Horrorfest 2023: Svengali

Svengali

Screenplay by J. Grubb Alexander

Based on the novel by George du Maurier

Directed by Archie Mayo

Starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Bramwell Fletcher, Donald Crisp and Carmel Myers

USA, 1931

"Svengali" is one of those terms I've always heard but never really knew the story behind. All I knew was it was a guy who could control people. After all, his name was the inspiration for horror host Svengoolie, who has the power to control me, by getting me to sit in front of the TV every Saturday at 8:00.

Turns out Svengali was the villain of George du Maurier's novel, TRILBY, which is one of those stories that has been adapted many times, most notably as a play called SVENGALI, which, in turn, has been filmed several times.

This 1931 version stars Horrorfest alum and Drew's grandfather, John Barrymore. He graced us with his sinister presence all the way back in the very first Horrorfest in 2009, where he starred in a silent version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. So, it was interesting to hear him in a talkie this time.

Yes, Svengali can control people through hypnotism, and in this case, he uses hypnotism to turn the beautiful milkmaid Trilby (Marian Marsh) into his opera-singing protege. See, Svengali's a pianist and composer, and at the outset of the film is a struggling, starving artist, attempting to take advantage of his students and fellow artists in order to survive. But, once he sets his sites on Trilby, he steals her away for the big time, only to eventually end in tragedy.

Apparently there is some controversy over whether SVENGALI is even a horror film. I can see why. Much of it is intended to be funny, oddly enough, given the subject matter, and much of the rest of it is the stuff of melodrama. However, I'd say the sinister look and presence of Svengali himself, as well as his powers and the way he uses them to manipulate women, put him firmly in the camp of "horror villain." Add to that the fact that many of the sets, especially early in the movie, take strong influence from German expressionist filmmaking, which is synonymous with horror. And, one dream-like sequence in which Svengali stares out his window and we fly over the roof tops of town to where Trilby is sleeping, is quite impressive, if not horrific.

As the film unfolded I began to wonder if Svengali was an unfortunate antisemitic character, so I paused and Googled and guess what? Sure enough, he is. Apparently after the initial novel, references to the character's Jewish heritage were lessened in later re-tellings, but one has to assume antisemitic stereotypes influenced the look of the character, and maybe even Barrymore's performance, which is a bummer, because it's quite memorable.

Unfortunately, the movie as a whole is not. It's mostly just boring. But, it was nominated for two Academy Awards -- Production Design and Cinematography, both of which it deserved.