User Reviews

The reputation of George Arliss, the third actor to win the Best Actor Oscar for DISRAELI, has been unfairly buffeted because of the series of biographical films he made in the early days of talkies. These are dismissed as nonsensical or slapdash or formulaic. Actually while a trifle old fashioned, Arliss's performances are always excellent, and several of the films (CARDINAL RICHELIEU and THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD) have merits of their own. But the proof of Arliss's ability as an actor is in the non-biographical films. This one, THE LAST GENTLEMAN, is a good film to start with.

Cabot Barr is the last New England aristocrat (as witness his first name). Living on a large estate, he is deeply disgruntled because of his son and heir, Judd Barr (Donald Meek). Meek is a spendthrift gambler, and is seeking to get an advance on his inheritance or to get control of the estate. Barr loves the past, a slower more traditional and staid period. He keeps having the family butler (Edward Ellis) start and restart the old tune, "Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet" on his Victrola. He has peacocks strolling on his lawn. Barr keeps looking for someone among his family to turn to who can be a better heir than the disgusting Judd. But it has to be somebody who can pass on the family name he is proud of.

As in all of his films, the crusty, intelligent Arliss has a sense of humor. He plays and replays the song because he knows it annoys a lot of people (like his sister, played by Edna Mae Oliver). The high point of the film is when a psychiatrist arrives, brought in by Judd to declare the old man incompetent. Arliss confronts the psychiatrist, and skillfully proves he is totally in control of his mind and his senses. The psychiatrist agrees, and leaves (glaring at Judd). Judd tries to paper over this really dreadful action, but Arliss, quietly and effectively tells him to leave, and never see him again. In some ways it may have been George Arliss's most effective moment on screen - or at least among them.

The conclusion of the film is pretty well summarized in the plot synopsis on this thread. The filmed will is a nice surprise, as is the way Arliss cleverly leaves the land of the living by passing out of a side door at the end of the will. But best is his treatment of Judd, to whom he decides to leave the peacocks.

"I'll die when I like, and not before", says Edna May Oliver as one of the last of the oldest generation of the wealthy Barr family, much younger than her oldest brother (George Arliss) who has brought everybody together from the family on the pretension that one of the family, a missionary over in Africa, has died. In reality, he's obviously testing them to see who is worthy of his remaining estate, and it isn't his own children or their money-grubbing spouses. Placing two of the biggest scene-stealers (Arliss and Oliver) together in one film isn't going to leave much room for the other actors to capture attention, although they do try their very best. Janet Beecher, as Arliss's daughter and Donald Meek, as his son, are obviously on a mission to make sure they get the estate even though Arliss doesn't really like them. Olivier, too, doesn't quite seem on the up and up, giving her nephew Meek asides of utter hatred.

Practically perfect in every way, this has little details throughout the film that are metaphors for both the family's greed and their idiocy, whether it be cuckoo clocks going off out of nowhere or high-pitched caterwauling of some of the younger female characters. The aging Arliss has a few surprises up his sleeve and delivers each line as if it was Noel Coward on opening night. Frank Albertson is impish and impulsive as Oliver's adopted son who ends up romancing his own cousin. Rafaela Ottiano's prickly sister-in-law is obvious yet funny, while Edward Ellis as a butler with a past offers dignity and pride. This is a comedy/drama about spending one's last days as if you will never die and certainly not leaving this world without a fight.

If this movie was at least mediocre I could've stomached it. It was a bad production with a nonsensical plot that was further ruined by annoying characters.

"The Last Gentleman" was a comedic poke at the rich family trying to make themselves appealing for the old patriarch's wealth. It's a concept that has been done in many different fashions and will always exist.

The patriarch was Cabot Barr (George Arliss), an old codger who deemed everyone unworthy of the Barr wealth and the Barr name. He only wanted to leave his money to a male Barr heir and his underhanded and unworthy son was the only male heir. He did take a liking to his granddaughter Marjorie Barr (Charlotte Henry), but alas she was a girl.

If there was a chance she could be an endearing character in spite of her annoying mousy voice, she ruined it early on.

When her grandfather laughingly stated that he wished she'd been born a boy, her response was, "I've always liked being a girl. But now I wish I weren't."

"Why?" Cabot Barr asked.

"Because you wish I weren't," she said in a heartfelt and touching manner.

It was enough to turn Laura Ingraham feminist. Then she bent her head down and kissed her grandfather's hand in the most deferential manner imaginable.

Mind you, Cabot Barr had been nothing but a bully up until this point. Only the simplest minded person or a shameless sycophant would show him the level of respect Marjorie was showing her surly grandfather.

It got worse.

Grandpa Barr sorrowfully added, "If only you'd been born a ... ah well. It's too late now. You're a female. When you marry you'll become your husband's possession. Even to the extent of sacrificing your name."

"Well, I won't marry," Marjorie proudly chirped. "If it will make you happy I'll stay single. I won't mind being an old maid, then I can keep on being a Barr."

By this time, I was in desperate need of a barf bag. This was one of those scenes that made me openly question what was so good about the early twentieth century, especially the movies. Fortunately, I've seen enough 1930's movies to know that they do have some quality movies amongst the racist and sexist piles of rubbish.

Almost as bad as Marjorie deprecating herself for her backwards and tribal grandpappy was her hamfisted romance with Allan Baine (Frank Albertson). Marjorie and Allan were like cats and dogs when they first met, which generally means they will be in love by movie's end. In this case, without prompting, indication, or warning, they were in love and engaged to be married. Quite literally, from one scene to the next, and within a couple of days, they were engaged.

I'd had enough. All that was left was to wrap it up and get on with the sappy ending. The ending gave us a prerecorded will reading in which the cantankerous Cabot gave everyone something to show just how good he was, and to show that whoever put up with his boorishness must really have loved him.

I call BS. People will put up with a lot for money and this movie didn't disprove that. It only fooled the dumb and naive. This movie was terrible and Cabot was no gentleman.

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