Ernst Lubitsch's final full film, Cluny Brown is a light comedy full of innuendo in pre-war Britain. Not his best work but reminiscent of what made him so wonderful as a filmmaker in general (much like Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot, did something similar at the end of his career), the film is a small joy of post-war optimism, which creates an interesting contrast since the story is actually set in pre-war Britain.
The titular Cluny Brown (Jennifer Jones) is a curious young woman. She will not adhere to social convention, and her outlet is plumbing. When one Hilary Ames (Reginald Gardiner) calls for a plumber to fix his sink before a big society party, Cluny comes without the permission of her uncle (Billy Bevan), all bright-eyed and willing to work. Ames is unsure of this situation, but the unexpected guest Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer), a Czech on the run from Hitler's forces, encourages the young woman's efforts. The main comedic joys of this film are in the double entendres about plumbing that become obvious from these first scenes. Cluny's plumbing is a thin metaphor for sex, and it's surprisingly funny. She bangs on the pipes with her wrench without any finesse, and she lays down on the couch when she's done in a post-coital repose. Ames' discomfort with the situation is matched by Belinski's bemusement. Her uncle, though, comes by and is scandalized, deciding to send her to the country to be a maid in a great house.
Jones is a wonderful central presence as Cluny, and he openness upon meeting anyone makes it quite obvious why David O. Selznick (such a self-promoter that he manages to get his name on the first title despite only lending out Jones to the production) was so smitten with her, at least professionally. She's such a winning actress, and when she shows up to the house, accepted as a guest by Sir Henry (Reginald Owen) and Lady Alice (Margaret Bannerman) due to a slight misunderstanding from their son, Andrew (Peter Lawford) who has invited Belinski to the house at the same time to help protect him during his time in England. When it comes out that Cluny is not the guest Andrew spoke of, there's both awkwardness and indignation from the head servants Mrs. Maile (Sara Allgood) and Syrette (Ernest Cossart) who cannot believe that a maid would have behaved so brashly to the master.
Another side of the innuendoes that run through the film is obviously class-based, the sort of things that Lubitsch had been playing with since his German period. It's obvious that Lubitsch found the class differences that kept people apart at least absurd, which is why he poked so much fun at it, and the moment where Cluny goes from guest, if a bit eccentric, to maid is surprisingly harsh, even if the lord and lady make an effort at smoothing the moment. It gets more pronounced at dinner when Cluny recommends a piece of mutton to Sir Henry instead of just staying silent, holding the platter, and letting Sir Henry choose for himself. To Lady Alice, it does not matter that the piece of mutton Cluny recommended was superior. It is simply not done! With Belinski in attendance, he's able to talk everything down and help Cluny keep her job.
The underlying plot of everything is that Belinski and Cluny are perfect for each other, and yet Belinski determined early in the film that they should never pursue each other romantically. Why? I think it's some kind of intellectual ideal that Belinski offers up in the beginning, but it's really just sitcom-like obstacles that prevent the inevitable from happening. I really enjoy the film overall, but this really is thin stuff to prevent the film from just resolving too early.
There's a complication that arises when Cluny meets and becomes enamored of the small town's chemist, Jonathan (Richard Haydn), an uptight man with a funny voice and a secure position in town, living in the same house attached to his shop that he plans on dying in many years from then. He lives with his mother (Una O'Connor in a wordless role) and is extraordinarily proud of his small station in life. It doesn't seem like the right match for Cluny who started the film eager to walk into a strange man's house and knock around his pipes. It all comes crashing down when the sink goes awry during a dinner celebration that's meant to announce their engagement, and Cluny cannot help herself, taking a pipe and banging on the pipes. It's silly and funny and I get a kick out of it.
There's a subplot that I think is supposed to mirror the inevitable matchup of Cluny and Belinski involving Andrew and a young woman named Betty Cream (Helen Walker) who is a high-class free spirit along the lines of Cluny. There's a funny bit of dialogue early when Andrew, frustrated at Betty's inability to commit to him, tells a friend that he will only ask her to marry him one or two more times and then he's done. Belinski's realization of his perfect match with Cluny ends up influencing Betty, who is also visiting the house, to accept Andrew. It's not the tightest connection, but it's a nice match nonetheless.
In the end, everyone ends up together who should end up together, and Cluny gets her freedom while not needing to sacrifice her...love of plumbing.
Is this a challenging film? Not at all. It's a gentle ribbing of British reserve that has some small bite, but we all know that Lubitsch is doing it in good humor. Is it towards the highs of his pre-Code musicals? No, not really. It's a nice, amusing, and sometimes quite funny little comedy. Lubitsch would start the production on The Lady in Ermine before he died eight days into production, so while his name is on one more film after this as director (Otto Preminger refused credit when he finished the latter film), Cluny Brown is Lubitsch's last full film. It's nice. Directors have gone out with far worse.
