The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss (1937)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Simply Perfect

Good concept, poorly executed.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This inter-war comedy-drama is centred on Ernest Bliss; he is a millionaire but still isn't happy. A friend advises him to see Sir James Aldroyd, a Harley Street consultant. Sir James tells Bliss that the problem boredom; he has so much money he doesn't need to do anything. The two end up making a bet; Bliss must live for a year without touching his financial reserves; if he loses he must pat £50,000, if he wins he gets an apology. He leaves his expensive flat in the hands of his butler the catches a tube to the East End with only five pounds in his wallet. He struggles to get a job but eventually gets one at a struggling business but after using some of his own money to help the company he moves on so he can't be seen as benefitting from his wealth. He later gets a job working as a chauffeur but keeps in touch with the secretary from his former job. They develop a relationship but will she settle down with a man she thinks is almost penniless?The story is simple enough but works nicely. The protagonist may be rich but the message to viewers, few of whom could aspire to his wealth, is that money doesn't buy happiness; that it is better to be poor and happy then rich and bored... not too subtle but not as patronising as it could be. Gary Grant does a fine job as Bliss and Mary Brian is likeable as his romantic interest, Frances. There are a couple of entertaining if not entirely necessary subplots; one involving a pair of crooks who think Bliss is merely somebody who looks like him and try to recruit him to rob himself and second involving an employee who is trying to take advantage of Frances. Overall this isn't a classic but it is fun enough, especially if you are a fan of Cary Grant or 1930s British cinema.These comments are based on watching the shortened version of the film; I must say it did feel a bit rushed at times so it would be interesting to compare it to the full length version.

With a loss of about seven minutes including a montage sequence of the hero pursuing various odd jobs, this is a cleverly cutdown American release version of Britain's The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss starring Hollywood's Cary Grant and Mary Brian. The pace is fast and has plenty of action plus a big helping of romance. What the American version does not have is a great deal of comedy, but excellent acting all around from both Grant and Brian plus a host of support players more than makes up for that deficiency. Combining both good location and top- notch studio work, Alfred Zeisler's direction is never less than highly competent and is occasionally extremely brilliant. Available on many DVDs, including the 50 Movie Mega-Pack of Comedy Classics.

Alfred Zeisler sought to make a comical story of the much famous Ernst Bliss in folklore. Cary Grant was an indispensable pick as his retorts and witty alacrity add to the characters sulken quality.I think this kept Grant in good stead; it's not a lavish production or even an actual proficiently made one. But for what it's worth, you can get into the narrative and watch the way it unfolds. The crux is that it's about the mogul Ernest Bliss, who inherited fortune from his Father posthumously. Idle and fatigued, he seeks more life and from the aid of a psychologist he decides to go on hiatus from money for 12 months.Of course, in a way, this is a good allegory. Life is worth more then money. It may be a platitude but we get the essence of this from the help that Bliss bestows - he gets a business funded for Frances. In conflict with Clare and that (an unmitigated insignificant subplot), the idea behind Blisses assessment of love is somewhat superficial until the end I feel. At one point he utters "Love is more then Money", which the psychologist finds insane. A little hypocritical? Trying to put him adrift in another path, yet still uncertain about how it works? I don't know.Though I do know that is Grant that holds up the foundation of the film in the enjoyment department, especially in the scene where two people find out he's that mogul, and they have a slapstick fight in the house.The film is limited in location shots, albeit it also uses cheap segues and effects. In a way another problem is that Bliss is smitten with a totally unlikable character who I adopted an aversion for after she straight up admitted to the fact she was avaricious. His chasm though is that of meaning, but hers is that of a compromised love. He has to help her and then becomes even more enamoured to her.This was made just a few years prior to Frank Capra's "Mr Smith Goes to Washington", but it took a while for there to be a colossal film for Grant. It's not here, but you can explicate his character traits here - unceremonious and visceral to name a few. The story is stylised, the plot is heavy handedly handled and the tone is comical, so it's completely innocuous (unless you get offended by the shear synthesis of implausible love).It could be subjected to ample fan base material though, which may be favourable to it. But I have to admit I'm not impressed with the overall experience. Also there will be no qualms for the running time as it goes swimmingly and ends in a blink, though I find that to be insatiable. I quite like long films (La Roue, 1900, Barry Lyndon, Greed, Intolerance, Gone with the Wind, Andy Warhol etc.).

The Amazing Quest of Ernest Bliss, is not a mind blowing film by any stretch of the imagination. However, it is noteworthy as being the one and only film Cary Grant ever made in his native England for an English Studio.Grant plays Ernest Bliss, a wealthy London playboy with nothing to do but drink martini's in his posh west end club and wine and dine the female socialites of his class. Amazingly, he's still not a happy man, he's restless and short tempered and not knowing why, he visits the Harley Street Offices of Doctor Sir James Alroyd. (Peter Gawthorne). Sir James however, not only has his Harley Street practice, but is a great philanthropist who also helps the poorer people from the East End over come their ailments for little or no payment, and cannot disguise his visible contempt for Bliss.After examining Bliss he delivers his diagnosis to the shocked playboy, which turns out to be nothing more than a chronic case of boredom. He's bored because he's been spoilt and pampered all of his life without ever having to do a single thing for himself and hasn't anything constructive to do but live out his days spending his inheritance. Bliss in an attempt to prove there is more to him than what Sir James has said, bets him £50'000 that he can make an honest living for a whole year without touching any of his money for his own benefit.Incognito, Bliss sets off to the East End in an old suit and just enough money for the tube fare, but soon realises that his 'quest' is not as easy as he first thought. However, he also realises the strength and kindheartedness of the working classes. He's touched by the generosity of these people, good people who will give you what they have even though they haven't that much to give. Convinced that he is not using his money for HIS own benefit as his deal with Sir James stipulated, Bliss begins to use his inheritance to help these people out of certain situations, thus changing their lives for the better.As I mentioned earlier, it's not a great film but it's heart is certainly in the right place. and the movie is riddled with great and much missed British character actors/actresses of the 1930's and '40's. American Actress Mary Brian plays Frances Clayton, Grant's love interest.It such a shame that the movie runs just a little over an hour and has obviously been cut to shreds by a crazed studio editor somewhere, because there is/was an 80 minute print of this movie available at one time or another. So my 'amazing quest' is now to hunt down this elusive version if it still exists which sadly I doubt, as Empire Film Studios were never a major player in British movie making before or after the war. It's a genuine possibility that the original 80 minute print was destroyed in the blitz with only the 61 minute USA version still in existence. who knows?.Enjoy!!!