Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Edna Ferba adaptation
Review: "Saratoga Trunk" is one of Ferber's finest novels. She captures the essence of New Orleans and Saratoga in the late 19th century.The movie is remarkably true to the novel..what's more, given the war-time deprivations when the film was made, the sets are outstanding. Just wish the movie had stayed on course with the novel at the end..but still very much worth your while to view.
Rating: 
Summary: A Long "Lost" Cooper Film
Review: Although tied-up in legal knots for years, this film was finally shown on NBC TV as a "Saturday Night at the Movies" presentation back in the mid-1960's. The film has a great train wreck sequence!
Rating: 
Summary: Saratoga Trunk
Review: I do think Bergman was miscast, but she gives a very good effort at playing a part that would have been much better with Vivian Leigh or Joan Crawford or Betty Davis. And Bergman certainly is gorgeous and full of fire. But she is not believable. Cooper is fun to watch, but seems a parody of himself in this film. Here is one of the flaws. He seems to be in a different film than the other characters. His part is played mostly for comedy, the other parts are mainly played melodramatically. The film is wildly uneven and inconsistant. The tone of the film varies strangely in different sections: It starts dark and moody, almost like a horror film. Later scenes are either romantic melodrama, or broad comedy, and by far the best scene in the film is sophisticated and witty comedy, with far better dialogue than the rest of the film has (this is the scene where the old socialite trys to get the Bergman character to pay her to help Bergman win social acceptance). A couple of more flaws; the dwarf character is fun to watch in spots, but is the characterization, or poor acting ability of the man who plays him becomes grating. Flora Robeson, does quite a accomplished job playing the black servant; her New Orleans accent is quite believable. But despite her acting chops, she isn't believable as a black character; much of this is the makeup she wears. I assume that at the time the film was made, having a black actress play the cheeky, and not really subservient character would have been too radical for Hollywood. Since the audience knew that a white woman was playing this sort of black woman, presumably they would not be "shocked" or offended.
Rating:
Summary: No virtuous woman for Ingrid Bergman this time around
Review: Ingrid Bergman plays Clio Dulaine, the half-Creole illegitimate daughter of a new Orleans aristocrat, who returns to the Crescent City from Paris after her mother's death to revenge herself on her father's family. While she succeeds in humiliating the Dulaines, she flirts with Texas gambler, Colonel Clint Marron (Gary Cooper). He is not thrilled by her need for revenge and heads off to Saratoga Springs. Clio eventually shows up, pretending to be a French noblewoman in an attempt to get a rich husband, setting her sights on railroad tycoon Bart Van Steed (John Warburton). But we all know who is really the right guy for her. Bergman, a brunette for this film, certainly finds the sexy Clio to be a nice change of pace from the nuns and cool refugees from the continent she had been playing of late. Unfortunately, the melodrama offers nothing new and Bergman ends up with Gary Cooper because, well, he is Gary Cooper; a bit roguish, but still a pillar of strength and virtue. All the sparks are on her side of the equation. "Saratoga Trunks" is based on a novel by Edna Ferber. Flora Robson received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for role as Angelique, Clio's attendant, in this 1945 film was directed by Sam Wood.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Entertaining
Review: Ingrid is more beautiful than ever; Gary is perfect as "that Texas" out for revenge and fortune by hook or crook. As Clio and "Cleent", in her restored French Quarter house, when they stroll in her small garden and the lovely Steiner love theme plays, it is a romantics dream. ...if you love beautiful costumns, sets, and the romantic films from the golden era, you will like this movie.
When the little lawyer sent by her fathers aristocratic family comes to her house to buy her off and get her out of town, she bests him in the negotiations. A Magic Movie Moment comes when he looks at her with a small smile and says "may I say - you are very -- beautiful?" And she says with a beautiful, wicked smile "Yes, isn't it lucky?" You want to say YES!! You go girl!
Florence Bates as the grand dame in Saratoga steals every scene she is in. Jerry Austin as the dwarf "Pepito" jack-of-all-trades, is fun and I think brings dignity to the role. Flora Robson is quite good as the maid/companion and received an academy award nomination.
But it is the romantic French Quarter, the wide veranda at the Saratoga hotel, with all the old biddies rocking and gossiping; and Clio and Clint, two rogues, and their love story that make this so much fun to watch. Just relax and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The ONLY Gary Cooper movie I've ever liked
Review: Miscast? Hardly (in my opinion). This movie was a favorite of mine on the local stations' after school or latenight slots (in those ancient days before cable) and I waited years for it to be released in video. I can't imagine anyone being a fan of both Bergman AND Gary Cooper, but Bergman fans shouldn't let Cooper's presence be a deterrent . . . he's actually kinda attractive in this. Ingrid is, of course, stunning. But why doesn't anyone mention the fact that she plays one of Ferber's favorite archetypes: the light-skinned Black woman seeking to avenge her mother's mistreatment? She's quite believable in the role and the relationship between her and her maid/companion sets this apart from a lot of other films where Black actors are cast only as servants.
Rating:
Summary: The ONLY Gary Cooper movie I've ever liked
Review: Miscast? Hardly (in my opinion). This movie was a favorite of mine on the local stations' after school or latenight slots (in those ancient days before cable) and I waited years for it to be released in video. I can't imagine anyone being a fan of both Bergman AND Gary Cooper, but Bergman fans shouldn't let Cooper's presence be a deterrent . . . he's actually kinda attractive in this. Ingrid is, of course, stunning. But why doesn't anyone mention the fact that she plays one of Ferber's favorite archetypes: the light-skinned Black woman seeking to avenge her mother's mistreatment? She's quite believable in the role and the relationship between her and her maid/companion sets this apart from a lot of other films where Black actors are cast only as servants.
Rating:
Summary: View this film!
Review: This, in my opinion, is a wonderful movie. Ingrid Bergman is glorious and simply ravishing and Gary Cooper as handsome as ever. A must see in my book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This, in my opinion, is a wonderful movie. Ingrid Bergman is glorious and simply ravishing and Gary Cooper as handsome as ever. A must see in my book.
Rating:
Summary: Character actress saves the day!
Review: While I concur that English actress Flora Robson playing a "mulatto" is stretching things a bit, her studied performance, as well set decorations, is the only reason that this Cooper/Bergman vehicle is tolerable. Robson had an extremely long career on the stage and in film, comparable to contemporary Dame Judith Anderson. By portraying the role of Bergman's maid, she joined a rather short list, including Lord Olivier ("Othello") and Ava Gardner ("Showboat"), of white actors "passing" as black. Hey, it was the norm, back in the day. "Saratoga Trunk" was no different from most era westerns or historical dramas in the practice of white actors portraying persons of color.
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