Scarlet Pages (1930)

Nora Mason becomes entangled in a family mix-up of murder and scandal that threatens to ruin her career and entire future; Unless the mother she does not know can find a way to save her.

Director:

Ray Enright

Writers:

Samuel Shipman (based on the stage play by), John B. Hymer (based on the stage play by),

Stars:

Elsie Ferguson, Marian Nixon, John Halliday

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Elsie Ferguson	...	Mary Bancroft
Marian Nixon	...	Nora Mason
John Halliday	...	John Remington
Grant Withers	...	Bob Lawrence
Daisy Belmore	...	Mrs. Kennedy
William B. Davidson	...	Jackson (as William Davidson)
Jean Laverty	...	Carlotta (as Jean Bary)
Wilbur Mack	...	Mason
Charlotte Walker	...	Mrs. Mason
Neely Edwards	...	Barnes
Helen Ferguson	...	Miss Hutchinson
Fred Kelsey	...	Murphy

Storyline

Mary Bancroft (Elsie Ferguson), a brilliant defense lawyer who chose a profession over motherhood, is hired to defend Nora Mason (Marian Nixon), whom she has never met, on a murder charge. During the proceedings of the trail, Mary discovers that Nora is her own daughter that she had given up as a baby.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | lawyer | scandal | husband wife relationship | adoption | 

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Taglines:

Her story is written in Life's Blood and told thrillingly, tensely and daringly! (original ad)

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1930 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min 63 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The play originally opened in New York on 9 Sepember 1929 and had 72 performances.

User Reviews

Silent star Elsie Ferguson's only talkie...

is a stagy and unconvincing melodrama about an unwed mother, a sleazy murder, and (of course) redemption. Elsie Ferguson isn't bad though as the lawyer who learns a terrible secret while defending a showgirl of murder. The rest of the cast, however IS pretty bad: Marian Nixon, Grant Withers, John Halliday, etc. go through their paces without much to offer. Ferguson had been a big silent star playing upper-crust ladies in "weepies." This film was an attempt to revive her career (after 5 years), but it was just too late. Her speaking voice is fine, but the new medium of "talkies" and the new Depression-era sensibility made it clear it was time for Elsie Ferguson to retire from the screen.