} Crítica Retrô: Lloyd’s de Londres / Lloyd’s of London (1936)

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Monday, May 5, 2014

Lloyd’s de Londres / Lloyd’s of London (1936)

Na minha humilde opinião, Tyrone Power foi o homem mais bonito a aparecer numa tela de cinema. Esqueça Valentino,Gable, Paul Newman, George Clooney ou Johnny Depp. A beleza de Ty era perfeita. Alto, magro, moreno, olhos expressivos, nariz perfeito. Sua beleza estava no auge nos anos 30 (mais uma vez, esta é uma opinião pessoal), e ver Ty neste momento do auge da juventude e de maturação do talento não tem preço.

In my humble opinion, Tyrone Power was the most handsome man to ever appear in a movie screen. Forget Valentino, Gable, Paul Newman, George Clooney or Johnny Depp. Ty's beauty was perfect. Tall, slim, dark, expressive eyes, perfect nose. He was his most beautiful during the 1930s (again, my own personal opinion), and to see Ty at this moment, in the climax of his youth and maturing as an actor, is priceless.
Lloyd’s of London” é o primeiro filme em que ele é creditado apenas como Tyrone Power, e não Tyrone Power Jr. Seu pai havia sido um famoso ator de teatro que também fez filmes mudos (e se parecia um pouco com Francis X Bushman). Mas na primeira meia hora nem vemos sinal da nova estrela da 20th Century Fox. No começo do filme, o garoto destemido Jonathan Blake é vivido por Freddie Bartholomew, ator mirim de sucesso que recebe top billing (seu nome é o primeiro nos créditos). Jonathan deixa seu amigo rico Horatio Nelson no interior e vai até Londres a pé para avisar uma companhia de seguros sobre planos de um navio pirata.

Lloyd's of London” is the first film in which he is credited only as Tyrone Power, and not as Tyrone Power Jr. His father was a famous theater actor who also appeared in silent films (and looked a lot like Francis X. Bushman). But in the first half hour we don't even see the new star of 20th  Century Fox. At the beginning of the movie, the boy Jonathan Blake is played by Freddie Bartholomew, the child star with the top billing. Jonathan leaves his rich friend Horatio Nelson on the countryside and goes on foot until London to warn an insurance company about plans from a pirate ship.
Quando a casa de seguros Lloyd’s percebe que o menino falou a verdade e que isso os livrou de um prejuízo milionário, Jonathan se torna o protegido do administrador do local, e cresce naquele ambiente. Seu amigo Horatio se alista na Marinha e alcança um alto cargo como comandante de um navio nas guerras contra Napoleão Bonaparte (o ano então é 1784).

When the insurance house Lloyd's realizes that the boy told the truth and that he prevented them from losing millions, Jonathan becomes the local head's protegée and grows up in that environment. His friend Horatio joins the Marines and achieves a high position as the commander of a ship during the wars against Napoleon Bonaparte (the year then is 1784).

E já que o cenário é França contra Inglaterra, Jonathan vai a Paris e resgata uma bela inglesa, Elizabeth (Madeleine Carroll), que está sendo hostilizada por um grupo francês. Jonathan se apaixona, mas Elizabeth prefere manter sua identidade oculta enquanto os dois dividem um barco de volta para casa.

And since the issue is France against England, Jonathan goes to Paris to rescue a beautiful English lady, Elizabeth (Madeleine Carroll), who is being hostilized by a French group. Jonathan falls in love, but Elizabeth prefers to keep her real identity a secret while the two share a boat back home.
Jonathan descobre, depois de um breve período de depressão, que Elizabeth é da nobreza e, pior, é casada. Para provar seu valor, ele passa a ascender socialmente com seu trabalho, arriscando cada vez mais os negócios da seguradora. E uma decisão da frota de Horatio será decisiva não apenas para salvar a Lloyd’s, mas também para recuperar o dinheiro que Elizabeth investiu na seguradora e até mesmo para que Jonathan continue vivo e fora da cadeia.

