The Divorcee (1930)

When a woman discovers that her husband has been unfaithful to her, she decides to respond to his infidelities in kind.

Writers:

Ursula Parrott (based on a novel by), Nick Grinde (treatment),

Stars:

Norma Shearer, Chester Morris, Conrad Nagel

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Norma Shearer	...	Jerry
Chester Morris	...	Ted
Conrad Nagel	...	Paul
Robert Montgomery	...	Don
Florence Eldridge	...	Helen
Helene Millard	...	Mary
Robert Elliott	...	Bill
Mary Doran	...	Janice
Tyler Brooke	...	Hank
Zelda Sears	...	Hannah
George Irving	...	Dr. Bernard
Judith Wood	...	Dorothy (as Helen Johnson)

Storyline

Jerry and Ted are young, in love, and part of the New York 'in-crowd'. Jerry's decision to marry Ted crushes a yearning Paul. Distraught Paul gets drunk and wrecks his car, disfiguring young Dorothy's face in the process. Out of pity, Paul marries Dorothy. Years later, the apparent perfect marriage of Ted and Jerry falls apart from infidelity on both sides. Inwardly unhappy, popular Jerry lives a party life while Ted sinks into a life of alcoholism. Jerry then runs into Paul, who still loves her. After spending time together with Jerry, Paul plans to divorce Dorothy. When Jerry sees Dorothy again, she has second thoughts about where her life is heading.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | face | party | divorce | marriage | 

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Taglines:

A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer All Talking Picture!

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Genres:

Romance | Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 April 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Divorciada

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$340,691 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min 84 min (copyright length) 82 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chester Morris and Robert Montgomery also appeared together in another of 1930's Best Film nominees, The Big House.

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Goofs

The beginning of the movie is 1925 shortly before Jerry's marriage, yet, "Singing in the Rain" is playing on the radio. The song was composed for Hollywood Music Box Revue in 1927 and really popularized in MGM's Hollywood Revue of 1929.

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Quotes

Jerry Bernard Martin: [to Ted] So look for me in the future where the primroses grow and pack your man's pride with the rest. From now on, you're the only man in the world that my door is closed to.

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Connections

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Singin' in the Rain"
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Played on the radio
Tyler Brooke also dances and strums an instrument to the music

User Reviews

Norma Shearer's Oscar winning performance!

Not only did Norma Shearer win an Academy Award for her performance, but the film itself was nominated for best picture of that year. Not "politically correct" by today's standards, Shearer still is defiant when she learns that her husband has been untrue and fights the "double standard" of morality codes between men and women.