Robert Montgomery

Susan Hayward

John Payne

Audrey Totter

Harry Morgan

Harry von Zell

Cara Williams

Chill Wills

Heather Angel

John Baragrey

Fay Baker

Barbara Billingsley

Peter Brocco

Curt Conway

Addison Richards

Archie Twitchell

Maris Wrixon

Philip Van Zandt

Lomax Study

Kathleen Freeman

Milton Krasner

Paul Weatherwax

Joseph Sistrom

Alexander Golitzen

Russell A. Gausman

Ted Offenbecker

Mary Kay Dodson

Glenn E. Anderson

Leslie I. Carey

Claude Binyon

Frederic Wakeman

John Hambleton

David Tamkin

Nick Castle

Carmen Dirigo

Bud Westmore

David S. Horsley

Frank Shaw

Walter Scharf

Drama

The Saxon Charm

Universal Pictures

Universal International Pictures

United States of America

CinemaSerf

As we watch this eponymous character throw his weight around, we are not exactly inundated with any charm (or steamed cabbage). He (Robert Montgomery) is a bully, a snob, and frankly rather an odious Broadway producer. He is introduced to "Eric" (John Payne) and his wife "Janet" (Susan Hayward) when he is told that there is a script to be had. Now "Eric" is a bit green with all of this, and is soon not only rewriting pretty much everything, but his marriage is struggling and he's even bankrolling his supposed impresario (and his long suffering factotum "Hermy" (Henry Morgan). What now ensues is a nicely presented tale of being hoist by your own petard. When people start to scent blood - they combine, connive and find effective ways of exacting their revenge on their erstwhile mentor. Montgomery is actually quite convincing here, but Payne never really did set the heather on fire and we simply don't see enough of Susan Hayward - whose character is not exactly strong, anyway. It's certainly a watchable and decently paced ninety minutes that shines a bit of a light on the Machiavellian theatrical tactics of producers and their rather selfish ways, it could just have been doing with a stronger antagonist for "Saxon".

English