The Divorcee

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

The Divorcee
File:The Divorcee poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard
Produced by Robert Z. Leonard
Written by Nick Grinde
Zelda Sears
John Meehan
Based on Ex-Wife
by Ursula Parrott
Starring Norma Shearer
Chester Morris
Music by Jack Yellen
Milton Ager
Cinematography Norbert Brodine
Edited by Hugh Wynn
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • April 30, 1930 (1930-04-30) (United States)
Running time
84 mins.
Country United States
Language English

The Divorcee is a 1930 American Pre-Code drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan and Zelda Sears, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and won Best Actress for its star Norma Shearer.[1]

Plot

Ted (Chester Morris), Jerry (Norma Shearer), Paul (Conrad Nagel) and Dorothy (Helen Johnson) are part of the New York in-crowd. Jerry's decision to marry Ted crushes Paul. He gets drunk and is involved in an accident that leaves Dorothy's face disfigured. Out of pity, Paul marries Dorothy. Ted and Jerry have been married three years when she discovers he had a brief affair with another woman — and when she confronts him on their third anniversary, he tells her it didn't "mean a thing." Upset, and with Ted out on a business trip, Jerry spends the night with his best friend, Don. Upon Ted's return she tells him she "balanced [their] accounts," withholding Don's name. Ted is hypocritically outraged and they argue, ending with Ted leaving her and the couple filing for a divorce. While Jerry turns to partying to forget her sorrows, Ted becomes an alcoholic. Paul and Jerry run into each other and she discovers he still loves her and is willing to leave Dorothy to be with her. It is only after she meets Dorothy that Jerry is forced to evaluate her decision.

Norma Shearer won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Also starring in the film are Robert Montgomery, Conrad Nagel, and Florence Eldridge.

Cast

Production

MGM production head Irving Thalberg bought the rights to Ex-Wife in the summer of 1929. Thalberg's original choice for the role of Jerry was Joan Crawford.[2]

Norma Shearer, Thalberg's wife, was originally never in the running for the lead role in The Divorcee because it was believed that she didn't have enough sex appeal; it was only after Shearer arranged a special photo session with independent portrait photographer George Hurrell and Thalberg saw the result, that he relented and gave her the role.[3]

Releases

The Divorcee was released on DVD by Warner Home Video on March 8, 2008 (along with A Free Soul, also starring Norma Shearer), as one of five Pre-Code films in the "TCM Archives - Forbidden Hollywood Collection, Vol. 2" DVD box set. Other movies with the same title were released in 1917, 1919 and 1969.

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links