W. Somerset Maugham Is Back with a Final Encore

Encore (1951) was the third and final W. Somerset Maugham anthology film, following the excellent Quartet (1948) and its "sequel" Trio (1950). As before, Maugham provides a brief introduction (from his chateau in France). Then, it's on to the first of three stories, "The Ant and the Grasshopper," a cynical look at a ne'er-do-well who does remarkably well indeed. It features a fine cast and makes Maugham's point effectively (i.e., the worthless brother succeeds in life, the hard-working one has a rough time). Still, it's a bit of a boring affair.

Kay Walsh in "Winter Cruise."

On the other hand, "Winter Cruise" starts out slowly, but evolves into a touching tale about a woman on holiday who annoys a ship's crew to the point of exhaustion. Kay Walsh, who was once married to David Lean, gives a wonderfully rounded performance. It was one of those acting jobs that sends one to the IMDb to learn more about the performer.

Glynis Johns about to make the dive.

My favorite of the three stories, though, is the final one: the oddly-titled "Gigolo and Gigolette." Of course, it stars Glynis Johns and  I adore her, so I admit there may be some prejudice influencing my preference. Glynis plays a nightclub performer who dives from an 80-foot platform into a "lake of flames" just five feet deep. Thinking her husband no longer loves her, she appears to have lost her will to live. It climaxes with her climbing the ladder as her husband races to save her. From a narrative point, it's a simple story, but executed wonderfully (I love the small details, such as the sound of the wind at the top of the diving platform).

It's too bad that Encore was the last of the Maugham anthologies--though it's always good to go out on a strong note...as opposed to lingering around too long.

W. Somerset Maugham's "Quartet"

Released in 1948, Quartet was the first of three anthology films based on W. Somerset Maugham short stories and introduced by the author on screen. The follow-up films were Trio (1950) and Encore (1951). In each of these films, the short stories were treated as stand-alone productions, in that the directors and casts were different. Thus, it’s all the more impressive that the overall quality of Quartet is first-rate. None of the stories disappoint, though naturally some are better than others. We’ll address them as separate mini-reviews:

Mai Zetterling and Jack Watling.

The Facts of Life. As a young man embarks on his first excursion to Paris, his father offers him three pieces of advice: (1) stay away from the gaming tables; (2) don’t lend money to anyone; (3) avoid women. Once in the City of Lights, the young man proceeds to play roulette, loans part of his winnings to an attractive woman, and spends a chaste night in her apartment. The outcome is the punch line in this pleasant trifle that benefits from winning performances of a young Mai Zetterling and Jack Watling.

Honor Blackman.

The Alien Corn. George Bland (Dirk Bogarde) has been groomed his whole life to become a country gentleman and member of Parliament. However, his dream is to earn a living as concert pianist. His long-suffering girlfriend (Honor Blackman) convinces George’s parents to let the young man study the piano for two years. At the end of that period, a professional will evaluate his playing and determine if he has any potential. If he does not, he must agree to give up the piano and conform to his family’s wishes. There’s a tragic quality about this tale from the beginning, so the ending is not a surprise. Its leisurely pace (especially the lengthy piano performances) negates some of this story’s impact. However, Bogarde is strong, as always, and Honor Blackman—16 years prior to her most famous role as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger—gives a lovely, poignant performance as the girlfriend.

George Cole and Susan Shaw.

The Kite. Herbert, a  young man who still lives with his parents, is passionate about kites. Every Saturday afternoon, he and his parents fly kites together in the park. Much to his mother’s disapproval, he falls in love with a young woman named Betty and marries her. Alas, the new bride thinks that kite flying is a childish activity and—in a fit of jealousy—destroys one of her husband’s special kites. This is the story I remember best from my first viewing of Quartet several years ago. In some interpretations of the short story, the kite represents an “umbilical cord” that connects Herbert and his mother, effectively keeping him from fully committing to his marriage. My view of the film adaptation is very different—I think Maugham uses kite flying as an analogy for anything that sparks one’s passion. It’s a part of who Herbert is, even if he can’t quite explain his love of kites (though he tries). The future of Herbert and Betty’s marriage hinges on whether she can embrace his “childish activity.” Thematically, it’s not that different from The Alien Corn, although the outcome is decidedly different.

Nora Swinburne and Cecil Parker.

The Colonel’s Lady. A self-important country gentleman has little time for his wife, given his many “important” meetings…and clandestine visits with his mistress. Thus, he is surprised to learn that his wife has written a book of poetry. Moreover, her book has been published, hailed by the press and literary greats, and is “selling like hot cakes.” Although his wife gives him a copy, he doesn’t even bother to read it. Thus, he’s flummoxed when everyone—to include his mistress—starts talking about the book’s “earthy” narrative about an older woman’s passionate love for a younger man. This may be the best story in Quartet (though The Kite is a close second). Cecil Parker is ideally cast as a Colonel Blimp-type who has taken his marriage for granted for many years. He is well matched by Nora Swinburne as his wife, whose quiet exterior masks a burning love that turned to ashes long ago.