The Kiss (1929)

Irene is unhappily married to an older businessman, but very much in love with a handsome young lawyer. He doesn't want to add to her unhappiness by ruining her marriage; she is terrified ... See full summary »

Director:

Jacques Feyder

Writers:

George M. Saville (from the story by), Hanns Kräly (scenario by),

Stars:

Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, Anders Randolf

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Greta Garbo	...	Irene
Conrad Nagel	...	André
Anders Randolf	...	Guarry
Holmes Herbert	...	Lassalle
Lew Ayres	...	Pierre
George Davis	...	Durant

Storyline

Irene is unhappily married to an older businessman, but very much in love with a handsome young lawyer. He doesn't want to add to her unhappiness by ruining her marriage; she is terrified of her husband's jealousy and anger. They decide to stop seeing each other, and she bides her time with Pierre, a young friend of the family who walks their dogs and is in puppy love with Irene. When Pierre is about to leave for college, he begs her for a goodbye kiss. She agrees, and who should walk in while it is happening, but her ailing and financially distraught husband...

---

Plot Keywords:

dog | marriage | goodbye kiss | beating | museum | 

---

Genres:

Romance | Drama

---

Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Beijo

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$257,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 62 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System) (musical score and sound effects) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Greta Garbo's last silent film.

---

Connections

Featured in The Divine Garbo (1990)

---

Soundtracks

"Love's First Kiss"
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by William Axt & David Mendoza
Lyrics by Raymond Klages

User Reviews

Pretty good silent flick ... might be more enjoyable if you watch it with the sound turned off

"The Kiss" happens about midway into the movie ... Greta Garbo gives young admirer Lew Ayres a friendly kiss goodbye as he's about to leave town, Ayres, who cannot control his infatuation with the beautiful Garbo, goes in for another, less platonic kiss, at which point Garbo's husband sees them from afar and goes berserk. A fight amongst the three ensues, gets carried into another room where the door is shut to us, the audience, and we hear a shot. Garbo's husband is dead, but who did it?

Prior to the "kiss" moment, we've seen Garbo and her lover (Conrad Nagel) in a torturous romance ... they both love each other madly but Greta doesn't see any way out of her loveless marriage. In the meantime, Lew Ayres follows Greta around like a puppy dog; he's an 18-year-old completely infatuated with the beautiful married lady.

The latter half of the movie deals with the investigation of the husband's death, Greta's arrest, and her trial where she is defended by Nagel who in addition to being her former lover is also a lawyer.

I won't give away the outcome of the trial, but I will say that the jury believes it is Person A who did it and after the trial we learn it was Person B.

The musical score to this flick was absolutely horrible. I especially could have done without the "Romeo and Juliet" theme that was played every time the flick wanted to telegraph Greta's and Conrad's love to the audience.

Despite the score, this was a very enjoyable silent movie. I find some silents tedious, others quite well done. "The Kiss" definitely falls into the latter category. Worth watching.