Indiscreet (1931)

A young woman jeopardizes the relationship with the man she loves when a no-account from her past shows up.

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Buddy G. DeSylva (story), Lew Brown (story),

Stars:

Gloria Swanson, Ben Lyon, Monroe Owsley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gloria Swanson	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Trent
Ben Lyon	...	Tony Blake
Monroe Owsley	...	Jim Woodward
Barbara Kent	...	Joan Trent
Arthur Lake	...	Buster Collins
Maude Eburne	...	Aunt Kate
Henry Kolker	...	Mr. Woodward
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Woodward

Storyline

On New Year's Eve, Geraldine ('Jerry') Trent decides to break up with her boyfriend Jim Woodward, having finally grown tired of his dishonesty and his infidelities. Soon afterward, Geraldine meets and falls in love with novelist Anthony Blake. Blake knows that she has had a man in her past, but he is content as long as he never finds out who it was. All seems well until her sister Joan returns from a trip, and happily introduces Woodward as the new man in her life.

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Plot Keywords:

love | novelist | new year's eve | sister | break up | 

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Taglines:

Through one indiscretion--a woman with a future became a woman with a past

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Romance | Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Careless Heart

Filming Locations:

United Artists Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions, Feature Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 73 min (re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contains an early audio jump cut: Gerry Trent in New York says, "Four-fifteen here. Let's see. Over there it must be ...", which cuts to Jim Woodward aboard ship, saying, "Nine-fifteen - we're away on time."

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Quotes

Jim Woodward: I'm really serious. I really mean it this time, Gerry!
Geraldine Trent: Mean what?
Jim Woodward: Well, marriage...and...and...all that.
Geraldine Trent: No; I'm afraid there's be, uh, too little marriage and too much "all that."

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1920s: The Dawn of the Hollywood Musical (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Come to Me"
(uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Performed by Gloria Swanson

User Reviews

the songs got in the way

I also hadn't seen any of Gloria Swanson's movies apart from "Sunset Boulevard" (but I do mean to now!!!). This was a surprise - a romantic, sophisticated comedy-drama - with songs!!! It was the last film written by De Silva, Brown and Henderson before their partnership dissolved. They wrote some of the most popular songs of the day.

Gloria plays Geri Trent who, as the film opens, is just showing oily Jim Woodward and his golf clubs the door. Monroe Owsley seemed to make a career of playing cads. After a while she meets carefree writer Tony (Ben Lyon) who follows the rule - "obey your impulses". Falling in love with him she confesses that she had an affair with Jim but promises she will never see him again. Meanwhile her sister, Joan, (Barbara Kent) comes home after 2 years in Paris, giving her waiting boyfriend Buster (Arthur Lake) the cold shoulder. She is secretly engaged to Geri's old love.

Gloria sang very well but too much. I agree with the other reviewer, one of the problems was being at the tail end of the early musical cycle, where people were staying away from any film with a song in it. Let alone 3 pretty forgettable songs!!! The songs slowed the film down. It also didn't seem to know what it wanted to be. I have read Edith Wharton's "The Mother's Recompense" and it is a highly dramatic book. This film had drama but it also had some funny sequences - one involving Geri trying to convince Jim's family that insanity runs in her family (to stop him marrying her sister). There is also a scene at the end of the film where Geri is trying to board a boat without a passport.

Arthur Lake seemed to have perfected his "Dagwood" characterization even in this film - he plays Buster. Barbara Kent, who once shared the screen with Greta Garbo in "Flesh and the Devil" plays Joan, Geri's sister.