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

Even Norma Shearer's maid told her not to take the part, playing a bad woman.

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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

Theodore 'Ted' Martin: It doesn't mean a thing, not a thing.

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Connections

Featured in Complicated Women (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)"
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Written by Richard Wagner
Played on an organ at the wedding of Jerry and Ted Martin

User Reviews

A Neglected Landmark, More Often Discussed Than Actually Seen

THE Divorcée was created in the first wave of "all talking pictures," an era in which directors, writers, and actors often struggled to find styles appropriate to the new technology. At the time, it was hailed as a masterpiece of realism; today, however, it is a film more often discussed than actually seen, for there is no escaping the fact that the film is stylistically dated. Even so, it remains a landmark of its era--and given its historical importance it should be seen by any one with a serious interest in the history of American cinema.

The film is "pre-code," which is to say that it was made during a handful of years in the early 1930s when Hollywood's self-censorship was more the subject of jokes than of reality, and THE Divorcée was among the first Hollywood talkies to openly address both female sexuality and the sexual double standard. The story finds Jerry (Norma Shearer) and Ted (Chester Morris) happily married--but on their third anniversary Jerry discovers that Ted has been unfaithful, something that Ted dismisses with the words "it doesn't mean a thing." Angry and hurt, Jerry responds by having a one night stand of her own--and then is astonished by Ted's hypocrisy when he declares that her infidelity "isn't the same thing." The same story has been told so often that today we take it for granted, but in 1930 it was extremely controversial, and the cast plays it out with considerable intensity. Most notable is star Norma Shearer; although changing styles have left her sadly neglected, in her own era she was considered among the finest actresses on the screen and noted for her unusual beauty, memorable speaking voice, and tremendous star quality. In THE Divorcée she gives it everything she has, and her power is such that most viewers will find she quickly transcends the stylistically dated aspects of both the film and her own performance.

Over the years I've seen the film several times--most impressively on the big screen, where the larger than life performances seem considerably less affected--and I've enjoyed it quite a bit every time. If you are interested in exploring early 1930s Hollywood films, you could do considerably worse than to begin with THE Divorcée, which was my own introduction to that film era. If you are already interested in early 1930s film and have never seen it... this one belongs on your shelf, and no excuses.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT