Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: Lies, All Lies! Edition, Part I

Wonderland Burlesque's 

Let's All Go To The Movies

Lies, All Lies! Edition, Part I

Continuing on with my assumption that November is the month of secrets... well, secrets tend to lead to rumors which tend to lead to... lies!

Yes, it's lies, all lies, I tell you.

Now, this is the first of two parts...yes, that's right! So many lies one post simply couldn't hold them all.

And remember, when it comes to lies? Best keep it simple - something some of these films should have taken note of. 

And, if you want to get away with it? Never change your story - which might explain all the remakes. 

Got it? Good.

Then, what are we waiting for?  

Let's peel back the layers and the years and get to the truth about today's classic movie selections.

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She Loves And Lies

(1920)

AKA: Two Women

(A young woman is left a fortune by a wealthy admirer, however there are strings; she must marry the man she loves. She has a man in mind, but is too shy to ask, so she hatches a plot. Disguised as an elderly woman of means, she approaches the object of her affections with an offer: she will bail him out of his impending bankruptcy if he marries her - but, again, there is a catch; he must let her know if he ever falls in love with another woman. If he does, she will agree to divorce him. Eventually, as her younger self, she manages to win his heart and when he confesses to his elderly wife that he loves another, he is relieved and happy to discover that he is already married to the woman he loves. 

(Norma Talmadge was a popular star of the silent screen. When talkies came into vogue, she made two - neither a success - and retired a wealthy woman. Her wealth was primarily derived due to her marriage to  Broadway and film producer Joseph M. Schenck. The two formed a highly successful film company, providing Talmadge with numerous roles. However, all was not happy. During an adaptation of Camille, she fell in love with her co-star Gilbert Roland. Schenck refused to divorce her; he didn't want to break up a moneymaking partnership. As a sort of punishment, he cast Roland in her next three films. After that, the two separated, though he continued to produce her films.)

(Talmadge's transition to talkies echoed the failure of her final two silent films; the star had fallen out of favor and was struggling against incompetent directors. Her sister, Constance, also an actress, advised her to retire. Both talkies failed, and even though she began rehearsals for a third, having two films remaining on her contract, she asked to be released and retired from stardom, telling fans seeking autographs, "Get away, dears. I don't need you anymore and you don't need me.")

(In 1932, she decided against marrying Gilbert Roland. He was 11 years her junior and she feared he'd eventually leave her. However, nine days after finally securing a divorce from husband Schneck, she married one of his best friends, comedian George Jessel. They divorced in 1939 and she would marry one more time, to a physician. Restless, and still uncomfortable with her stardom, Talmadge became something of a recluse, as she was also battling crippling arthritis and a growing addiction to painkillers. Still a very wealthy woman, she died of pneumonia on Christmas Eve, 1957.) 

 

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Lying Lips

(1921)

(A penniless young rancher meets a privileged heiress from England and the two fall in love. However, she's already engaged to be married to a man who promises a continuation of the life she has grown accustomed to while her new love's financial status leads her to suspect a life of hardship. Which will she choose? Love or money?)

(Produced by Thomas H. Ince, who is known in the industry as 'the father of the western.' He also helped revolutionize the world of film by creating the first  major Hollywood production studio and introducing assembly line filmmaking. He was quite successful at it. Lying Lips was made for $263K and ended up making $446K - a handsome profit in those days.)

"Stop in the sight of God, I am another man's wife!"

(The film featured House Peters, a silent film star who was dubbed 'The Man Of A Thousand Emotions.' He would retire from the industry in 1928. However, one of his sons, House Peters, Jr. would follow in his footsteps appearing in mostly westerns, that is, until the 1950's when he began to appear as Mr. Clean in commercials for Proctor and Gamble.)

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(The film also starred Florence Vidor, wife of legendary director King Vidor. Her lengthy career came to a halt with the advent talking pictures; she found the whole process so complicated she quit right in the middle of making her first one, retiring from the industry on the spot.)

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Loving Lies

(1924)

(The captain of a harbor tugboat, whose job is to keep ships away from a dangerous harbor bar, tells his pregnant wife, whom is prone to worry, that he never leaves the harbor. One night, during a terrific storm, the captain is called upon to rescue a ship. He goes off into the night without telling his wife. In his absence, his distraught wife gives birth, but the baby is stillborn. Seeking the whereabouts of her husband, she talks to the harbormaster, a former beau, who persuades her to believe that her husband is having an affair with the former fiancée of a boy who lost his life at sea, who is now pregnant! Believing what she has been told is true, she boards the next passenger ship leaving the harbor.  At that moment, the former fiancée perishes giving birth to a healthy child. The captain brings the child home, only to discover his wife is gone. He then gets news that ship his wife is on has crashed upon the harbor bar. The captain comes to the rescue, tells his wife the truth about his job and the two return home to adopt the orphaned baby.)

