St. Martin’s Lane (1938)

Film: St. Martin's Lane (1938)

Stars: Charles Laughton, Vivien Leigh, Rex Harrison, Larry Adler, Tyrone Guthrie

Director: Tim Whelan

Oscar History: No nominations

Snap Judgment Ranking: 4/5 stars

Being a cinephile requires patience, planning, persistence, & perspective (very proud of that alliteration).  The latter is key because unless they invent a watch that stops time or you plan on living forever, you're never going to see every movie.  I know I'm not as practiced as some of my film-watching brethren (actually having to write reviews for the films on this blog occasionally gets in my way-also, follow me on Letterboxd as I do sometimes skip the longer reviews but do shorter ones on there for films that don't speak to me enough to justify a TMROJ treatment), but I still see 2-300 movies a year and that never scratches the surface of what I'd need to see to get to them all.  Sometimes, though, I'm given the opportunity to see an older, forgotten film that I'd never heard of before I press play, and that was the case with St. Martin's Lane, a British film from 1938 (1938 again!) starring Charles Laughton and a pre-Scarlett Vivien Leigh) which is also known as Sidewalks of London based on your geography.  I ended up being delighted by the movie, finding it moving & featuring two beautiful performances from its juxtaposed leads.

(Spoilers Ahead) The movie is about Charles Staggers (Laughton) a street performer who does stately oratory for little money, but seems happy enough because it's what he enjoys doing.  He meets a pickpocket named Liberty (Leigh), who initially steals from him but eventually they become genuine friends, and he incorporates Liberty into his act.  Liberty, though, is young-and-beautiful and is pursued by Harvey Prentiss (Harrison), a songwriter who can offer her a way out of her current life of poverty as a real actress.  Liberty takes the chance, leaving Charles (scorning him as he offers her a life together), and becomes a star, while Harvey becomes an alcoholic.  The ending of the film is bittersweet, as Liberty tries to get Charles an audition, but he botches it, understanding that Liberty deserves better & he leaves her to her stardom, returning back to the happy life he had as a busker.

Laughton & Leigh purportedly hated each other in real life (they never made another movie together), but it's hard to see that in this movie where their chemistry is marvelous.  Occasionally billed as a comedy, it's not-this is a serious picture, one that takes a look at the have's and have not's not only when it comes to money, but with happiness.  There's something so bitter in the rough hand that life has given Charles, who has a genuine talent but years of being beaten down, weathered, and discarded have taken that from him, forever.  Given the light of a new opportunity with Liberty, he tries to touch it, but it's too bright, and she's too much for him, even though he's grateful for the time that he's been given with her.

Both performers, as I said, are wonderful.  Laughton has a tendency to teeter into bombast, but that's not the case here-he's so tender & sweet as Charles, and finds dimensions to him that even the smart script can't quite discern-you get the sense that Laughton knew men likes this, where the talent was there but the world didn't quite give them a chance.  And Leigh is excellent as the live wire Liberty.  A year out from the role that would make her immortal, she shows all of the fire & sensitivity of Scarlett, but in a completely different creation, not being shy about Liberty's faults, but also about her bravery in forging into a world that Charles found too scary to indulge.  Both of them combine to make a lovely, small love story, and one that I hope you seek out as in a sea of endless movies, this is one that's worth your time.