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Tovarich (1937) was Boyer's third film with the delightful Claudette Colbert. The two play Russian nobility exiled to France by the 1917 revolution. They take jobs as servants in a French household that is somewhat reminiscent of the American family in "My Man Godfrey."

Boyer thought it prudent to follow his performance as Napoleon in Conquest with a comedy, and it proved to be a wise decision.  Tovarich's script is snappy and fast-paced, and whereas Colbert was already an established comedienne, audiences were pleasantly surprised to find Boyer equally adept.
The supporting cast featured Basil Rathbone in one of his classy clipped-voiced villain roles, and Melville Cooper and Isabel Jeans as the befuddled employers.

Tovarich is a combination of frothy comedy with bitter political undertones - it was an unqualified success when released, and remains extremely enjoyable today.

Confronting their nemesis, the Commissar (Basil Rathbone)   view more pictures

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