The Lady Refuses: Difference between revisions

The Lady Refuses
The Lady Refuses
	DVD cover for the film
Directed by	George Archainbaud
Screenplay by	Wallace Smith
Story by	Guy Bolton; Robert Milton
Produced by	William LeBaron; Bertram Millhauser
Starring	Betty Compson; John Darrow; Gilbert Emery; Margaret Livingston
Cinematography	Leo Tover
Edited by	Jack Kitchin
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	March 8, 1931 (US);
Running time	72 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

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The Lady Refuses

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]

Plot

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.

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

Betty Compson as June
John Darrow as Russell Courtney
Gilbert Emery as Sir Gerald Courtney
Margaret Livingston as Berthine Waller
Ivan Lebedeff as Nikolai Rabinoff
Edgar Norton as Sir Gerald's Butler
Daphne Pollard as Apartment House Maid

(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]

References

^ "The Lady Refuses". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "The Lady Refuses: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
^ Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982). The RKO Story. New York: Arlington House. p. 34. ISBN 0-517-546566.
^ ^a ^b "The Lady Refuses: Technical Details". theiapolis.com. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
^ 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.
^ "The Lady Refuses, Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.

External links

The Lady Refuses on YouTube
The Lady Refuses at IMDb
The Lady Refuses at the TCM Movie Database
The Lady Refuses at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
The Lady Refuses available for free download at Internet Archive

[nyt-1] "The Lady Refuses". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on August 17, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2014.

[AFI-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "The Lady Refuses: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2017.

[RKO-3] Jewell, Richard B.; Harbin, Vernon (1982). The RKO Story. New York: Arlington House. p. 34. ISBN 0-517-546566.

