MovieChat Forums > The Constant Nymph (1943) Discussion > TCM 2/23/2016

TCM 2/23/2016

posted 8 years ago by darogr
4 replies | jump to latest

I'm not a huge Fontaine fan, but it did take guts to play 14 and it suited her screen persona of being a nervous fidgety neurotic type.
Borderline creepy with the age difference angle. They were very careful to make sure we know nothing improper happened, but really, the thing to do when a man finds himself in that situation is to tell the girl "It's a crush and you will grow out of it", then tell his wife, then ship her off to boarding school where she will get over it. The entire soul mate and love of life angle is what every in the closet pedophile tells themselves is happening.
Boyer's character was insufferable anyway. Boyer being so old looking did not help matters. This film needed a better leading man if any film ever did. This was just not a part for Charles Boyer. He's wonderful in other things but just not this. An actor who could have played it like an extremely handsome but emotionally immature genius would have been better. If I had been the Alexis Smith character (btw such an under-rated actress, she's good in this and everything else), I would have shipped them both off the minute I suspected anything. Buy the house they lived in and let them go live there. Ick.
I just found the entire film mildly disturbing.

[–] tika313 8 years ago

I agree with you. I'm actually watching it right now but I had to take a break because I'm so distributed by Charles B. character. In the scene where he tried to kiss Tessa on her lips after both of them proclaimed their love for each other I got the impression from his body language and breathing that he was turned on physically.(yuck) She on the other hand conveyed an inexperienced girl fulfilling her fantasy of being with her prince charming. His behavior translates as lust, hers as chaste. His behavior is not only distasteful, it's illegal. He is a grown man playing around with a child. I don't care how emotionally immature he is or how mature she acts, it's wrong. I got to the next scene where he starts his BS with his wife who's only crime was loving him and that's all I could take. He married her for her money and status and because she's hot. A word popped into my head that isn't one I recall ever using but I think it's perfect here, he's a Cad.

[–] gary135r 8 years ago

The times were different back then, (yes that's cliche), but in the context of the times, especially since the Hays code was implemented, this film is not as disgusting as these two posters make it out to be. Watch "Susan Slept Here" a TCM perennial at Christmas time and it's May/December romance dwarfs this premise.

“Willoughby, sir? That’s Willoughby right outside. It’s July. It’s summer. It’s 1888.”

[–] tika313 8 years ago

I have seen S.S.H. a few times but didn't have a negative reaction. I think it's because he knows and acknowledged the impropriety of the situation immediately. He tried to put as much space between them as possible but had quite a challenge discouraging Susan. We all respond in different ways and that's fine by me. The world would be mighty boring if everyone was the same. I respect your comment and won't try to persuade you to see it any other way, so let's just agree to disagree.
P.S. I never noticed before that the abbreviation for S.S.H. are my initials. Thanks

[–] gary135r 8 years ago

Well, at least I brought you a revelation lol. I appreciate your comments and opinion, and it is refreshing to have someone understand another's opinion, for what it is. After all we are just giving our views on film which I love. So often people on IMDB go straight in attack mode like their opinion is the only one that counts. Cheers. 

“Willoughby, sir? That’s Willoughby right outside. It’s July. It’s summer. It’s 1888.”