CYRANO DE BERGERAC
starring Pierre Magnier
PICTURE PLAY
October, 1925
Just why a literary classic is supposed to make a good picture is something that I haven't been able to decide. The best books make poor pictures, and I earnestly hope that no one wastes another penny of his money proving that I am wrong.
"Cyrano de Bergerac," the Edmund Rostand classic, has been made into a dull picture by an Italian company. It is a "natural color" picture, and not unskillfully done, but it is frightfully stupid. I don't quite know why. The story isn't bad, and there are times when the picture is really beautiful. The subtitles are taken in large chunks from the book. They are long and tedious.
Pierre Magnier, a French cinema actor, gives a really fine, intelligent performance as Cyrano. He is one of the few good French cinema actors who has slipped past Ellis Island. It is not easy to hold your own in a role made famous by Mansfield and Hampden, especially when you are assisted by a very mediocre cast.