The Reluctant Widow

This is supposed to be a romantic historical drama of the Napoleonic times with intrigues on the highest levels, smugglers and villains, haphazard marriages, deceits, murders and furious fencing bringing down the house, but it is all just effects without substance. Guy Rolfe is generally a stately actor with interesting roles, but this role is wasted on him. Jean Kent is much better as a shrew, which is her common field of acting. The villain is too charming and good-looking to be convincing, and there are more rogues and scoundrels here than there is room for them in this sumptuous castle of a house. Apparently it all happens in Scotland, and the French intrigue seems a little far-fetched in the Scottish wilderness. Not even Kathleen Byron can save this film, mainly because her role is minimal. What a waste of wonderful scenery when they just have to smash it all in an endless sword fight, and on top of all this it is all predictable. Jean Kent landed in the wrong place from the beginning, but she learned to thrive in all its wickedness and turmoil of intrigue. Only the music is good.