The Locked Door (1929)

On her first anniversary Ann Reagan finds that her sister-in-law is involved with a shady character from her own past, and determines to intervene.

Director:

George Fitzmaurice

Writers:

Channing Pollock (play), C. Gardner Sullivan (screen adaptation),

Stars:

Rod La Rocque, Barbara Stanwyck, William 'Stage' Boyd

Cast

Cast overview:
Rod La Rocque	...	Frank Devereaux
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Ann Carter
William 'Stage' Boyd	...	Lawrence Reagan
Betty Bronson	...	Helen Reagan
Harry Stubbs	...	The Waiter
Harry Mestayer	...	District Attorney
Mack Swain	...	Hotel Proprietor
Zasu Pitts	...	Telephone Girl (as Zazu Pitts)
George Bunny	...	The Valet
Purnell Pratt	...	Police Officer
Fred Warren	...	Photographer

Storyline

While Ann and the son of her boss are out on a ship beyond the 12-mile limit, which allows liquor to be consumed, the son, Frank makes unwanted advances towards her. While she is fighting him off, the ship is raided and the passengers herded ashore. Eighteen months later Ann is celebrating her one year anniversary to Lawrence Reagan when her young sister-in-law announces she is in love, and it turns out to be Frank. Ann decides to save her husband's sister from a fate worse than death, and goes to Frank's apartment to prevent an elopement. Lawrence also goes to the apartment that night, and everyone is entangled in a crime of passion.

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Plot Keywords:

cuckold | shot to death | gigolo | prohibition | remake | 

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Taglines:

A drama of sacrifice and supreme love

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Genres:

Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

La porta chiusa

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Fitzmaurice Productions, Feature Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A nitrate print of this film with sound discs survive in the UCLA Film and Television Archives

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Quotes

Frank Devereaux: Shoot yourself in the head, and if you live, you can become a Waiter.

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Connections

Remake of The Sign on the Door (1921)

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Soundtracks

"I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling"
(uncredited)
Written by Fats Waller and Harry Link
First tune played on the boat

User Reviews

The Moving Camera

George Fitzmaurice was one of the great commercial stylists among directors in the 1920s. He suffered an eclipse in the early talkie era but was fighting his way back into the majors when he died in 1940.

This means, of course, there are a lot of problems with this movie. The screen actors don't know how to do dialogue and most of the stage actors don't know how to turn down their performances for the intimacy of the movie camera. Barbara Stanwyck, looking very fresh-faced, is very loud in her line readings. She knows how to show her emotions beautifully already, though.

But producer Joe Schenck didn't spare any expense behind the camera, and it shows. Avant-garde cameraman Ray June handles the camera impeccably. While other directors were having their cameramen use cuts to change subjects, Fitzmaurice has June move the camera. Notice the long tracking shot at the bar in the opening sequence and the MOS shots used to fill out the sequence.

The camera-work is not fluid. It is, frankly, fairly clunky, but it is light years ahead of anyone else in the business in 1929, except possibly Mamoulian's APPLAUSE.

So while their are a lot of problems with this movie, the camera-work makes this one very superior for 1929 and Barbara Stanwyck makes it worth looking at.