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Beware of Pity Poster

Beware of Pity

A paraplegic baroness mistakes a man's pity for love - and tragedy ensues.

Top Cast

  • Lilli Palmer

    Lilli Palmer

    Baroness Edith de Kekesfalva

  • Albert Lieven

    Albert Lieven

    Lt. Anton Marek

  • Cedric Hardwicke

    Cedric Hardwicke

    Dr. Albert Condor

  • Gladys Cooper

    Gladys Cooper

    Mrs. Klara Condor

  • Linden Travers

    Linden Travers

    Ilona Domansky

  • Ernest Thesiger

    Ernest Thesiger

    Baron Emil de Kekesfalva

  • Emrys Jones

    Emrys Jones

    Lt. Joszi Molnar

  • Ralph Truman

    Ralph Truman

    Maj. Sandor Balinkay

  • Fritz Wendhausen

    Fritz Wendhausen

    Josef

Overview

A paraplegic baroness mistakes a man's pity for love - and tragedy ensues.

Rating

6.7 / 10
7 Reviews
0 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    7 Sep 5, 2022

    Albert Lieven is efficient here as the Austrian officer "Marek" who meets the glamorous "Baroness Edith" (Lilli Palmer) at a lavish dance. Asking her for a waltz, he soon discovers that she has been paralysed. The two chat and remain in touch over the coming months where she falls well and truly in love. Thing is, he doesn't quite reciprocate and when she accidentally discovers this, she runs away, distressed and alone, and her thoughts turn to suicide. The title is quite apt here - it illustrates the dangers of, however innocently, leading someone on with gestures of affection and kindness when they don't have the necessary reality filters to appreciate the distinction between fondness and amour. It's set just before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, so has many of the opulent settings of the Hapsburg court as a backdrop - the costumes and settings all look grand. There is also an interesting sub-plot with dedicated doctor "Kondor" (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) and his blind wife "Klara" (a lovely, nuanced effort from Gladys Cooper) with the latter proving a vital conduit for the young man to realise just what his relationship with "Edith" really means... It's rather wordy this, and there are maybe just too many characters that rather diffuse the narrative a little too much - but if you enjoy historical melodrama with a fine period score from Nicholas Brodsky then you ought to enjoy this rather superior drama with a conscience.

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