One of our other reviewers beat me to the use of "Saratoga Stunk", so I'll have to settle for "Saratoga Flunk". Somehow I had never seen this film, and when I saw it listed on TCM my thought was, "Oh boy, Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman together. This will be great." Gary Cooper is just fine here. He may be the best thing about the film, in fact. I can't say the same for Ingrid Bergman, despite the fact that I usually very much enjoy her performances. This marks only the second film I've ever seen her in that I disliked (immensely), the other being "Anastasia". She even looks goofy in this film.
And then there's the midget. Was he supposed to be that creepy? And then there's the matter of Flora Robson, a fine WHITE English actress, who plays a BLACK Haitian maid in black face. Fine performance, but perhaps the worst makeup job in the history of Hollywood.
Florence Bates, a very reliable character actress, has a good role for which she was perfect. John Warburton is good as a railroad executive and alternate romantic interest for Bergman.
The story is about a young woman who intends to get revenge for the way she and her family were treated in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it all seems so terribly petty. I was thinking that Vivien Leigh could have pulled it off, but Bergman simply ends up looking rather foolish. Much of the film is little more than a drawing room costume drama, although there is a great action sequence late in the picture involving the railroad trunk line in question (no, the trunk in the title is not about a suitcase trunk). Perhaps the film redeems itself a bit in the last 20 minutes, but it's a long slog...well over 2 hours.
There are those who like this film, but I think it's just horrible...and I see I am not alone.
And then there's the midget. Was he supposed to be that creepy? And then there's the matter of Flora Robson, a fine WHITE English actress, who plays a BLACK Haitian maid in black face. Fine performance, but perhaps the worst makeup job in the history of Hollywood.
Florence Bates, a very reliable character actress, has a good role for which she was perfect. John Warburton is good as a railroad executive and alternate romantic interest for Bergman.
The story is about a young woman who intends to get revenge for the way she and her family were treated in New Orleans. Unfortunately, it all seems so terribly petty. I was thinking that Vivien Leigh could have pulled it off, but Bergman simply ends up looking rather foolish. Much of the film is little more than a drawing room costume drama, although there is a great action sequence late in the picture involving the railroad trunk line in question (no, the trunk in the title is not about a suitcase trunk). Perhaps the film redeems itself a bit in the last 20 minutes, but it's a long slog...well over 2 hours.
There are those who like this film, but I think it's just horrible...and I see I am not alone.