(Sultry actress Evelyn Brent, who began her career as a model, enjoyed a lengthy career in silent films, talkies, the stage and television. Her first talkie resulted in an Academy Award win as best actor for her co-star, Emil Jannings - the first such award for the Academy. She was a favorite of famed director Joseph von Sternberg, starring in three of his films.) 

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Love Is A Lie

(1927)

AKA: Die leichte Isabell

"Is a wife to blame?

"A stirring dramatic story of married life!"

(Based on the stories of Gottfried Keller, this German silent film was produced and directed by Erich Waschneck and starred Lee Parry. Parry was a German film actress of the silent era, appearing in more than 40 films between 1919 and 1939.)

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The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna

(1929)

AKA: Die wunderbare Lüge der Nina Petrowna

 (The mistress of a wealthy Cossack falls in love with a young cadet, however, their happiness is short-lived. This is the last big-budget silent film released by the leading German studio Universum Film AG before the transition to sound.)

(Remade in France in 1937 as The Lie of Nina Petrovna.)

(German actress Brigette Helm remains something of a cinematic icon, thanks her dual roles in in Fritz Lang's classic 1927 silent film, Metropolis. She was once under consideration for the title role in The Bride Of Frankenstein. Helm loved driving automobiles. Unfortunately, she was a terrible driver who had many accidents. She even spent time in prison. In one case, an admirer of hers interceded on her behalf to have manslaughter charges against her dropped. That man? Adolph Hitler.)

(Helm, "...disgusted with the Nazi takeover of the film industry...", retired from the industry in 1935. She moved to Switzerland with her husband and refused all requests for interviews regarding her film career.)

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The Lady Lies

(1929)

(A clash of the the classes: a wealthy widowed attorney begins to woo a beautiful lower class salesgirl much to the chagrin of his privileged adult children. Will he listen to his children or choose love?)

(Walter Houston would win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, directed by his son John Huston. His family produced three generations of Academy Award winners; Walter, his son, director John Huston and granddaughter Anjelica Huston.)

(In 1934, Claudette Colbert would win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the film It Happened One Night, opposite Clark Gable. During her lengthy career, starring in more than 60 films, she would be nominated for the award twice more. In 1958, Colbert met painter Vera Hull. The two became inseparable, and, on two occasions, lived next to each other - side-by-side houses in Barbados and adjoining penthouses in New York City. Rumors that the relationship was romantic in nature were frequently squashed by Colbert. The infatuation came to an end during a scene worthy of another Oscar at the bedside of Colbert's husband, who lay dying. Hull, convinced that her husband would take Colbert with him to his grave, stormed out and the two never spoke again.)

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The Magnificent Lie

(1931)

(Based on Leonard Merrick's novel Laurels and the Lady this film tells the story of a well-intentioned nightclub singer who takes pity on a blind soldier and pretends that she is a woman the man once loved before he was wounded in the war.)

(Ambitious, restless, and always classy, Ruth Chatterton wore many hats during her lifetime. She was a very popular film star in the early to mid-1930s, when, in the same era, she gained notoriety as an aviator, being one of the few female pilots in the United States at that time. Bored with the process of filmmaking, she retired from pictures in 1938 and returned to Broadway where she'd begun her career. Eventually she made her way onto television in the 1940's, starring in several shows. Then, during the 1950's, she added one more feather to her cap and became a successful novelist.)

(The film also included appearances by Ralph Bellamy, who won a Tony Award in 1958 and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1937 for his work in The Awful Truth, and matinee idol Charles Boyer, a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976, stealing the hearts of millions with his sexy accent and debonair ways.)

(Remade in 1955 as a Swedish drama directed by Mike Road and starring Signe Hasso.)

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Her Husband Lies

(1937)

(A Paramount Pictures film  released on March 13, 1937, this American drama about a bigtime gambler whose younger brother follows in his footsteps, was directed by Edward Ludwig and written by Wallace Smith and Eve Greene.)  

"He was on the level with every two-timer on Broadway, but he couldn't play straight with a woman."

(Ricardo Cortez plays a man leading a double life - investment banker by day, notorious gambler by night. His wife, a former nightclub singer married him with the understanding that he was to give up gambling. When she discovers he's still gambling, she takes an engagement as a singer at a local club, telling her husband she's more of a singer now than a wife. In the meantime, Cortez orders a hit on a man who swindled him out of a large amount of money. Then his younger brother, who promised to go straight, breezes into town, cocky and ready to gamble. It ends with the younger brother leaving the city to go straight, while Cortez takes a bullet in the gut  at a nightclub as his wife, whom he has reconciled with, sings a torch song on stage.)

(Gail Patrick, who appeared in over 60 films from 1932 to 1948, went on to become the first female television executive producer, working for nine years producing the classic detective series, Perry Mason. Cortez began his career as a Rudolph Valentino wannabe. Appearing in over 100 films, he quickly established himself as a leading man, counting among his leading ladies both Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.)

