The Lady Refuses

Last updated

The Lady Refuses
TheLadyRefusesDVDCover.jpg
DVD cover for the film
Directed by George Archainbaud [1]
Screenplay by Wallace Smith [2]
Story by Guy Bolton
Robert Milton [3]
Produced by William LeBaron [4]
Bertram Millhauser [2]
Starring Betty Compson
John Darrow
Gilbert Emery
Margaret Livingston
Cinematography Leo Tover [2]
Edited by Jack Kitchin [2]
Distributed by RKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • March 8, 1931 (1931-03-08)(US) [2]
Running time
72 minutes [4]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
The full film

The Lady Refuses is a 1931 American pre-Code melodrama film, directed by George Archainbaud, from a screenplay by Wallace Smith, based on an original story by Guy Bolton and Robert Milton. It stars Betty Compson as a destitute young woman on the verge of becoming a prostitute, who is hired by a wealthy man to woo his ne'er-do-well son away from the clutches of a gold-digger (Margaret Livingston). The plot is regarded as risqué enough to appear in at least one collection of pre-Code Hollywood films. [2]

Contents

Plot

John Darrow as Russell JohnDarrowTheLadyRefuses.jpg
John Darrow as Russell

Sir Gerald Courtney (Gilbert Emery) is an aristocrat whose son, Russell (John Darrow), prefers to spend his time partying with young women rather than focusing on the promising career he has in architecture. When Russell leaves one evening to revel with the gold-digging Berthine Waller (Margaret Livingston) rather than spending it dining with his father, Sir Gerald is a bit despondent. As he ponders what to do about his wayward son, providence takes a hand.

A beautiful destitute young woman, June (Betty Compson), on the verge of entering into the oldest of professions due to her desperation, is being pursued by the London police. Sir Gerald, who was at the window on the first floor watching his son leaving with Berthine Waller, observes how June leaves a taxi on the other side of the street, and is being cornered by the police. As she comes over to his house to knock, he opens the door and welcomes her as a niece he was expecting, reassuring the Policemen that she is a respectable citizen. After they leave, Sir Gerald invites her to dinner, after she tells him of her situation. He then proposes to hire June for 1000 Pounds to prevent his son from falling into the clutches of Berthine.

Betty Compson as June BettyCompsonTheLadyRefuses.jpg
Betty Compson as June

June does her job beautifully, as Russell leaves Berthine and begins to concentrate on his architectural career, much to his father's delight. There's a slight hitch, however: June has fallen in love with Sir Gerald, rather than Russell. Devastated, Russell calls Berthine to meet him at his apartment (which is upstairs in the same building where June lives). Seeing all of her work being unwound in a single evening, June lures Russell down to her apartment where she gets him so drunk that he passes out and spends the night.

Berthine arrives at Russell's apartment where she has been followed by an ex-lover, Nikolai Rabinoff (Ivan Lebedeff). In a jealous rage, Nikolai kills Berthine. The following morning Russell awakes to find June gone, having vowed to not come between the son and the father. Russell is also the main suspect in Berthine's murder. Seeking shelter from his father, Russell refuses to invoke June as his alibi. In order to save him, June steps forward and admits that Russell spent the night in her apartment. Sir Gerald, thinking the worst, renounces his devotion for June, which devastates her, but confirmed what she always feared: That Sir Gerald would never rely on her. June leaves his house, but when Sir Gerald, shortly thereafter, discovers the innocence of Russell's night spent in her apartment, he realizes his own mistake and vows to track her down and spend the rest of his life with her.

Cast

Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses.jpg
Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses

(cast list as per AFI database) [2]

Notes

In 1959, the film entered the public domain in the United States because the claimants did not renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication. [5]

During production, this film was known by several titles, including Children of the Streets, Ladies for Hire, A Lady for Hire and Forgotten Women. [6] According to several sources at the time, the noted screenwriter, Jane Murfin was supposed to have done work in the adaptation of the Milton/Bolton story for the screen, however, no sources give her credit for any writing work on the film. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Compson</span> American actress (1897–1974)

Betty Compson was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in The Docks of New York and The Barker, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

<i>A Woman of No Importance</i> 1893 play by Oscar Wilde

A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde is "a new and original play of modern life", in four acts, first given on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirises English upper-class society. It has been revived from time to time since his death in 1900, but has been widely regarded as the least successful of his four drawing room plays.

<i>Humiliated and Insulted</i> 1861 novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Humiliated and Insulted — also known in English as The Insulted and Humiliated, The Insulted and the Injured or Injury and Insult — is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in 1861 in the monthly magazine Vremya.