[Theiapolis-4] "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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1931 film}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}
 {{Infobox film
 | name            = The Lady Refuses
 | image           = TheLadyRefusesDVDCover.jpg
-| image_size      =
+| caption         = DVD cover for the film
+| director        = [[George Archainbaud]]<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/28068/The-Lady-Refuses/details|title=The Lady Refuses|accessdate=August 16, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817002846/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/28068/The-Lady-Refuses/details|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2014|archivedate=August 17, 2014 }}</ref>
-| caption         = DVD Cover for the film
-| director        = [[George Archainbaud]]<ref name=nyt>{{cite web | url=http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/28068/The-Lady-Refuses/details | publisher=''New York Times'' | title=The Lady Refuses | accessdate=August 16, 2014 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817002846/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/28068/The-Lady-Refuses/details | archivedate=August 16, 2014}}</ref>
+| producer        = [[William LeBaron]]<ref name=Theiapolis>{{cite web | url=http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-2N6I/the-lady-refuses|title=The Lady Refuses: Technical Details|publisher=theiapolis.com|accessdate=August 16, 2014}}</ref><br>[[Bertram Millhauser]]<ref name=AFI/>
+| screenplay     = [[Wallace Smith (screenwriter)|Wallace Smith]]<ref name=AFI/>
-| producer        = [[William LeBaron]] <ref name=Theiapolis>{{cite web | url=http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-2N6I/the-lady-refuses/ | title=The Lady Refuses: Technical Details | publisher=theiapolis.com | accessdate= August 16, 2014 }}</ref><br>[[Bertram Millhauser]]<ref name=AFI />
+| story          = [[Guy Bolton]]<br>[[Robert Milton (director)|Robert Milton]]<ref name=RKO>{{cite book|title=The RKO Story|last1=Jewell|first1=Richard B.|last2=Harbin|first2=Vernon|publisher=Arlington House|year=1982|place=New York|page=34|isbn=0-517-546566}}</ref>
-| screenplay     = [[Wallace Smith]]<ref name=AFI />
-| story          = [[Guy Bolton]]<br>[[Robert Milton]]<ref name=Theiapolis />
-| narrator        =
 | starring        = [[Betty Compson]]<br>[[John Darrow]]<br>[[Gilbert Emery]]<br>[[Margaret Livingston]]
 | music           =
-| cinematography  = [[Leo Tover]]<ref name=AFI />
+| cinematography  = [[Leo Tover]]<ref name=AFI/>
-| editing         = [[Jack Kitchin]]<ref name=AFI />
+| editing         = [[Jack Kitchin]]<ref name=AFI/>
 | distributor     = [[RKO Radio Pictures]]
-| released        = {{Film date|1931|3|8|''US''|ref1=<ref name=AFI>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4827 | title=The Lady Refuses: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate= August 16, 2014 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4827 | archivedate=March 29, 2014}}</ref>}}
+| released        = {{Film date|1931|3|8|''US''|ref1=<ref name=AFI>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4827|title=The Lady Refuses: Detail View|publisher=American Film Institute |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329214547/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4827 |archivedate=March 29, 2014 |url-status=live |accessdate=June 28, 2017}}</ref>}}
-| runtime         = 72 minutes<ref name=Theiapolis />
+| runtime         = 72 minutes<ref name=Theiapolis/>
-| country         = [[United States]]
+| country         = United States
 | language        = English
+| budget          =
+| gross           =
 }}
+[[File:The Lady Refuses (George Archainbaud, 1931).webm|right|thumb|thumbtime=20|''The Lady Refuses'']]
-'''''The Lady Refuses''''' is a 1931 American [[Melodrama#Film|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 the wealthy [[Gilbert Emery]] to woo his never-do-well son, John Darrow, away from the clutches of the gold-digging [[Margaret Livingston]]. The plot is regarded as risqué enough to appear in at least one collection of [[Pre-Code Hollywood]] films.
+'''''The Lady Refuses''''' is a 1931 American [[Pre-Code Hollywood|pre-Code]] [[Melodrama#Film|melodrama film]], directed by [[George Archainbaud]], from a screenplay by [[Wallace Smith (screenwriter)|Wallace Smith]], based on an original story by [[Guy Bolton]] and [[Robert Milton (director)|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.<ref name=AFI/>
-== Plot ==
-[[File:Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses.jpg|thumb|Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses]]
-Sir Gerald Courtney (Gilbert Emery ) is an aristocratic British gentleman, 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.
+==Plot==
-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.  Cornered, she pounds on Sir Gerald’s door.  As she pours forth her unfortunate story to Sir Gerald, he makes a snap decision.  As the bobbies arrive to take her away, Sir Gerald assures them that she has been with him the whole evening, securing her freedom.  After they leave, Sir Gerald proposes to hire June to seduce his son, so that he will not fall into the clutches of Berthine.
+[[File:JohnDarrowTheLadyRefuses.jpg|thumb|left|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.
-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 as June’s).  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.
+[[File:BettyCompsonTheLadyRefuses.jpg|thumb|left|Betty Compson as June]]
-Unfortunately, when Berthine arrives at Russel’s apartment, 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.  He’s 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.
+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.
-June leaves London, but when Sir Gerald discovers the innocence of Russell’s night spent in her apartment, understands his own mistake and vows to track her down and spend the rest of his life with her.
 == Cast ==
+[[File:Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in The Lady Refuses.jpg|thumb|Ivan Lebedeff-Margaret Livingston in ''The Lady Refuses'']]
 * [[Betty Compson]] as June
 * [[John Darrow]] as Russell Courtney
@@ Line 43: / Line 46: @@
 * [[Edgar Norton]] as Sir Gerald's Butler
 * [[Daphne Pollard]] as Apartment House Maid
-* [[Halliwell Hobbes]] as Lawyer (unbilled)
-* [[Reginald Sharland]] as Freddy (unbilled)
+(cast list as per [[American Film Institute|AFI]] database)<ref name=AFI/>
-== Notes ==
-In 1959, the film entered the [[List of films in the public domain in the United States|public domain in the United States]] due to the copyright claimants' failure to renew the [[copyright registration]] in the 28th year after publication.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Pierce |first=David |date=June 2007 |title=Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain  |journal=Film History: An International Journal |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=125–43 |issn=0892-2160 |oclc=15122313 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/25165419 |accessdate=2012-01-05 |doi=10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125 }} See Note 60, pg. 143.</ref>
+==Notes==
+In 1959, the film entered the [[List of films in the public domain in the United States|public domain in the United States]] because the claimants did not renew its [[copyright registration]] in the 28th year after publication.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Pierce|first=David|date=June 2007|title=Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain|journal=Film History: An International Journal|volume=19|issue=2|pages=125–43|issn=0892-2160 |oclc=15122313 |jstor=25165419 |doi=10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125|s2cid=191633078}} See Note 60, pg. 143.</ref>
+During production, this film was known by several titles, including ''Children of the Streets'', ''Ladies for Hire'', ''A Lady for Hire'' and ''Forgotten Women''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1247/The-Lady-Refuses/notes.html|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|title=The Lady Refuses, Notes|accessdate=August 16, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817013326/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/1247/The-Lady-Refuses/notes.html|archivedate=August 17, 2014 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=AFI/>
 ==References==
 {{Reflist}}
-== External links ==
+==External links==
+{{Wikiquote}}
-* {{IMDb title|id=0022046}}
-*[http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-lady-refuses-v28068 allmovie/synopsis; ''The Lady Refuses'']
+* {{YouTube|RAShCWif-E0|title=''The Lady Refuses''}}
+* {{IMDb title|0022046}}
-*[http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+lady+refuses&oq=the+lady+refuses&gs_l=youtube.3.133.2979.0.3188.14.10.0.4.4.85.432.10.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.j6XjpcT8k50 The Lady Refuses] available at Youtube
+* {{TCMDb title|id=1247}}
+* {{AFI film|4827}}
+* [https://archive.org/details/TheLadyRefuses1931-03-08 The Lady Refuses] available for free download at [https://archive.org/ Internet Archive]
+{{George Archainbaud}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lady Refuses}}
 [[Category:1931 films]]
-[[Category:1930s romantic drama films]]
+[[Category:1931 romantic drama films]]
 [[Category:American romantic drama films]]
-[[Category:Black-and-white films]]
+[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
 [[Category:Films directed by George Archainbaud]]
-[[Category:Films made before the MPAA Production Code]]
-[[Category:Public domain films]]
 [[Category:RKO Pictures films]]
+[[Category:Films set in London]]
+[[Category:1930s melodrama films]]
+[[Category:1930s English-language films]]
-{{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub}}
+[[Category:1930s American films]]
+[[Category:English-language romantic drama films]]

