Themes: Death of a Parent, Haunted By the Past, Out For Revenge
Main Cast: Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Flora Robson, Jerry Austin, John Warburton
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 135 minutes
Plot
Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper paired off again after For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) with this overwrought melodrama based on the romance novel by Edna Ferber. Bergman plays Clio Dulaine, a beautiful half-Creole woman whose return to 1875 New Orleans from Paris creates a stir. Born out of wedlock, Clio's mother was a local woman who became pregnant by a wealthy, married landowner. Scandalized, his wife and family set about humiliating Clio's mother and even paid for Clio's voyage to France in an effort to get rid of the girl. Now Clio returns with a dwarf, Cupidon (Jerry Austin), and a maid, Angelique (Florence Robson) in her entourage. At the docks, Clio meets a handsome gambler from Texas, Colonel Clint Maroon (Cooper) and is smitten. To Clio's delight, their blossoming romance inspires calumny, but Maroon soon realizes that Clio is a gold digger. He departs for Saratoga Springs, where he is working on a venture involving the railroad. Clio follows him there, bent on marrying either Clint or his business partner, Bart Van Steed (John Warburton). Saratoga Trunk (1945) was exhibited to servicemen overseas in WWII for two years before it was released to the general public. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
A big box-office hit at the time of its release, Saratoga Trunk is a well-mounted and enjoyable but essentially empty film that is saved by the star power of its two leads. That star power is at top wattage, with both Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman in peak physical form and generating the requisite sparks that this story needs to be more-or-less credible. Cooper is very good, easygoing yet nobody's fool, but it's not a part that is especially challenging. Bergman is perhaps more impressive because it is a change-of-pace character for her, a real gold digger who, even if she does end up displaying a good heart, is avaricious and vengeful. She pulls it all off without ever losing audience sympathy. The supporting cast is fine, with especially good work from a delicious Florence Bates. Sam Wood's direction is fine, but it's unable to overcome the hollowness of the script or its more melodramatic tendencies. Wood also allows the film to go on too long, ultimately negating some of its effectiveness. Still, if Saratoga is not a great film, it's a fine showcase for some good old Hollywood acting. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Saratoga Trunk is a 1945 film written by Edna Ferber and Casey Robinson, based on Ferber's best-selling novel of the same name. It stars Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Florence Bates, and Flora Robson, who was nominated for a Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance.
Plot
Ingrid Bergman played a notorious woman (Clio) who comes back to New Orleans and falls for a Texas gambler, portrayed by Gary Cooper.
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