It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

"Women marry men they hope they can change, and men marry women whom they hope will never change". So says the wise, aging scoundrel played by Henry Stephenson, giving a terrific performance in this lavish looking Goldwyn film that features a story similar to Selznick's 1939 classic "Intermezzo", that of a decent man (Ronald Colman) who finds himself involved with another woman while married to a wonderful woman and separated from her. The separation comes because of the wife's (Kay Francis) silly younger sister (Florine McKinney), escorting her to Italy on a whim on the day before Colman and Francis's seventh anniversary. Stephenson takes Colman out to dinner where they meet two young women (Phyllis Barry and Viva Tattersall) and spend a night out on the town with them. Barry falls head over heels in love with Colman who warns her about his situation, but she cannot allow herself to go. Unlike Ingrid Bergman in "Intermezzo", Barry is emotionally immature, even if she's not an outwardly silly creature like McKinney, and the story indicates that nothing inappropriate occurs during the times Colman and Barry are together.As he would do in his string of independent films of the 1930's, Samuel Goldwyn (along with director King Vidor and their artistic team) creates a very lavish fantasy like setting, with sensational glamorous restaurants, beautiful parks with lush greenery and art decco houses and other locales. From the reviews I've read, this has been referred to as being greatly dated, but the only thing I find perhaps dated about it is the fact that all three people involved in the situation are incredibly nice, although Barry's final act shows her to be an already troubled girl who needed more maturing before entering into any kind of serious relationship regardless of the other person's marital status. Francis gives her usual professional performance, noble yet not long-suffering, understanding yet not shocked when the revelations come out. Stephenson's character reminds me of the lovable old coots that Charles Coburn would later become famous for, and he steals every scene he is in with wit, wisdom and a touch of an "I've been there, done that...several times" attitude. As for Barry, she instills her young character with a love of life in the zest of youth that is hiding an inner sadness, indicating that past affairs have not been fulfilling and that she's either doomed to end up alone...or simply just doomed. A surprising climax has the previously vivacious Tattersall confronting Colman over an acting towards Barry, showing a great loyalty and moral code that you didn't expect to come from her. While looking at gossip column reports on affairs today, this might seem a bit unrealistic, but this is a view of a different kind of affair, one where the outcome is about companionship and the avoidance of loneliness rather than one of strictly sexual pleasure. Today's audiences might laugh at such an operatic view of old school scandals, but there are many lessons here to be learned, from the art of personal grace to the meaning of what true love really is, and ultimately, what keeps a marriage together even beyond the worst of situations.

Ronald Colman may never have been better than as the happily married barrister who foolishly embarks on an extramarital affair with a young shopgirl, (Phyllis Barry), in King Vidor's now totally forgotten "Cynara". Made pre-Hays Code this is one of Vidor's best and certainly least known films that treats the subject of adultery with surprising frankness as well as a considerable degree of tenderness. Excellent work, too, from that very fine and underrated actress Kay Francis as the wronged wife and Henry Stephenson as Colman's older friend who is largely responsible for driving Colman into the younger woman's arms. Seek this one out.

Despite the fact that the film stars the ever erudite Ronald Colman, there just isn't much to recommend this bizarre Pre-Code melodrama. Much of it is because the message is muddled, inconsistent and bizarre...and the characters are completely unlikable.Colman plays a very well-respected barrister who has every reason to be happy. And, he loves his wife and tells her and everyone else how lucky he is. Because of this, what follows really makes no sense. At the insistence of his 'friend' (Henry Stephenson in a VERY atypical sort of role for him), Colman takes one stupid step after another and is headed for an affair. Again and again, Colman says 'no'--and only seconds later, does exactly what this young lady wants. Now here is the weird part--although he spends time with the lady, tells her he loves her and kisses her, no sort of sexual relationship is even implied!! So, we are expected to believe he is now cheating on his wife BUT doesn't want to sleep with the lady! Huh?!? The young lady turns out to be a bit flaky. Although he insists repeatedly that he loves his wife and won't leave her, she persists in pushing him to do exactly this. Now considering that Colman plays a real wienie who always caves in, you can understand her expectations. But, when he continues to refuse to leave his wife, she responds by killing herself and the film tries very hard to make you feel sorry for Colman--who just seems like a giant idiot and an unlikable one at that.So what is the point of the film? Should you have lots of affairs ONLY just be certain the ladies involved are non-suicidal? Is adultery okay as long as you don't 'do the nasty'? Can the audience care about a man's predicament when he creates it himself, is awfully unlikable and a dope? All I know is that I just didn't give a rat's behind for him or the story. A weird combination of Pre-Code morality and prudishness. Clearly one of Colman's worst films.

And I've always been faithful to this film in my fashion. Rather ignored and almost completely forgotten, with such a simple but eternal storyline it remains an excellent watch. The acting and production is slightly stilted as with early talkies, but it's the other-world moralities displayed by both departments most people would find difficult to assimilate.The Fatal Attraction type plot has already been well outlined, this is one where the main characters definitely don't end smelling of roses. Henry Stephenson must have played kindly old gentlemen in dozens of films, here he's a kindly old cynical sleazebag - quite jarring it is! Also Colman for hoping to be impervious to female wiles, and Francis as his wife for childishly encouraging temptation - but she does get to say Divine! Halliwell Hobbes also froths too nastily as an outraged coroner.If you've got the patience it's an absorbing melodrama, one I've seen maybe a dozen times over the years now with no loss of enjoyment, and with a salutary lesson for both sexes that's well worth learning but won't be.