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The Lie of Nina Petrovna

(1937)

(The Russian mistress of a powerful Viennese Baron meets and falls in love with a young army officer. Prepared to give up everything for love, she knows, deep in her heart, that the Baron will not stand idly by as she leaves him. The Baron works to ruin the young officer's career in the hopes of forcing his mistress to return to him. Will he succeed?)

(A 1937 French remake of the 1929 silent film The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna directed by Viktor Tourjansky and starring Isa Miranda, Fernand Gravey and Aimé Clariond.)

(Italian actress Isa Miranda. made a name for herself overseas before Hollywood came calling. She landed a contract with Paramount Pictures who billed her as the Italian Marlene Dietrich. Stateside, she played femme fatale roles in films such as 1939's Hotel Imperial and 1940's Adventure in Diamonds. However, when the war broke out, she returned to Europe. She spent her entire life making pictures, her last one in 1982, the year she passed away.)

(Fernand Gravey's career followed a similar pattern. His ability to speak French and English fluently helped his career immensely. He was signed to Warner Bros., who launched a big campaign so that people pronounced his name correctly  - 'Rhymes with gravy.' He got stuck in the same sort of romantic lead roles Louis Jourdan would play during the 1960's. When the war broke out, he returned to Europe and enlisted. He came back a war hero, which increased his popularity. He only married once, to an actress 15 years his senior. He died in 1970, she in 1972.)

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Lying Lips

(1939)

(A nightclub singer who refuses to date customers at the request of the nightclub owner is framed for the murder of her aunt. Convicted, she is sent to prison, On the outside, a former co-worker who is in love with her works to untangle the frame-up in order to free her.) 

(Edna Mae Harris was one of the premier African–American film actresses of the late 1930's and early 1940's, appearing in films featuring mostly African–American casts. She was also a nightclub singer, who toured with various combos. The film also features Robert Earl Jones - father of James Earl Jones!)

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The Great Lie

(1941)

"There are some things a woman has to lie about... to a man!"

(A concert pianist is shocked to learn that her marriage is invalid because her divorce had not been finalized at the time of their wedding. The man takes the opportunity to leave her and marry a former flame. While traveling to Brazil, his plane crashes and he is presumed dead. Still reeling from that shock, the former flame's world is further rocked when she learns that the concert pianist is pregnant with her husband's child. The woman convinces the concert pianist to give her the baby to raise and in exchange, the pianist will be taken care of financially for life. However, things grow quite complicated when the man suddenly turns up - very much alive!)

(After having finished The Letter and a brief vacation, Bette Davis was offered The Great Lie. Her reaction? Less than enthused; "I wasn't very excited about it." she later recalled. However, due to the amount of fan mail urging her to play a 'nice role' for a change, she agreed to sign on. "Maggie was one of the few times I played a character basically like myself off the screen.")

"Bette Davis will appear soon in her stunning new triumph..."

"Sometimes there's a terrible penalty for telling the truth..."

(The casting of the concert pianist proved quite difficult. Miriam Hopkins was first choice, but eliminated from consideration because she and Davis didn't get along while filming The Old Maid. Anna Sten, Sylvia Sidney, Muriel Angelus, Katherine Locke and Mary Astor - an actual concert pianist - were all screen-tested. Davis wanted Astor, who she viewed as a worthy opponent, However, the director wasn't convinced. Davis then went to bat for Astor, and demanded she be screen tested once more, this time, while playing the piano. Again, the director was unconvinced and filming began, much to the distress of Davis, with the part uncast. She and the director proceeded to have 'round the clock arguments resulting in Davis developing laryngitis. With filming stopped dead in its tracks, the studio persuaded the director to cast Astor.)

(The two actresses quickly bonded. Davis confided in Astor, "This picture is going to stink! It's too incredible for words... so it's up to us to rewrite this piece of junk to make it more interesting." Complicating matters, the baby hired was sick most of the production and, at one point, the nurse on set dropped him, injuring him so badly he had to be hospitalized and replaced.)

(Illness, martial issues and impending nuptials plagued the production. And, even though Astor could actually play all the music used in the film, she was given a dummy piano to play while Max Rabinovitch played behind the scenes. She matched him note for note - winning an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress in the process.)

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The Lie

(1950)

AKA: No Man Of Her Own

(Adapted from Cornell Woolrich's 1948 novel, I Married a Dead Man, this film is better known under its other title; No Man Of Her Own. It tells the story of  a pregnant woman who steals the identity of a woman killed in railroad crash. She begins anew as part of her wealthy in-laws lives, only to be thwarted when an ex-boyfriend gets wind of the scam an begins to blackmail her!)

(Bosley Crowthers, of The New York Times, praised the cast, but despised the screenplay and overall tone of the film, calling it: "...a lurid and artificial tale, loaded with far-fetched situations and deliberate romantic clichés." Going on to say, "This sort of female agonizing, in which morals are irresponsibly confused for the sake of effect, makes diversion for none but the suckers, we feel sure.")

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And that's all for now.

Tune in next week!

Same time, same channel.

Just A Lie - Kristine W