v t e Films directed by George Archainbaud
1910s	As Man Made Her (1917) The Iron Ring (1917) The Brand of Satan (1917) Yankee Pluck (1917) A Maid of Belgium (1917) Diamonds and Pearls (1917) The Awakening (1917) The Divine Sacrifice (1918) The Love Cheat (1919) A Damsel in Distress (1919)
1920s	In Walked Mary (1920) The Shadow of Rosalie Byrnes (1920) What Women Want (1920) Marooned Hearts (1920) The Wonderful Chance (1920) The Pleasure Seekers (1920) The Miracle of Manhattan (1921) A Man of Stone (1921) Clay Dollars (1921) The Girl from Nowhere (1921) Handcuffs or Kisses (1921) Under Oath (1922) Evidence (1922) The Power of a Lie (1922) One Week of Love (1922) The Midnight Guest (1923) Cordelia the Magnificent (1923) The Common Law (1923) The Shadow of the Desert (1924) The Storm Daughter (1924) The Plunderer (1924) For Sale (1924) Single Wives (1924) Christine of the Hungry Heart (1924) The Mirage (1924) Enticement (1925) Scarlet Saint (1925) The Necessary Evil (1925) What Fools Men (1925) Puppets (1926) Men of Steel (1926) The Silent Lover (1926) Easy Pickings (1927) Night Life (1927) The Grain of Dust (1928) The Man in Hobbles (1928) Bachelor's Paradise (1928) A Woman Against the World (1928) Ladies of the Night Club (1928) The Tragedy of Youth (1928) George Washington Cohen (1928) Two Men and a Maid (1929) The College Coquette (1929) Broadway Scandals (1929)
1930s	Alias French Gertie (1930) Framed (1930) Shooting Straight (1930) The Silver Horde (1930) The Lady Refuses (1931) Three Who Loved (1931) Thirteen Women (1932) The Lost Squadron (1932) The Penguin Pool Murder (1932) Men of Chance (1932) State's Attorney (1932) After Tonight (1933) The Big Brain (1933) Murder on the Blackboard (1934) Keep 'Em Rolling (1934) Thunder in the Night (1935) Hideaway Girl (1936) My Marriage (1936) The Return of Sophie Lang (1936) Clarence Hotel Haywire (1937) Blonde Trouble (1937) Thrill of a Lifetime (1937) Campus Confessions (1938) Her Jungle Love (1938) Thanks for the Memory (1938) Night Work (1939) Some Like It Hot (1939) Boy Trouble (1939)
1940s	Comin' Round the Mountain (1940) Opened by Mistake (1940) Untamed (1940) Flying with Music (1942) False Colors (1943) The Kansan (1943) The Woman of the Town (1943) Hoppy Serves a Writ (1943) Texas Masquerade (1944) Mystery Man (1944) The Big Bonanza (1944) Alaska (1944) Girls of the Big House (1945) The Devil's Playground (1946) Dangerous Venture (1947) Fool's Gold (1947) Hoppy's Holiday (1947) King of the Wild Horses (1947) The Marauders (1947) The Millerson Case (1947) Unexpected Guest (1947) Borrowed Trouble (1948) The Dead Don't Dream (1948) Silent Conflict (1948) Sinister Journey (1948) False Paradise (1948) Strange Gamble (1948)
1950s	Border Treasure (1950) Hunt the Man Down (1951) The Old West (1952) Night Stage to Galveston (1952) Apache Country (1952) Barbed Wire (1952) Wagon Team (1952) Blue Canadian Rockies (1952) Pack Train (1953) Saginaw Trail (1953) Goldtown Ghost Riders (1953) On Top of Old Smoky (1953) Last of the Pony Riders (1953) Winning of the West (1953)