Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)

(On Cable TV, March 2022) The universal appeal of Cyrano de Bergerac is such that you can watch the various movie adaptations while ignoring the plot and focusing one a single aspect: is the lead actor having fun? Indeed, this 1950 version seems to let its star, noted Francophile José Ferrer, have about as much fun as he can, starting with the “how to insult me” showcase sequence. Ferrer has the panache and flourish required to play the role, which would become his signature and win him the Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe for playing the character in different productions. He is, by far, the single best reason to watch Cyrano de Bergerac. Not that the rest is terrible, but that its execution is somewhat more ordinary, strongly influenced by the swashbuckler genre in addition to the romantic elements of the narrative. Ferrer alone elevates the result from fine to good. The rest is very much in-keeping with the tradition of the adaptations—you can then safely skip to Gérard Depardieu’s 1990 rendition, or Steve Martin’s reinvigorating 1987 take in Roxanne.