Jonathan finds out, after a short sad period, that Elizabeth is a noblewoman and, worse, is married. To prove his value, he ascends socially through his work, putting more and more the businesses of the insuracne house at risk. And a decision coming from Horatio's ships will be very important not only to save the Lloyd's, but also to recover the money Elizabeth invested in the insurance house and also to keep Jonathan alive and far from the jail.
Este, entretanto, não é o filme em que Ty está mais bonito. Na minha opinião (estou opinando muito hoje), é em “Maria Antonieta” (1938) que sua beleza está mais acentuada. E olhem bem: ambos Maria Antonieta e Lloyd’s of London são filmes históricos, que se passam na mesma época, com uma década de diferença. Ty certamente se deu bem em filmes históricos, embora vez ou outra o figurino não ajudasse. Aqui, por exemplo, ele usa em uma cena uma roupa digna de gnomo na parada do St. Patrick’s Day!

This isn't, however, the film in which Ty looks his most handsome. In my opinion (I'm opinating a lot today), it is in “Marie Antoinette” (1938) that he looks his best. And pay attention: both Marie Antoinette and Lloyd's of London are historical films set in the same time period, with  a decade separating the settings. Ty certainly did well in historical pieces, even if the wardrobe didn't help him always. Here, for instance, his uses in one scene an outfit that could belong to a leprechaun at the St. Patrick's Day parade!
Lloyds’ of London” está longe de ser uma obra-prima. Mas foi importante por ser o primeiro grande filme da carreira de Tyrone. No início, o papel de Jonathan era do grande amigo de Power, Don Ameche, mas Ty foi escalado no lugar e se tornou a estrela que Ameche nunca seria (apesar do relativo sucesso na época, hoje Power é mais conhecido e lembrado que Ameche).

Lloyds' of London” is far from being a masterpiece. But it was important because it was the first film from Tyrone's career. Before production started, the role of Jonathan was going to Power's good friend, Don Ameche. But Ty was chosen instead and became the star Ameche never could be (although Ameche was a successful actor, nowadays Power is better known than him).
Ty viveu apenas 44 anos, mas deixou sua marca no mundo. Ator de cinema e teatro, combatente na Segunda Guerra Mundial, ídolo das multidões. Vê-lo aos 22 anos em “Lloyd’s of London” é a oportunidade única que temos de dizer: “assim nasce uma estrela”.

Ty lived for only 44 years, but left his mark in the world. A film and theater actor, he was also a combatent during World War II and the idol of the crowds. To see him at age 22 in “Lloyds' of London” is the opportunity we have to say: “this is how a star is born”.

This is my contribution to the Power- Mad blogathon, hosted by Patty at The Lady Eve and Patti at They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To in honor of the 100th birthday of Tyrone Power, the Greek god of the 20th century.

5 comments:

  1. não é o tipo de beleza que me atrai. adorava os filmes. beijos, pedrita

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  2. I believe "Lloyds of London" was the first movie I saw with Tyrone Power. It was on television and I was 11 years old. Not only did I think he was the most handsome man, but I fell in love with his voice.

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  3. Le, thank you so much for this wonderful addition to the blogathon. As Tyrone's first film billed without the "Jr." attached to his name, it is definitely an important film in his career and, most definitely, a worthy addition to the blogathon.

    I love the lavish costumes and sets of period dramas. I definitely will have to look for this.

    Interesting that Ameche was first cast for the role. I always enjoy learning those behind-the-scenes tidbits.

    Thanks again for participating in this 100th birthday celebration.

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  4. I'd never heard of this movie before, but I'll have to see if I can find it somewhere. The title sounded a bit dry, but your description shows it is obviously not dull!

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  5. Le, I very much enjoyed your post about Lloyd's Of London. While I'll admit I mostly know Tyrone Power from his swashbucklers like The Spanish Main; and the powerful Nightmare Alley; and our family's personal favorite, WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION. I enjoyed your post, and it was great to see co-star Madeleine Carroll and little Freddie Bartholomew. You've taught me more about Tyrone Power, and I'm glad I did, thanks to you and this great Blogathon! :-D

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