Ladies of Leisure

Last updated

Ladies of Leisure
LadiesOfLeisurePoster.JPG
original newspaper advertisement
Directed by Frank Capra
Screenplay by Jo Swerling
Based on Ladies of the Evening
(1924 play)
by Milton Herbert Gropper
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Joseph Walker
Edited byMaurice Wright
Music by Mischa Bakaleinikoff
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • April 5, 1930 (1930-04-05)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Ladies of Leisure is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ralph Graves. The screenplay by Jo Swerling is based on the 1924 play Ladies of the Evening by Milton Herbert Gropper, which ran for 159 performances on Broadway. [1]

Contents

The film is about an artist from a wealthy family who hires a "party girl" as his model. As they get to know each other, the girl begins to regret her past, and the two fall in love, but they must face his family's strong opposition to their union. Ladies of Leisure received generally positive reviews, and Stanwyck's performance was praised by critics. [2] The success of the film made Stanwyck a star. [3] [4]

Plot

Aspiring artist, Jerry Strong, the son of a wealthy railroad tycoon, sneaks out of a party he allowed his friend Bill Standish to hold at his New York City penthouse apartment and studio. While out driving in the country, Jerry meets self-described "party girl" Kay Arnold, who is escaping from another party aboard a yacht, and gives her a ride back to the city. He sees something in her and offers her a job as his model for a painting titled "Hope". In their first session, Jerry wipes off her makeup to try to bring out her true nature. Perpetual partier and drunkard Standish thinks Kay looks fine just the way she is and invites her on a cruise to Havana. She declines his offer.

As they get to know each other better, Kay falls in love with Jerry and comes to rue her tawdry past. This is reflected in her face, and she finally achieves a pose Jerry finds inspiring. He paints so late into the night that he offers to let her sleep on his couch.

The next morning, Jerry's father John shows up and demands he dismiss Kay and marry his longtime fiancée Claire Collins. John found out all about Kay's checkered background and she does not deny the facts. When Jerry refuses, John cuts off all relations with his stubborn son. Kay decides to quit anyway for Jerry's benefit. This forces him to declare he loves her. She suggests running off to Arizona.

Jerry's mother comes to see Kay. Though Kay convinces her that she genuinely loves Jerry, Mrs. Strong still begs her to give him up for his own good. Kay tearfully agrees and makes plans to go to Havana with Bill Standish. Her roommate and good friend, Dot Lamar, races to tell Jerry, but by the time she reaches him, the ship has sailed. Despondent, Kay tries to commit suicide by leaping into the water. When she awakens in the hospital, Jerry is waiting at her bedside.

Cast

Production

Ladies of Leisure, which began with the working title of "Ladies of the Evening", [5] was Frank Capra's fifth sound film, and the first project over which Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn gave him complete creative control. Cohn assigned the director to adapt Ladies of the Evening, a melodrama David Belasco had produced on Broadway in late 1924, and after Capra completed a first draft screenplay he invited Jo Swerling – a playwright from New York who had been brought to Hollywood by Cohn [6] – to work on the script.

Swerling initially declined because he thought it was a "putrid piece of gorgonzola", "inane, vacuous, pompous, unreal, unbelievable – and incredibly dull", [7] but decided to work on it nonetheless. "I went to my hotel, locked myself in my room and for five days pounded out a rewrite story of the plot I'd heard, interrupting the writing only long enough for black coffee, sandwiches and brief snatches of sleep", the screenwriter later recalled. "I was simply writing a newspaper yarn with a longer deadline than usual." [8]

Despite the fact her three previous films had been critical and commercial failures, Cohn was intent on casting Stanwyck as Kay, but the actress was on the verge of returning to her theatrical roots in New York City. She agreed to meet with Capra, who had another actress in mind, [6] but the interview went badly. Stanwyck's husband, actor Frank Fay, became furious when Stanwyck returned home crying and called Capra to complain. The director was surprised by her reaction, saying she had acted as if she did not want the part. Fay urged him to screen a film test she had made for The Noose at Warner Bros., and Capra was so impressed by it he urged Cohn to sign her immediately. [7]

When filming began, Capra quickly learned Stanwyck was unlike any actress he previously had directed. In his autobiography The Name Above the Title, he recalled:

I discovered a vital technical lack – one that shook us all up: Stanwyck gave her all the first time she tried a scene ... All subsequent repetitions, in rehearsals or retakes, were pale copies of her original performance. This was a new phenomenon – and a new challenge, not only to me, but to the actors and the crews. I had to rehearse the cast without her. The actors grumbled. Not fair to them, they said. Who ever heard of an actress not rehearsing? ... On the set I never let Stanwyck utter one word of the scene until the cameras were rolling. Before that I talked to her in her dressing room, told her the meaning of the scene, the points of emphasis, the pauses ... I talked softly, not wanting to fan the smoldering fires that lurked beneath that somber silence. She remembered every word I said – and she never blew a line. [7]

