Arsène Lupin (1932) Starring John Barrymore, Lionel
Barrymore, Karen Morley. Directed by Jack Conway.
Screenplay by Carey Wilson. Based on the play Arsène Lupin by Maurice
Leblanc and Francis de Croisset (Paris, 28 Oct 1908) and was based on the book
of the same name by Maurice Leblanc, first published in Paris in 1907. Producer
(none Credited) Run time: 84 minutes. USA Black and White Pre-code. Drama. Crime. Comedy.
If you’re like me, you may be aware of Arsène
Lupin through Lupin III, a series of manga and anime about the
supposed grandson. The origins go back
to a short story written by Maurice Leblanc, "The Arrest of Arsène
Lupin", which was published on July 15, 1905. The character would go on to be
featured in 17 novels and 39 novellas by Leblanc published until 1935.
It should come as no surprise that films would be made as
well. The surprise may be in how many. The first film was The Gentleman
Burglar (1908). The German film Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes
followed in 1910. A French film called Arsène Lupin came out in 1914. A
new version of The Gentleman Burglar (1915) was followed by a pair of
films called Arsène Lupin (1916; UK) and (1917, US). Overall, there have
been at least 25 films made, with the most recent being the Japanese film Lupin
no Kiganjoh (2011). That doesn’t count the television series (Lupin III),
stage plays, comic books, and video games based around the character and his descendant.
While the finished film would star the acting Barrymore
siblings, they were not the first choices for the roles. Robert Montgomery and
John Gilbert were both considered for the starring role in the film. This would
end up being the first of four films to feature the brothers. They would also
appear in Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and Rasputin
and the Empress (1933).