The titular Cluny Brown (Jennifer Jones) is a curious young woman. She will not adhere to social convention, and her outlet is plumbing. When one Hilary Ames (Reginald Gardiner) calls for a plumber to fix his sink before a big society party, Cluny comes without the permission of her uncle (Billy Bevan), all bright-eyed and willing to work. Ames is unsure of this situation, but the unexpected guest Adam Belinski (Charles Boyer), a Czech on the run from Hitler's forces, encourages the young woman's efforts. The main comedic joys of this film are in the double entendres about plumbing that become obvious from these first scenes. Cluny's plumbing is a thin metaphor for sex, and it's surprisingly funny. She bangs on the pipes with her wrench without any finesse, and she lays down on the couch when she's done in a post-coital repose. Ames' discomfort with the situation is matched by Belinski's bemusement. Her uncle, though, comes by and is scandalized, deciding to send her to the country to be a maid in a great house.
Jones is a wonderful central presence as Cluny, and he openness upon meeting anyone makes it quite obvious why David O. Selznick (such a self-promoter that he manages to get his name on the first title despite only lending out Jones to the production) was so smitten with her, at least professionally. She's such a winning actress, and when she shows up to the house, accepted as a guest by Sir Henry (Reginald Owen) and Lady Alice (Margaret Bannerman) due to a slight misunderstanding from their son, Andrew (Peter Lawford) who has invited Belinski to the house at the same time to help protect him during his time in England. When it comes out that Cluny is not the guest Andrew spoke of, there's both awkwardness and indignation from the head servants Mrs. Maile (Sara Allgood) and Syrette (Ernest Cossart) who cannot believe that a maid would have behaved so brashly to the master.
Another side of the innuendoes that run through the film is obviously class-based, the sort of things that Lubitsch had been playing with since his German period. It's obvious that Lubitsch found the class differences that kept people apart at least absurd, which is why he poked so much fun at it, and the moment where Cluny goes from guest, if a bit eccentric, to maid is surprisingly harsh, even if the lord and lady make an effort at smoothing the moment. It gets more pronounced at dinner when Cluny recommends a piece of mutton to Sir Henry instead of just staying silent, holding the platter, and letting Sir Henry choose for himself. To Lady Alice, it does not matter that the piece of mutton Cluny recommended was superior. It is simply not done! With Belinski in attendance, he's able to talk everything down and help Cluny keep her job.
The underlying plot of everything is that Belinski and Cluny are perfect for each other, and yet Belinski determined early in the film that they should never pursue each other romantically. Why? I think it's some kind of intellectual ideal that Belinski offers up in the beginning, but it's really just sitcom-like obstacles that prevent the inevitable from happening. I really enjoy the film overall, but this really is thin stuff to prevent the film from just resolving too early.
There's a complication that arises when Cluny meets and becomes enamored of the small town's chemist, Jonathan (Richard Haydn), an uptight man with a funny voice and a secure position in town, living in the same house attached to his shop that he plans on dying in many years from then. He lives with his mother (Una O'Connor in a wordless role) and is extraordinarily proud of his small station in life. It doesn't seem like the right match for Cluny who started the film eager to walk into a strange man's house and knock around his pipes. It all comes crashing down when the sink goes awry during a dinner celebration that's meant to announce their engagement, and Cluny cannot help herself, taking a pipe and banging on the pipes. It's silly and funny and I get a kick out of it.
There's a subplot that I think is supposed to mirror the inevitable matchup of Cluny and Belinski involving Andrew and a young woman named Betty Cream (Helen Walker) who is a high-class free spirit along the lines of Cluny. There's a funny bit of dialogue early when Andrew, frustrated at Betty's inability to commit to him, tells a friend that he will only ask her to marry him one or two more times and then he's done. Belinski's realization of his perfect match with Cluny ends up influencing Betty, who is also visiting the house, to accept Andrew. It's not the tightest connection, but it's a nice match nonetheless.
In the end, everyone ends up together who should end up together, and Cluny gets her freedom while not needing to sacrifice her...love of plumbing.
Is this a challenging film? Not at all. It's a gentle ribbing of British reserve that has some small bite, but we all know that Lubitsch is doing it in good humor. Is it towards the highs of his pre-Code musicals? No, not really. It's a nice, amusing, and sometimes quite funny little comedy. Lubitsch would start the production on The Lady in Ermine before he died eight days into production, so while his name is on one more film after this as director (Otto Preminger refused credit when he finished the latter film), Cluny Brown is Lubitsch's last full film. It's nice. Directors have gone out with far worse.