Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (1926)

Director:

Frank Tuttle

Writers:

George Abbott (writer)
Townsend Martin (adaptation)

Release Date:

19 March 1926 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Mame Walsh promised their mother on her deathbed to look after little sister Janie; which is a strain...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Cast

Evelyn Brent	...	Mame Walsh
Lawrence Gray	...	Bill Billingsley
Louise Brooks	...	Janie Walsh
Osgood Perkins	...	Lem Woodruff
Jack Egan	...	Cartwright
Marcia Harris	...	Miss Streeter
Edward Garvey	...	Mr. Whinfer
Vera Sisson	...	Mrs. Whinfer
Joseph McClunn	...	August Whinfer
Arthur Donaldson	...	Mr. McGonigle
Elise Cavanna	...	Miss Gimple
Dorothy Mathews	...	Minnie

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation

Trivia:

Love 'em and Leave 'em opened at the Sam H. Harris Theater on February 3, 1926 and ran for 152 performances.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Saturday Night Kid (1929)

You just can't keep a bad girl down!

The verse novel has now gone right out of fashion, but in the teens and twenties, it was quite a popular literary form. In fact, this piece by John Van Alstyne Weaver was so successful that both a play and a movie adaptation were always on the cards.

Despite an extremely negative review by Mordaunt Hall in "The New York Times", the movie was a big hit too—and no wonder! The screenplay cleverly showcases the charismatic Louise Brooks in a made-to-order role as a super-attractive bad girl, on the make for any male that crosses her path. The sultry, splendidly selfish Louise has no trouble stealing the picture, even though Evelyn Brent (playing her motherly sister) puts up a noble fight throughout.

Aside from Arthur Donaldson as the ebullient Schwartz, the other players are no match at all for Miss Brooks, although Osgood Perkins makes the most of his innings as a sneaky, rooming-house, would-be Romeo. Lawrence Gray comes across as a rather dull and impassive hero, but it really doesn't matter much as all the colorful lines and business are handed principally to Miss Brooks, with a few snippets to Brent (who does collar our attention in the final reel), Donaldson and Perkins.

Director Frank Tuttle has not only handled the proceedings with admirable pace and flair, but by his astute choice of camera angles cleverly disguises the fact that, as usual, he has nailed the camera to the floor. Production values, as might be expected from Paramount, are absolutely top-grade. The setting in a New York department store is brilliantly realized. In short, "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" still comes over in 2008 as an unmitigated delight.