<i>The Curse of the Jade Scorpion</i> 2001 American crime comedy film by Woody Allen

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a 2001 American crime comedy film written and directed by and starring Woody Allen. The cast also features Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Elizabeth Berkley, John Schuck, Wallace Shawn, David Ogden Stiers and Charlize Theron. The plot concerns an insurance investigator and an efficiency expert who are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist into stealing jewels.

Letty Lynton is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther. The film was directed by Clarence Brown and based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes; the novel is based on an historical murder allegedly committed by Madeleine Smith. Crawford plays the title character, who gets away with murder in a tale of love and blackmail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivan Lebedeff</span> Russian actor

Ivan Lebedeff was a Russian film actor, lecturer and writer. He appeared in 66 films between 1926 and 1953. In 1940, his novel, Legion of Dishonor, was published.

<i>The Courtneys of Curzon Street</i> 1947 film by Herbert Wilcox

The Courtneys of Curzon Street is a 1947 British drama film starring Anna Neagle and Michael Wilding. It is a study of class division and snobbery in Britain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<i>Tarnished Lady</i> 1931 film

Tarnished Lady is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by George Cukor and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Clive Brook. The screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart is based on his short story, A Story of a New York Lady.

<i>The Stork Club</i> (film) 1945 film by Hal Walker

The Stork Club is a 1945 American musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Betty Hutton. The supporting cast features Barry Fitzgerald, Don DeFore and Robert Benchley.

<i>Woman to Woman</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

Woman to Woman is an all-talking sound 1929 British drama film with music directed by Victor Saville and starring Betty Compson, George Barraud and Juliette Compton. It is an adaptation of the 1921 play Woman to Woman by Michael Morton which had already been made in 1923 into a now-lost film. The 1929 version survives and unrestored copies are available on unofficial DVDs and streaming services.

<i>Midnight Mystery</i> 1930 film

Midnight Mystery is a 1930 American pre-Code mystery film directed by George B. Seitz, from a screenplay by Beulah Marie Dix, which was adapted from the play Hawk Island by Howard Irving Young. Betty Compson starred, leading an ensemble cast which included Hugh Trevor, Lowell Sherman, Rita La Roy, Ivan Lebedeff, Raymond Hatton, June Clyde and Marcelle Corday.

<i>The Life of Vergie Winters</i> 1934 film by Alfred Santell

The Life of Vergie Winters is a 1934 American Pre-Code film, starring Ann Harding and John Boles.

<i>The Little Minister</i> (1921 film) 1921 film

The Little Minister is a 1921 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on an 1891 novel and 1897 play by J. M. Barrie. Betty Compson stars in the film. Earlier film adaptations of Barrie's novel were mad and this one was released within weeks of a version by Vitagraph starring Alice Calhoun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Darrow</span> American actor

John Darrow was an American actor of the late silent and early talking film eras. He is the uncle of actress Barbara Darrow.

<i>The Green Temptation</i> 1922 film by William Desmond Taylor

The Green Temptation is a lost 1922 American silent melodrama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and starring Betty Compson. It was written by Julia Crawford Ivers and Monte Katterjohn based upon the short story "The Noose" by Constance Lindsay Skinner.

<i>Made on Broadway</i> 1933 film by Harry Beaumont

Made on Broadway is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and written by Courtney Terrett. The film stars Robert Montgomery, Sally Eilers, Madge Evans, Eugene Pallette, C. Henry Gordon and Jean Parker. The film was released on May 19, 1933, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<i>The Garden of Weeds</i> 1924 film by James Cruze

The Garden of Weeds is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by James Cruze and starring Betty Compson. It is based on the Broadway play Garden of Weeds by Leon Gordon and Doris Marquette. Famous Players–Lasky produced and Paramount Pictures distributed.

<i>The Fast Set</i> 1924 film by William C. deMille

The Fast Set is a 1924 American silent comedy-drama film directed by William C. deMille and starring Betty Compson. The film is based on the 1923 Broadway play, Spring Cleaning, by Frederick Lonsdale.

<i>Locked Doors</i> 1925 film

Locked Doors is a 1925 American silent romantic drama film directed by William C. deMille and starring Betty Compson. It was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

References

  1. ↑ "The Lady Refuses". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Lady Refuses: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  3. ↑ Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982). The RKO Story. New York: Arlington House. p. 34. ISBN   0-517-546566.
  4. 1 2 "The Lady Refuses: Technical Details". theiapolis.com. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  5. ↑ Pierce, David (June 2007). "Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain". Film History: An International Journal. 19 (2): 125–43. doi:10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125. ISSN   0892-2160. JSTOR   25165419. OCLC   15122313. S2CID   191633078. See Note 60, pg. 143.
  6. ↑ "The Lady Refuses, Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
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.