Capra previously had worked with cinematographer Joseph Walker on four silent films. The director was impressed not only with Walker's artistic vision, but his various camera-related inventions as well. [9] He not only ground his own lenses, but he used a different one for each of the actresses he photographed. [9] Many of the elements typical of Capra films – the backlighting of actresses, the transformation of minimal sets into dreamlike images, the delicate night scenes and erotic rain scenes – were suggested to Capra by Walker. [10] The two collaborated on twenty projects between 1928 and 1946. [11]

Ladies of Leisure was filmed from December 1929 to January 1930, at Columbia's studios and on location at Malibu Lake. [5] The film should not be confused with Columbia's 1926 silent film of the same name, directed by Tom Buckingham and starring Elaine Hammerstein; however Capra's film was also released in a silent version for theaters not equipped for sound. [5] Both of Capra's silent and sound versions are held by the Library of Congress. The film was remade in 1937 by Columbia as Women of Glamour, starring Virginia Bruce and directed by Gordon Wiles. [5]

Critical reception

Following the film's premiere on April 5, 1930, Photoplay magazine reported that halfway through the showing, the audience "choked up" and that "something was happening ... a real, beautiful, thrilling wonder had been born." [2] The Photoplay article continued:

It was Barbara Stanwyck, whose performance in Ladies of Leisure is one of the greatest yet given in the adolescent talkies. It is truly thrilling. A star's been born, and we are proud to cry her welcome ... this beautiful young girl who possesses emotional power and acting talent that are really amazing. [2]

In his review for The New York Times , Mordaunt Hall praised the film for "its amusing dialogue, the restrained performances of nearly all the players and a general lightness of handling that commends the direction of Frank Capra." [12] Hall concluded, "The picture is sufficiently variegated in drama and more amusing moments to be attractive film fare." [12]

The review in Variety was less positive, noting that Stanwyck "delivers the only really sympathetic wallop of the footage" and "saves the particular picture with her ability to convince in heavy emotional scenes." [6] TV Guide later rated the film 2½ out of four stars and noted, "Capra kept everyone under tight rein and any tendency to emote was admirably stifled under his firm direction." [13]

Awards and honors

When the film was released, Capra was convinced that it would garner Academy Award nominations for himself and Stanwyck, and possibly even for best film. When it failed to get a single nomination, both he and Columbia studio head Harry Cohn were outraged and sent angry letters to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a result, Capra became a member of the Academy, but wanting more, campaigned to be one of the institution's board of governors, and was elected to a three-year term. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Capra</span> Italian-born American film director (1897–1991)

Frank Russell Capra was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind several major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five, his rags-to-riches story has led film historians such as Ian Freer to consider him the "American Dream personified".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Stanwyck</span> American actress (1907–1990)

Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility. She was a favorite of directors, including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra, and made 85 films in 38 years before turning to television.

<i>It Happened One Night</i> 1934 film by Frank Capra

It Happened One Night is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite tries to get out from under her father's thumb and falls in love with a roguish reporter. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the August 1933 short story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams, which provided the shooting title. Classified as a "pre-Code" production, the film is among the last romantic comedies created before the MPPDA began rigidly enforcing the 1930 Motion Picture Production Code in July 1934. It Happened One Night was released just four months prior to that enforcement.

<i>Its a Wonderful Life</i> 1946 film

It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas supernatural drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra. It is based on the short story and booklet "The Greatest Gift" self-published by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1943, which itself is loosely based on the 1843 Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol. The film stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who has given up his personal dreams in order to help others in his community and whose thoughts of suicide on Christmas Eve bring about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence Odbody. Clarence shows George all the lives he touched and what the world would be like if he had not existed.

<i>Lady for a Day</i> 1933 film by Frank Capra

Lady for a Day is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the 1929 short story "Madame La Gimp" by Damon Runyon. It was the first film for which Capra received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and the first Columbia Pictures release to be nominated for Best Picture. Capra also directed its 1961 remake, Pocketful of Miracles.

<i>Mr. Deeds Goes to Town</i> 1936 film

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is a 1936 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Frank Capra and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role. Based on the 1935 short story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland, which appeared in serial form in The American Magazine, the screenplay was written by Robert Riskin in his fifth collaboration with Frank Capra.

<i>The Awful Truth</i> 1937 film by Leo McCarey

The Awful Truth is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Leo McCarey, and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Based on the 1922 play The Awful Truth by Arthur Richman, the film recounts a distrustful rich couple who begin divorce proceedings, only to interfere with one another's romances.

