His Double Life ~ 1933 -BW

QUICKIE: A sweet movie based on a misunderstanding. I think it's a 1930's chick-flick!

PLOT: Priam Farrel (Roland Young) is a celebrated artist but a social recluse. When his valet dies of a sudden illness, a mix-up leads to the body being identified as Farrel's. The timid artist then assumes the identity of his former servant, but finds himself faced with constant dilemmas as a result.

SUMMARY: I like movies about painters. I like movies about old high society. I like Roland Young, so I was going to like this movie. Some may consider it boring. There's no gun play, sex appeal nor car chases. No mad scientists and crazed monsters. Unless you count the scores of morons who never let Farrel clarify his identity. What else can the man do to prove who he is but paint?


I love the unspoken morality of this movie: the wife who loves him and doesn't care what his name is, or about his former life, she loves him just the same. The greedy people who crawl through the woodwork of this mans life once he's dead. How we never know how we really effect someone elses' life. Farrel gets to go to his own funeral, and it's a moving and funny moment. It's amusing how people act after thinking he's dead and Farrel is talking to them about himself.

Things get complicated when Farrrel begins painting again, and his paintings are recognized and sold as "Farrels", who should be dead. So he ends up in court and must prove his identity in a very unconventional way. What's very interesting is he can get away with saying over and over, "I don't care, this isn't my lawsuit, I just want to paint!" As an artist, I sympathize with the frustration of the ridiculousness of the bureaucratic world which keeps the artist from self expression. I could read such themes into this movie forever, but I'm tired now. It's a good movie, it may bore some, but I found it simply wonderful.

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