Allegedly based on the 1933 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Alexander Woollcott, the British movie "Ctime Unlimited" bears little resemblance to this source at all and in actual fact was based on the 1894 novel, Trilby, by George Du Maurier - a property that Warner Brothers also owned.
The most notable film version of Trilby was Svengali (1931) in which John Barrymore played the title character.
On this occasion, the role is played - and played well - by sanpaku-eyed Herbert Lom, while Anne Crawford makes a most effective Trilby and David Farrar a more powerful and charismatic Little Billee.
The setting has been cleverly changed from opera to a circus, enabling director Harlow to incorporate a number of genuine acts, including a thrilling sequence in which a clown performs a number of breathtaking high wire stunts.
Nominal star, Ben Lyon, doesn't get too much in the way. Production values impress and the noirish photography by Otto Heller is a stand-out, particularly in the Herbert Lom sequences.
The most notable film version of Trilby was Svengali (1931) in which John Barrymore played the title character.
On this occasion, the role is played - and played well - by sanpaku-eyed Herbert Lom, while Anne Crawford makes a most effective Trilby and David Farrar a more powerful and charismatic Little Billee.
The setting has been cleverly changed from opera to a circus, enabling director Harlow to incorporate a number of genuine acts, including a thrilling sequence in which a clown performs a number of breathtaking high wire stunts.
Nominal star, Ben Lyon, doesn't get too much in the way. Production values impress and the noirish photography by Otto Heller is a stand-out, particularly in the Herbert Lom sequences.