and runs about 20 minutes. It could easily have been extended, but nonetheless is quite effective. Miss Field plays an ugly young woman, who like Cinderella, gets a chance to go to a dance. The dance takes place during a Mardi Gras celebration, and she spends time with a prince charming (Robert Cummings) she's been admiring from afar.
She is only able to attend, after she is given a mask to wear that will cover her physical deficiencies. As the story progresses, we learn her greatest ugliness is her sour disposition and negative attitude about life. Once that has been resolved, she becomes a truly beautiful person.
What makes this segment work so well is the way Field must rely on her eyes to do the bulk of her acting, since the mask covers most of her face. Field and Cummings previously appeared as love interests in KINGS ROW, and they perform so well, it's a shame they didn't make more movies together. There's a clever twist at the end, involving the identity of the "fairy godfather" (Edgar Barrier) who gave Field the mask.
***
Segment #2
Most reviewers consider this the best story in the film, due to Edward G. Robinson's magnificent performance. He previously appeared in Duvivier's TALES OF MANHATTAN, and here he gets to play another unique character. He's an American lawyer who's been invited to a soiree at the London home of an elderly aristocrat (May Whitty). During Witty's party, he meets a palmist (Thomas Mitchell) who predicts things that come true. Robinson poo-poohs some of this, citing coincidence, but he becomes particularly disturbed when he learns there is more the palmist has to say about his future.
One of the predictions is that he'll kill someone. Of course, Robinson believes in free will and says he won't kill anyone. But several sleepless nights later, he is now consumed with dread that the horrifying prediction will come true. He starts having conversations with himself, looking at his reflection in windows and mirrors.
Robinson decides that he will kill someone to get it over with, and he will make sure it's someone whose death will benefit him and the rest of society. Since his client Dame Whitty is wealthy and old, and will leave her money in good hands after she's gone, he chooses to kill her. However, she dies of natural causes before his murder plot is carried out. This forces him to alter his plans. His next target is a distinguished dean (C. Aubrey Smith).
It doesn't take long for the dean to figure out something is off. There's a great scene where Robinson follows Smith into a wine cellar to knock him over the head. Before he can administer the fatal blow, Smith informs Robinson that he knows what's going through his mind and he should just give up now, before it's too late.
Having failed at both murder attempts, an even more disturbed Robinson walks to a bridge. Who does he meet there? Why, it's the palmist. In complete rage over his inability to successfully deal with recent events, he strangles Mitchell and so his murder has now just happened!
***
Segment #3
While the police are apprehending Robinson for murder, we see a circus live wire act about to be performed by Charles Boyer. Boyer had also appeared in TALES OF MANHATTAN, was a friend of Duvivier, and he served as a producer on FLESH AND FANTASY. He and leading lady Barbara Stanwyck are top-billed over the rest of the cast, and their segment is saved till the end. It is probably supposed to be the most important story, but some of it falls a bit flat.
One of the issues I had with this segment is that while Stanwyck is perfectly cast as a chick running from the law, trying to make things right before it's too late, I don't quite buy Boyer as a circus performer. He doesn't project a working class vibe. If he had been the circus owner, maybe it would have been more believable. But even so, I don't think the writers needed him to be involved with a circus. His character could have had a different background and occupation.
At any rate, Boyer meets Stanwyck on a ship, after he's seen her and some notable earrings she wears in a dream. At first, she is taken aback by his forward approach as well as his talk of dreams and his already 'knowing' her. But she softens and they become romantic with each other. By the time their ship reaches port, they are in love and she's decided to go see him perform.
While all of this is happening, Boyer's been developing stage fright which he must overcome. At the same time, Stanwyck, who has been one step ahead of the police, decides to turn herself into the authorities. Her arrest is about to occur as Boyer carries out his routine under the bit top before a crowd of spectators. As he makes his way across the tightrope, we wonder whether he will fall or make it safely across the wire to the other side. This segment concludes on an ambiguous note.
***
The main idea behind FLESH AND FANTASY is that dreams and fortune telling intersect with reality. During the movie, one character utters the line "you created belief in me." I think the line could apply to viewers who believe in what they see on screen. That is the magical quality of cinema.