Devil-May-Care

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Devil-May-Care
Devil May Care poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sidney Franklin
Written by Hanns Kräly
Zelda Sears
Screenplay by Richard Schayer
Based onLa Bataille de dames, ou un duel en amour
by Ernest Legouvé and Eugène Scribe
Starring Ramon Novarro
Dorothy Jordan
Marion Harris
John Miljan
William Humphrey
Cinematography Merritt B. Gerstad
Edited by Conrad A. Nervig
Music by Herbert Stothart
William Axt
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release date
  • December 27, 1929 (1929-12-27)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$487,000 [1]
Box office$1,416,000 (worldwide rentals) [1]

Devil-May-Care is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Sidney Franklin with a Technicolor sequence of the Albertina Rasch Dancers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on December 27, 1929 and was Ramon Novarro's talkie debut. [2] [3]

Contents

The film is based upon the 1851 play La Bataille de dames, ou un duel en amour by Ernest Legouvé and Eugène Scribe. It is known by a variety of other names, including Battle of the Ladies (the film's working title), Der Leutnant des Kaisers (Austria), Der jüngste Leutnant (Germany), Il tenente di Napoleone (Italy), and O lohagos tis aftokratorikis frouras (Greece).

Lobby card Devil May Care lobby card.jpg
Lobby card

Plot

This romantic adventure chronicles the escapades of one of Napoleon's followers. After his leader's exile, the follower is arrested and slated for execution. He is before the firing squad, but manages to escape. To hide, he dashes into the bedroom of a bedazzling Royalist. He falls in love, but she patriotically turns him in. Again he makes a daring escape. Once again he meets the beautiful woman, who undergoes a change of heart and this time, stays loyal to the daring adventurer. Songs include: "Bon Jour", "Louie", "March of the Old Guard", "Why Waste Your Charms", "The Gang Song", "Madame Pompadour", "Charming", "If He Cared".

Cast

Soundtrack

Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
Written by Dimitri Tiomkin
Performed by Albertina Rasch Dancers

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles, California: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. Progressive Silent Film List: Devil-May-Care at silentera.com
  3. The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Devil-May-Care