IMDb >
The Lady Refuses (1931)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe Lady Refuses (1931) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
8 March 1931 (USA)
more
Plot:
A wealthy London nobleman hires a pretty but poor young girl to distract his playboy son from marrying a golddigger...
more
| add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Fortune Hunter
|
London England
|
Monkey
|
Butler
|
Hangover
more
User Reviews:
Not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but I still kind of liked it
more (4 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Betty Compson | ... | June | |
| John Darrow | ... | Russell Courtney | |
| Gilbert Emery | ... | Sir Gerald Courtney | |
| Margaret Livingston | ... | Berthine Waller | |
| Ivan Lebedeff | ... | Nikolai Rabinoff | |
| Edgar Norton | ... | Dobbs - Sir Gerald's Butler | |
| Daphne Pollard | ... | Millie - Apartment House Maid |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
72 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Certification:
USA:Approved (certificate number not assigned) |
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) |
USA:TV-G (TV rating)
Company:
Fun Stuff
Quotes:
[first lines]
First Bobby: [a dark, foggy street in London. Two bobbies are observing a young woman walking along furtively] New one, isn't she Albert?
Albert, Second Bobby: Must be, or she wouldn't be out on a night like this. No weather for a dog.
First Bobby: Nor for no cat, neither!
more
First Bobby: [a dark, foggy street in London. Two bobbies are observing a young woman walking along furtively] New one, isn't she Albert?
Albert, Second Bobby: Must be, or she wouldn't be out on a night like this. No weather for a dog.
First Bobby: Nor for no cat, neither!
more
Soundtrack:
Three Little Words
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (4 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Lady Refuses (1931)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Storm at Daybreak | Go Into Your Dance | The Notebook | Hands Across the Table | Random Harvest |
|
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
IMDb User Rating: |
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | IMDb Drama section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |





This film isn't particularly outstanding in so many ways. Some of the acting and plot elements were rather pedestrian (at best) and the plot is very hard to believe, but despite all this I actually enjoyed the film more than my score of 6 might indicate. That's because this is a "Pre-Code" film (actually, this term should be "Early-Code") and I find these films VERY entertaining relics from our past. The Hays Office was created in the 1920s to enforce morality and decency in the film industry, but it was still in its early days and studios routinely ignored it until the stronger "Production Code" was adopted in 1935. Up until then, films were often amazingly risqué and adult--even by today's standards. A few examples of the things that led to the Hays Office being created and strengthened were:
--The 1920s version of BEN HUR, in which there was quite a bit of nudity and violence--and this was a Biblical Epic!
--The film PARACHUTE JUMPER includes a scene where Frank McHugh is hitchhiking. When a car passes without stopping, his thumb instantly becomes a middle-finger!
--In BIRD OF PARADISE, TARZAN THE APE MAN and THE BARBARIAN, there were some very explicit bathing scenes in which you see a lot of Delores Del Rio, Maureen O'Sullivan and Myrna Loy!
While THE LADY REFUSES doesn't include nudity, it is definitely a "Pre-Code"-style film because of the very adult themes. The leading lady (Betty Compson) plays a prostitute "with a heart of gold" who is hired by a man to seduce away his son from a "gold-digger"! And, later both the son AND father fall for this prostitute and want to marry her! Oddly, however, the words 'prostitute', 'hooker' nor any of the other slang terms for the profession are used in the film--though it's very clear that this is Ms. Compson's job. In addition to this adult aspect of the film, the son twice spends the night in Ms. Compson's bed and everyone in the film THINKS that they were fornicating (though they weren't). Such innuendo NEVER would have been tolerated just a few years later.
Now despite all these sleazy elements, the movie itself is pretty entertaining and well-made--and definitely kept my interest. Ms. Compson was a dandy actress in the film and it's sad her career as a talking picture leading lady slowly fizzled. As for John Darrow and Gilbert Emery, they both were pretty poor at times--having some trouble with their lines and occasionally over or under-acting. It wasn't bad enough to severely hinder the film, but it was noticeable if you were paying close attention.
The bottom line is that for fans of the "Pre-Code" films or film buffs, this is a MUST-SEE film. For most others, it's a time-passer or eminently one you can skip.