<i>Lost Horizon</i> (1937 film) 1937 film by Frank Capra

Lost Horizon is a 1937 American adventure drama fantasy film directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the 1933 novel of the same name by James Hilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Arthur</span> American actress (1900–1991)

Jean Arthur was an American Broadway and film actress whose career began in silent films in the early 1920s and lasted until the early 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Cohn</span> Co-founder of Columbia Pictures Corporation (1891–1958)

Harry Cohn was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Vidor</span> American film director

Charles Vidor was a Hungarian film director. Among his film successes are The Bridge (1929), "Double_Door_(film)"(1934), The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942), The Desperadoes (1943), Cover Girl (1944), Together Again (1944), A Song to Remember (1945), Over 21 (1945), Gilda (1946), The Loves of Carmen (1948), Rhapsody (1954), Love Me or Leave Me (1955), The Swan (1956), The Joker Is Wild (1957), and A Farewell to Arms (1957).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Riskin</span> American screenwriter (1897-1955)

Robert Riskin was an American screenwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Frank Capra.

<i>State of the Union</i> (film) 1948 film by Frank Capra

State of the Union is a 1948 American drama film directed by Frank Capra about a man's desire to run for the nomination as the Republican candidate for President, and the machinations of those around him. The New York Times described it as "a slick piece of screen satire...sharper in its knife-edged slicing at the hides of pachyderm schemers and connivers than was the original." The film was written by Myles Connolly and Anthony Veiller and was based on the 1945 Russel Crouse, Howard Lindsay Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name.

<i>The Bitter Tea of General Yen</i> 1933 film

The Bitter Tea of General Yen is a 1933 American pre-Code drama war film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck, and featuring Nils Asther and Walter Connolly. Based on the 1930 novel of the same name by Grace Zaring Stone, the film is about an American missionary in Shanghai during the Chinese Civil War who gets caught in a battle while trying to save a group of orphans. Knocked unconscious, she is saved by a Chinese general warlord who brings her to his palace. When the general falls in love with the naive young woman, she fights her attraction to the powerful general and resists his flirtation, yet remains at his side when his fortune turns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Swerling</span> American dramatist

Jo Swerling was an American theatre writer, lyricist, and screenwriter.

<i>The Miracle Woman</i> 1931 film

The Miracle Woman is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck, David Manners, and Sam Hardy. Based on the play Bless You Sister by John Meehan and Robert Riskin, the film is about a clergyman’s daughter who becomes disillusioned by the mistreatment of her dying father by his church. Having grown cynical about religion, she teams up with a con man and performs fake miracles for profit. The love and trust of a blind veteran, however, restores her faith in God and her fellow man. The Miracle Woman was the second of five film collaborations between Capra and Stanwyck. Produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, the film was reportedly inspired by the life of Aimee Semple McPherson.

Ladies of the Evening is a play in four acts by Milton Herbert Gropper. It premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre on December 23, 1924. It closed in May 1925 after 159 performances. The production was produced and directed by David Belasco. It starred James Kirkwood as the painter Jerry Strong, Beth Merrill as Kay Beatty, Edna Hibbard as Dot Miller, H. Dudley Hawley as Calvin King, Kay Strozzi as Claire Standish, Vernon Steele as Tom Standish, and Robert O'Connor as Frank Forbes. The play was adapted into the 1930 film Ladies of Leisure starring Barbara Stanwyck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Stanwyck on stage, screen, radio and television</span>

Barbara Stanwyck was a prolific American actress and dancer who appeared in a total of 95 theatrically released full-length motion pictures. Orphaned before she was old enough to attend school, she became fascinated by the burgeoning film industry, and actress Pearl White in particular, whom she would mimic on the playgrounds. "Pearl White was my goddess, and her courage, her grace, and her triumphs lifted me out of this world."

<i>Flight</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

Flight is a 1929 American pre-Code adventure and aviation film directed by Frank Capra. The film stars Jack Holt, Lila Lee and Ralph Graves, who also came up with the story, for which Capra wrote the dialogue. Dedicated to the United States Marine Corps, the production was greatly aided by their full cooperation.

Ladies of Leisure is a 1926 American silent melodrama film produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film was directed by Tom Buckingham and stars Elaine Hammerstein.

References

  1. ↑ Ladies of the Evening details, Internet Broadway Database; accessed January 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 McBride, Joseph (1992). Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success . New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  215. ISBN   978-0671734947.
  3. ↑ Kendall, Elizabeth (2002). The Runaway Bride. New York: Cooper Square Press. p. 33. ISBN   978-0815411994.
  4. ↑ Osborne, Robert. Outro remarks on the Turner Classic Movies presentation of Ladies of Leisure (December 5, 2012)
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Notes" on TCM.com
  6. 1 2 3 Axmaker, Sean. "Ladies of Leisure". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 Capra, Frank (1971). The Name Above the Title: An Autobiography . New York: Macmillan. pp.  113–15. ISBN   978-0306807718.
  8. ↑ McBride 1992, pp. 212–20.
  9. 1 2 McBride 1992, p. 189.
  10. ↑ McBride 1992, p. 215.
  11. ↑ McBride 1992, p. 190.
  12. 1 2 New York Times review
  13. ↑ TV Guide review, undated, archived 20 March 2012, retrieved 1 September 2021
  14. ↑ Madsen, Axel. Stanwyck, iUniverse, 2001; ISBN   0595193986. p. 57
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.