TEMPEST was shot at the end of 1927 and beginning of 1928. A very happy time for Barrymore, he had just bought the house on Tower Road from King Vidor and engaged William Cameron Menzies, designer of THE BELOVED AND TEMPEST, to supervise the building of a six room addition.
Barrymore assumed that he would soon be divorced from MICHAEL STRANGE and free to marry DELORES COSTELLO, which in fact he did on 28th November 1928. Despite his financial prosperity and this happy prospect, he continued to drink heavily.
TEMPEST is distinguised by the sets of Menzies and the photography of Charles Rosher which make it one of the most handsome of all Barrymore films. Particularly striking is the prison scene of Barrymore hallucinating.
Ernest Lubitsch was originally to direct, but he declined. An emigre white russian who had previously worked in Paris, VYATCHESLAV TOURJANSKY, replaced him and was then himself replaced by LEWIS MILESTONE. Finally SAM TAYLOR took over and was given screen credit. The film is based on a story by ERICH VON STROHEIM, but when it was completed STROHEIM insisted that his name be removed from the credits.
It is instructive to compare TEMPEST with WHEN A MAN LOVES. In TEMPEST Barrymore is struck dumb by love at first sight. He forces himself on the object of his affection (affectation?) and theatrically embraces her. When scorned, he maintains a stiff upper lip. He kisses rose buds. When being demoted in rank tears trickle down his cheek. When his comrade is off to the front, he openly weeps. In prison he goes mad and hallucinates. By post Ibsen and Chekhov standards, hardly naturalistic. But it is no more outlandish than the plot machination of WHEN A MAN LOVES which remains even today, wonderful entertainment.
In TEMPEST there are also some unfortunate elaborations on Barrymore's persona that, repeated over the years, become increasingly stale. Foremost among these is Barrymore as the drunk. Chugging champagne out of water goblets is hardly consistent with the character in TEMPEST and regardless is unfunny.
Shirtless in TEMPEST he projects the reality of a middle
aged man vainly sucking in his gut, puffing out his chest.
Above taken from the book "The film Acting of John Barrymore" by Joseph W. Garton. Needless to say, I totally disagree with his last comment! Although it may not be his best ACTING film, John has never looked SO HANDSOME AND DROP DEAD GORGEOUS!! And I'd like to see some Box Office Movie stars of today look as good as John did when he made this film (nearly 46)!!!
