The Battle of the Sexes (1928)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Daniel Carson Goodman (story)
Gerrit J. Lloyd (adaptation)

Release Date:

21 April 1929 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Hear the marvelous sound accompaniment by Nathaniel Shilkret and Joseph Pasternack...You'll hum the captivating tune of the theme song, "Just a Sweetheart."

Plot:

Gum-chewing frizzy-haired golddigger Marie Skinner cooks up a scheme with her lover Babe Winsor, a jazz hound...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Real Estate | Nightclub | Mouse | Gun

Cast

Jean Hersholt	...	William Judson - the Father
Phyllis Haver	...	Marie Skinner
Belle Bennett	...	Mrs. Judson - the Mother
Sally O'Neil	...	Ruth Judson - the Daughter
Don Alvarado	...	Babe Winsor
William Bakewell	...	Billy Judson - the Son
John Batten	...	Friend of the Judsons

Runtime:

88 min (2004 alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone) (music and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Feature Productions

Trivia:

Adela Rogers St. Johns published a book entitled "The Single Standard" in 1928, the same year this movie was released. It is not known if this book is related to the movie in any way.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marie is at the barber shop, and Judson leaves his chair, she asks a man to pick up the newspaper to read Judson's news about his recent deal. After reading the news, she looks at Judson, and then the scene switches to be seen from other angle, where you can see that Marie is asking the man to pick up the newspaper again.

Quotes:

Opening Dialogue Card: The battle of the sexes - always being fought and never being won.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Battle of the Sexes (1914)

Soundtrack:

Just a Sweetheart

Decent Comedy

Battle of the Sexes, The (1928)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

D.W. Griffith film about an older, rich man (Jean Hersholt) who leaves his wife and two kids when he meets a young, beautiful blonde (Phyllis Haver). The man thinks this younger woman loves him but she's actually just a gold digger. Having been accused of not being able to connect with modern crowds, Griffith made this light weight film but the change of direction really didn't help his career any. Movie crowds, while small, enjoyed the film but the critics gave this the worst reviews of his career up to this point. I think time has been fairly kind to the film, which has some wonderful stuff but sadly the story is just way too predictable, even by 1928 standards. The direction is tight throughout and the performances are all very good. Hersholt is terrific as the dumb old man, Haver plays the gold digger perfectly but it's Sally O'Neil who steals the show of the man's daughter. The highlight of the film is a wonderful scene taking place on a dance floor. The film has a strange mix of comedy and drama that really don't mix well but it's nice seeing Griffith doing a film in modern settings.